Software Engineer

AikiTech, Inc.; Scottsdale, Northern (AZ, KY); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock compensation

Paid time off

401(k) plan

Job summary

AikiTech, Inc. in Scottsdale, AZ is seeking an early-career software engineer to build Python backend services and data pipelines for production GenAI solutions in the public sector.

You will work with current GenAI models, cloud services, and observability, while learning from experienced engineers and progressively taking ownership of production components. Strong CS foundation and 0–2 years experience preferred; on-site work required.

Qualifications

• Master's or doctoral degree in Computer Science; completed before employment start date.
• Zero to two years of professional software engineering experience; relevant internships or graduate work valued.
• Strong Python programming; solid data structures and algorithms understanding.
• Experience with APIs, distributed systems, and debugging fundamentals.
• Exposure to LLM APIs or applied ML in coursework, research, or projects.
• Familiarity with Git, automated testing, and CI/CD practices.
• Basic familiarity with at least one major cloud platform (AWS/Azure/GCP).
• Excellent written and verbal communication; willingness to work on-site in Scottsdale, AZ.

Responsibilities

• Build, test, and maintain Python backend services, APIs, and data pipelines.
• Contribute to LLM-powered apps on public cloud platforms with guardrails and observability.
• Create automated tests, evaluation data, and regression checks for accuracy and latency.
• Integrate APIs, embedding services, and internal components.
• Assist with real-time data processing including audio, transcription, and event-driven tasks.
• Contribute to cloud deployments across AWS/Azure government clouds under mentorship.
• Follow secure-development practices and change-management processes.
• Document work and provide technical evidence for SOC 2 and CJIS alignment.

Skills

Python programming

LLM APIs

APIs & data exchange

Git & collaboration

Automated testing

Cloud platforms

Strong communication

Education

Master's or PhD in Computer Science

Tools

Git

CI/CD

AWS

Azure

Job description

AikiTech builds secure generative AI products for the public sector, with initial applications in public safety and education. Our platform is configurable to agency workflows and built from the ground up to meet the security and privacy standards those agencies must satisfy.

Generative AI is advancing faster than established engineering playbooks, particularly in public‑sector environments where accuracy, security, privacy, and reliability carry real consequences. AikiTech works at the leading edge of applying these capabilities to public safety and education. An early‑career engineer who joins us will gain direct experience turning new GenAI capabilities into production software that agencies can trust.

We have completed a SOC 2 Type II Audit, operate government‑cloud environments in both AWS GovCloud and Microsoft Azure Government, maintain a CJIS‑aligned security program, and hold third‑party FERPA and COPPA certifications. Compliance is part of how we build, not a checklist added at the end.

This is an early‑career position for someone with a strong graduate‑level computer science foundation and zero to two years of professional software engineering experience. Your strongest experience may come from graduate coursework, research, internships, a teaching or research assistantship, open‑source work, or substantial personal projects. Professional experience is welcome but not required.

You will work directly with current GenAI models, evaluation methods, retrieval, guardrails, cloud services, and production observability while learning from experienced engineers and progressively taking ownership of production components. This is not a research‑only or prompt‑writing position. You will write Python, build backend services, test system behavior, work with cloud infrastructure, diagnose failures, document your work, and learn how to build software for regulated public‑sector environments.

What You Will Do

• Build, test, and maintain Python backend services, APIs, and data‑processing pipelines.
• Contribute to LLM‑powered applications on leading public‑cloud platforms, including work involving prompt design, retrieval, structured outputs, guardrails, model evaluation, and observability.
• Create and maintain automated tests, evaluation datasets, and regression checks for accuracy, latency, reliability, and failure handling.
• Integrate commercial and open‑weight models, embedding services, databases, and internal platform components.
• Assist with real‑time and near‑real‑time audio, streaming transcription, call metadata, and event‑driven processing.
• Contribute to cloud deployments across AWS and Microsoft Azure, including government‑cloud environments, under the guidance of experienced engineers.
• Use Git, code review, CI/CD, logging, monitoring, and issue tracking as part of the normal development lifecycle.
• Follow secure‑development practices involving least‑privilege access, secrets management, data‑retention controls, encryption, testing, and documented change management.
• Help prepare technical documentation and supporting evidence for SOC 2 and CJIS‑alignment work.
• Investigate defects and production issues, explain what happened, and help implement durable fixes.
• Learn directly from agency requirements and help translate them into reliable software behavior.

Required Qualifications

• Master's or doctoral degree in Computer Science, completed before the employment start date.
• Zero to two years of professional software engineering experience. Relevant internships, research assistantships, and substantial graduate engineering projects are valued and may constitute a candidate's primary experience.
• Strong Python programming skills and a solid understanding of data structures, algorithms, object‑oriented design, and software‑debugging fundamentals.
• At least one substantial software project that you can explain in depth, including the problem, architecture, code you personally wrote, testing approach, tradeoffs, and results. The project may come from coursework, research, an internship, open‑source work, employment, or independent development.
• Practical exposure to LLM APIs or applied machine learning through coursework, research, internships, or projects.
• Experience building or consuming APIs and working with structured data.
• Familiarity with Git, automated testing, and collaborative software‑development practices.
• Basic familiarity with at least one major public‑cloud platform such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud.
• Strong analytical, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability and willingness to work on‑site in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Preferred Experience

We do not expect an early‑career candidate to have all of the following:

• A software engineering, machine learning, cloud, or data‑engineering internship or research assistantship.
• A deployed backend or AI application that has been used by people other than the developer.
• Experience with retrieval‑augmented generation, embeddings, model evaluation, structured outputs, or AI safety and guardrails.
• Experience with containers, serverless computing, CI/CD, infrastructure as code, or cloud monitoring.
• Familiarity with FastAPI, Flask, SQL, vector databases, event‑driven systems, or streaming data.
• Coursework or project experience involving cybersecurity, privacy engineering, distributed systems, natural‑language processing, speech processing, or software testing.
• Interest or experience in government, public safety, emergency communications, education technology, or other regulated environments.

Location

This is an on‑site position in Scottsdale, Arizona. It is intended for candidates who live in the Phoenix metropolitan area or are prepared to relocate before their start date.

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive salary based on qualifications.
• Participation in AikiTech's stock compensation plan.
• Paid time off.
• Access to a 401(k) plan.

Why AikiTech

Your work will not be confined to internal exercises or prototypes. You will learn by contributing to production AI systems used in consequential public‑sector settings. You will receive meaningful technical responsibility, direct feedback from experienced engineers, and exposure to the full lifecycle of secure software: design, implementation, testing, deployment, monitoring, compliance, and customer integration.

Application

AikiTech is an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law.

Put AI to Work for Your Mission

Whether you run an emergency communications center, a school district, or an enterprise AI program, AikiTech builds the tailored solution and provides the engine behind it. Lets talk about your workflow.