Software Engineer II (Data Pipelines & Event Processing)

Torch.AI; Leawood (KS); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Quarterly performance bonuses

Unlimited PTO

401(k) plan

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Torch.AI is looking for a software engineer to build production-grade systems for processing large volumes of data. Candidates will develop scalable data pipelines, ensuring systems meet compliance and operational goals.

The ideal candidate has experience in software engineering, particularly with Python, and a strong background in data pipeline patterns. The position is located in Leawood, KS, offering competitive salary and benefits.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• 3–6 years of professional software engineering experience.
• Strong proficiency in Python or similar backend programming languages.
• Strong understanding of data pipeline patterns.
• Experience working with APIs and distributed systems.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain backend services and pipelines.
• Support human-in-the-loop review and promotion workflows.
• Incorporate automated data access workflows.
• Collaborate with AI/ML engineers to integrate data fusion capabilities.
• Ensure systems meet compliance, auditability, and mission requirements.

Job description

Job Details

Job Location: HQ – Leawood, KS 66211

Position Type: Full-Time – Clearance Eligible

Security Clearance

Some roles require an active Secret, Top Secret, or Top Secret/SCI clearance. Candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain the appropriate clearance level. U.S. citizenship is required for all positions. Torch.AI does not sponsor employment visas. If you do not currently hold a clearance but are eligible, sponsorship may be available depending on role and mission requirements.

Work Location

Most roles are based at our headquarters in Leawood, KS. Some hybrid/remote positions in the Arlington, VA, Washington, DC, and Maryland (DMV) region are available. Limited travel (<10%) may be required.

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Quarterly performance bonuses
• Equity participation within the first 12 months
• Unlimited PTO + 11 paid company holidays
• Professional development in a high‑growth, mission‑driven environment
• Weekly in‑office catering at HQ
• 401(k) plan (no current employer match, but under consideration)
• PPO, HSA, and TRICARE Supplement medical options
• Above‑market HSA contributions
• HSA, FSA, and Dependent Care FSA options
• Dental and vision plans above national averages
• Employer‑paid life insurance (1× salary)
• Employer‑paid short‑term and long‑term disability
• Voluntary accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity coverage
• Up to $300/month in tax‑advantaged commuter benefits

Role Overview

This role focuses on building production‑grade software systems that ingest, process, and enrich large volumes of real‑world data to support mission‑critical decision making. You will develop scalable data pipelines and backend services that transform diverse, multi‑source information into structured, actionable insights.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain backend services and pipelines that acquire and process data from diverse data sources, including extensible connector and adapter patterns for new data sources and workflows.
• Build systems that monitor and respond to real‑world events by collecting, correlating, and updating relevant data streams.
• Implement data transformation, enrichment, and normalization processes to support downstream analytics and mission applications.
• Develop workflows that allow users to configure, run, review, and manage data processing tasks through controlled application interfaces.
• Support human‑in‑the‑loop review and promotion workflows so raw or enriched data can be validated before becoming available to downstream users or systems.
• Incorporate automated data access workflows using APIs, web interfaces, and distributed systems while adhering to controlled access and usage constraints.
• Optimize performance, scalability, and resilience of data acquisition and processing systems.
• Collaborate with AI/ML engineers to integrate data fusion capabilities and AI‑enabled functions such as structured extraction, classification, summarization, validation, and routing through approved internal services.
• Work with security engineers to implement policy enforcement, fail‑closed validation, audit evidence, and safeguards for sensitive data workflows; reduce attribution risk and ensure responsible interaction with external data sources.
• Apply operational security practices to data acquisition and processing workflows, including controlled access patterns, traffic shaping, and infrastructure protection.
• Ensure systems meet compliance, auditability, and mission requirements.
• Contribute to CI/CD pipelines, containerized deployments, and automated testing workflows.
• Troubleshoot production issues and perform root‑cause analysis across distributed systems.
• Document system behavior, data flows, and integration patterns to support maintainability and operational use.
• Participate in code reviews and contribute to engineering standards and best practices.

Core Skills & Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• 3–6 years of professional software engineering experience.
• Strong proficiency in Python (preferred) or similar backend programming languages.
• Strong understanding of data pipeline patterns, including ETL/ELT workflows.
• Experience building production systems for data ingestion, integration, or processing.
• Experience working with APIs, automated data access techniques, and distributed systems.
• Experience with structured and semi‑structured data formats (JSON, CSV, Parquet).
• Experience designing systems that operate reliably under variable data availability and latency conditions.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and modern software development practices.
• Experience implementing controlled or privacy‑aware data acquisition techniques, such as controlled access, managed attribution, fail‑closed validation, etc.
• Familiarity with SQL and NoSQL databases and query optimization.
• Familiarity with cloud environments (AWS preferred) and containerization (Docker).
• Understanding of secure software development practices and controlled data access patterns.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and ability to operate in fast‑paced, mission‑driven environments.

Additional Valuable Experience

• Experience with workflow orchestration tools (Airflow, NiFi) or similar systems.
• Experience with streaming or event‑driven architectures (Kafka or equivalent).
• Experience working with geospatial, temporal, or multi‑source datasets.
• Experience supporting defense, intelligence, or other regulated environments.
• Familiarity with large‑scale data ingestion, indexing, or search systems.
• Familiarity with infrastructure patterns that support identity protection, request management, or traffic routing in distributed systems.
• Familiarity with distributed systems and microservices architectures.
• Exposure to observability tooling (logging, monitoring, metrics).
• Exposure to data enrichment, entity resolution, or relationship mapping techniques.

Torch.AI is an Equal Opportunity / Affluent Action Employer committed to building a team that reflects the mission we serve.