AI Software Engineer

Job Description

We are looking for a software engineer to join our Central AI Organization (APEX CAIO) and build production-grade AI systems. The core of this role is engineering: designing, coding, and shipping reliable software that integrates large language models, retrieval pipelines, and AI agents into enterprise products. 

You will work in a product-oriented engineering team, applying strong software development fundamentals to AI-driven systems.

What Will You Do?

Engineering & Delivery 

• Design and implement backend systems and APIs that integrate LLMs, vector databases, and retrieval components 

• Build, deploy, and maintain RAG pipelines and AI agents in production 

• Write clean, testable, maintainable code following engineering best practices 

• Contribute to CI/CD pipelines, testing, and observability of AI systems 

• Optimize AI components for performance, reliability, and correctness 

Collaboration 

• Translate requirements into working software alongside senior engineers, product managers, and domain experts 

• Participate in Agile ceremonies, sprint planning, and code reviews 

• Communicate technical progress, risks, and trade-offs clearly within the team 

Qualifications, Skills & Experience

Required

• Proven software engineering experience — strong, production-level Python is essential 

• Experience building systems that integrate APIs, databases, and cloud services 

• Hands-on experience with LLMs, RAG architectures, vector databases, or generative AI applications 

• RESTful API development experience 

• Familiarity with CI/CD, testing practices, and software delivery 

Nice to Have

• AWS or other cloud provider experience 

• Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) 

• Agile/Scrum background 

• Familiarity with prompt engineering or AI evaluation frameworks

• Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline 

Required Skills:

CI/CD, Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), Python (Programming Language), RESTful APIs, Retrieval-Augmented Generation, Vector Databases

Preferred Skills:

Amazon Web Services (AWS), Docker (Software), Kubernetes, Scrum

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

Yes

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

07/17/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.