Software Engineer I (Python Focus)

The world’s most consequential systems need the world’s best builders.

A new era is taking shape. AI is no longer confined to models or interfaces. It is becoming the foundation of how decisions are made across governments, industries, and real-world environments. What matters now is not just access to capability, but how it is applied, controlled, and sustained over time.

Torch.AI builds a government-owned reasoning infrastructure which creates a Reasoning Layer to enable machine reasoning at scale, in environments where it is hardest to achieve and least tolerant of failure. This is not incremental software. It is long-term infrastructure designed to endure, integrate, and evolve alongside the systems it supports.

Not another dashboard. Not another workflow app. Not another black-box model glued to a PowerPoint.

The Reasoning Layer is a modular architecture where data is connected, governed, transformed, represented, fused, reasoned over, and delivered into mission applications and operational workflows. It does not replace systems of record. It enables them to function better together.

The Reasoning Layer is comprised of: ORCUS (ingestion, orchestration, governance), NEXUS (semantic representation, vectorization), HALO (graph-based fusion and reasoning) and various product and capability components deployed for specific customer use cases.

We are seeking candidates who approach problems creatively, are comfortable operating without full clarity, and take responsibility for outcomes, not just implementation.

If you’re driven to strengthen U.S. defense readiness and protect national interests, Torch.AI offers meaningful impact at national scale.

What Makes Torch.AI Different

Torch.AI was founded on a simple operational insight: better use of data leads to better decisions. As data volumes increased across commercial, enterprise, and national security environments, the limiting factor was not collection, storage, or user interface design. The missing layer was machine understanding. And an infrastructure that could operate and reason between layers, preserve context, reconcile meaning, and make data useful for decisions in real time.

We believe the government must own its data and decision environment. In mission and operational environments, the layer where data becomes context, context informs models, models support decisions, and decisions shape action cannot be controlled entirely by private technology vendors.

Ownership does not mean the government must build every component itself. It means the government maintains stewardship and authority over the mission and operational layer. Commercial software, models, and services can contribute to the environment, but they should not capture the mission.

We are craftsmen.

We build with intention.

We ship with discipline.

You’ll collaborate with engineers, data experts, veterans, and mission practitioners. You’ll own meaningful work, move quickly, and see your systems deployed in production, often within weeks.

We are fast-paced, entrepreneurial, and mission-driven. Every day is a new puzzle.

The Type of Candidates Who Thrive

People who do well here tend to approach problems similarly.

• They are comfortable operating without full clarity.
• They pay attention to what actually happens, not just what was intended.
• They are willing to be wrong, adjust quickly, and improve based on real feedback.
• They take responsibility for outcomes, not just implementation.

This is not a good fit for someone who needs tightly defined problems or prefers distance from how their work is used.

Security Clearance

Some roles require an active Secret, Top Secret, or Top Secret/SCI clearance. Where required, 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 across the Arlington, VA, Washington, DC, and Maryland (DMV) region are available. Limited travel (<10%) may be required for some roles.

Compensation, Benefits, Incentives

We offer competitive, performance-aligned compensation tied to technical depth, clearance level, and mission impact.

Total Rewards Include:

• 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

Benefits:

• 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

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

If you want to build AI systems that move from ingestion to actionable insight and know exactly why they produced the answer they did, we should talk.

Qualifications

What You’ll Do

• Implement and maintain backend services using Python (FastAPI/Flask) and/or Java (Spring Boot, Micronaut) under guidance.
• Build, test, and consume RESTful APIs supporting mission-focused systems.
• Write clean, testable code and participate in peer code reviews.
• Assist with debugging, troubleshooting, and resolving development issues across services.
• Work with SQL and NoSQL databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Elasticsearch) to support data persistence and retrieval.
• Develop and support basic data transformation tasks, ETL workflows, and external API integrations.
• Work with structured and semi-structured data formats (JSON, CSV, Parquet).
• Participate in Git workflows, sprint execution, and core SDLC practices.
• Contribute to documentation of APIs, services, and technical workflows.
• Learn and apply CI/CD concepts and modern backend development practices.

Core Skills & Qualifications

• B.S. in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• 1–2 years of backend development experience (internships, academic projects, or professional experience acceptable).
• Proficiency in either Python or Java, with understanding of OOP fundamentals.
• Familiarity with REST APIs, HTTP fundamentals, and JSON-based data exchange.
• Exposure to frameworks such as FastAPI, Flask, Spring Boot, or Micronaut.
• Basic experience writing SQL queries and working with relational or NoSQL databases.
• Familiarity with Git and collaborative development workflows.
• Strong problem-solving skills and willingness to learn in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.

Additional Valuable Experience

• Exposure to cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Awareness of CI/CD pipelines and containerization (Docker).
• Familiarity with Kafka, Airflow, NiFi, or other data integration tools.
• Exposure to microservices or cloud-native development patterns.
• Basic understanding of IAM, security fundamentals, or secure development environments.
• Interest in mission-oriented systems or regulated environments.