Senior AI Software Engineer / Architect

Senior AI Software Engineer / Architect (Application Development Focus) St. Louis, MO (Onsite with potential hybrid flexibility) W2 Only - No C2C / No Sponsorship (current or future) $80.00-$86.00/hr W2 Contract-to-Hire (~$160K conversion + full benefits) Overview We are seeking a Senior AI Software Engineer / Architect to lead the design and development of scalable, enterprise-level software solutions while helping guide the early adoption of AI across engineering teams. This is an opportunity to join a well-established St. Louis-based organization with over 100 years of history , originally founded as a bank and now operating as a global provider of financial and technology-driven solutions. This is a hands-on architectural leadership role focused on building modern applications while integrating emerging AI capabilities (including generative AI tools) into development workflows. The environment is early-stage in AI adoption , making this ideal for someone who can bridge traditional software engineering with practical AI usage. What You'll Do Lead architecture and development of scalable software platforms and AI-enabled applications Partner with engineering, product, and business teams to define and deliver solutions aligned to enterprise goals Guide teams in adopting AI-assisted development workflows (prototyping, validation, cross-platform testing) Evaluate and implement modern technologies across cloud, AI/ML, and application architecture Establish best practices across: Software architecture DevOps / CI/CD Testing and code quality Emerging AI development workflows Mentor engineers and promote engineering excellence across teams Drive technical strategy and long-term architecture decisions Ensure solutions align with security, data privacy, and enterprise standards What They're Actually Doing (Real-World Context) Teams are early in AI adoption , using generative AI tools to: Build initial prototypes Validate outputs across multiple AI platforms Convert prototypes into production-grade applications This is NOT a pure AI research role — it's software engineers evolving into AI-enabled development Required Skills 7+ years in software engineering / architecture 2+ years exposure to AI/ML or AI-enabled systems Strong experience building applications in cloud environments (AWS, Azure, or GCP) Solid background in: System design / architecture APIs, distributed systems, scalable applications Experience mentoring teams and influencing technical direction Strong communication and stakeholder collaboration skills

Technical Environment Cloud:

AWS / Azure /

GCP Languages:

Flexible (team-driven)

AI:

Exposure to generative AI tools (LLM-based platforms)

Dev Tools:

Visual Studio / .NET ecosystem preferred

Databases:

SQL Server (or other relational DBs) CI/CD, DevOps, Agile practices Nice to Have Experience with: MLOps or AI lifecycle practices NLP, computer vision, or generative AI AI governance / data privacy considerations

Pay:

$80.00 - $86.00 per hour

Work Location:

In person