Senior AI-Native Software Engineering Researcher
At a glance
Senior AI Research role at Cmu (SEI). Pittsburgh · full-time · no salary stated · we estimate $160,550–$249,500 across the United States.
Cmu (SEI) has not published a salary for this role. The figure below is our estimate, not theirs.
aimlroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Study how AI models and coding agents perform as their capabilities change, and turn findings into guidance for engineering teams
- Develop measures of AI use in software development and help organizations improve based on those results
- Find workflow gaps that lead to technical debt, weak architecture choices or repeated rework, then address them
- Build or adapt agents, workflows and engineering practices for AI-assisted software development
- Apply research with government and industry teams, then share results with practitioners and research communities
What you bring
- A doctorate and at least five years of relevant experience
- Research experience using scientific methods to tackle difficult problems, with publications in leading peer-reviewed venues
- Strong software engineering fundamentals and the ability to adjust as technical capabilities evolve
- Clear communication and collaboration skills, including explaining complex ideas to non-specialists
- Ability to obtain and keep a Department of War security clearance
Who this fits
This senior research role suits someone who can lead applied research, collaborate with sponsors and engineering teams, and mentor junior colleagues. The position is based in Pittsburgh and involves travel up to a quarter of the time.
From the employer
The future of software engineering is AI-native. Our team works to shape that future through pioneering research, practical engineering methods, and close collaboration with government, industry, and academia.
At the AI-Native Software Engineering Directorate, we focus on how today's engineering teams can quickly exploit emerging technologies and harness AI capabilities to create and evolve software quickly without losing fundamental software qualities.
To address this new world, we :
- study and guide industry and government teams’ use of AI in software engineering
- distill best practices and lessons from experiments and experience to shape AI-native software engineering
- pilot and transition improvements with organizations and measure their success
- create novel agents and agentic workflows to support software engineering
- apply AI to accelerate architecture-scale modernization
- help organizations establish AI-native software engineering practices
- guide organizations in evolving their software with architecture and AI-native approaches
Our overarching goal is to create new workflows and tools that enable AI-paced delivery of software without loss of quality. We're seeking candidates with a demonstrated track record who are motivated to shape AI-native software engineering.
AI-Native Software Engineering Researcher
As an AI-Native Software Engineering Researcher, you will focus on conducting research in application of AI to industry and government scale software engineering problems, applying your research in government and industry settings, and disseminating results to engineering teams and the broader research and software engineering community. You will help shape our AI-Native Software Engineering strategy through exploration of challenges such as:
- assessing the rapidly changing capabilities of AI models and coding agents
- establishing metrics that help organizations understand their use of AI in development and guiding them through improvements
- identifying gaps in AI workflows that result in unnecessarily poor outcomes (e.g., excessive technical debt, bad architecture decisions, or frequent rework loops)
- creating novel agents or agentic workflows
- creating or adapting practices and workflows to embed software engineering discipline
- studying the cost implications of AI and developing strategies for more efficient use of AI (e.g., context management, token management, and balancing use of AI with non-AI approaches)
You will have the opportunity to work with world class software engineers, researchers, and data scientists working on national and global scale problems.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Comprehensive knowledge of software engineering fundamentals
- Ability to keep up with and adapt to rapidly changing technical advances
- A track record of conducting research and applying scientific methods to solve difficult problems
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to convey complex technical ideas in a layperson’s terms
- Demonstrated track record publishing in top tier peer-reviewed venues
- Strong collaboration skills for working with colleagues and sponsors
- Proficiency in writing funding proposals or pitching ideas for new research projects
- Willingness and ability to guide and mentor junior team members
Requirements
- A PhD with at least five (5) years of relevant experience.
- You will be subject to a background investigation and you must be able to obtain and maintain a Department of War security clearance.
- Willing to travel up to 25% of the time to locations outside of your home location. Travel sites include SEI offices in Washington, D.C., sponsor sites, and conferences.
Desired Experience
- Experience leading research projects in novel areas
- Successful application of AI to improve research or software engineering progress
- Experience working with software engineering teams on large industry or government projects
- Experience working with leadership to plan, develop, and deliver an overall technical strategy
Location
Pittsburgh, PAJob Function
Software/Applications Development/EngineeringPosition Type
Staff – RegularFull time/Part time
Full timePay Basis
SalaryMore Information:
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Carnegie Mellon University is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran.