Lead Software Developer

Lumen is the trusted network for AI. We’re transforming how businesses connect, secure, and scale in an AI-driven world. By connecting people, data, and applications quickly, securely, and effortlessly, we help organizations move faster and unlock what’s next. At Lumen, people power progress. Our culture is built on teamwork, trust, and transparency, giving you the flexibility, support, and opportunity to make a lasting impact. We’re looking for top‑tier talent ready to take on the challenge. Join us in building the future. The Role As a Senior Lead Software Engineer, you will be at the forefront of our AI initiatives, leading the design, development, and implementation of cutting‑edge AI solutions. You will work closely with cross‑functional teams to drive innovation and ensure the successful delivery of AI projects. Your expertise will be crucial in shaping the future of our AI capabilities and driving business value through advanced technologies. Location This role is designated as a fully remote position within the United States. Main Responsibilities AI Solution Development: Lead the end‑to‑end design, development, testing, deployment, and ongoing support of sophisticated conversational AI solutions. Project Leadership: Oversee AI projects from conception to deployment, ensuring timely delivery and alignment with business objectives. Collaboration: Work closely with data scientists, software engineers, and business stakeholders to understand requirements and deliver AI solutions that meet their needs. Innovation: Stay up to date with the latest advancements in AI and machine learning and apply this knowledge to drive continuous improvement and innovation within the team. Mentorship: Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior AI engineers, fostering a culture of learning and growth. Performance Optimization: Optimize AI models for performance, scalability, and reliability, ensuring they meet the highest standards of quality. Documentation: Create and maintain comprehensive documentation for AI models, algorithms, and processes to ensure transparency and reproducibility. Integration: Integrate conversational agents seamlessly with backend APIs, databases (like Firestore), CRM systems, and other enterprise platforms within the GCP ecosystem. Advanced Capabilities: Explore and implement advanced capabilities, potentially including Generative AI features available through Agent Builder and Vertex AI, to enhance conversational intelligence. MLOps/AIOps Practices: Establish and maintain comprehensive MLOps/AIOps practices for conversational AI models on GCP, encompassing model monitoring, continuous integration/delivery (CI/CD), versioning, scalability, and robust alerting. System Health Monitoring: Design and implement systems to collect, analyze, and leverage IT telemetry data and logs (using tools like Google Cloud Monitoring/Logging) for proactive alerting and monitoring of AI system health, performance, and potential issues. Performance Metrics: Analyze and optimize conversational AI solutions for key performance metrics including latency, accuracy, user satisfaction, operational cost, and reliability on GCP. Knowledge Sharing: Mentor junior engineers, share knowledge, and contribute to establishing best practices for conversational AI development within the organization. What We Look For in a Candidate Required Qualification Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, or a closely related technical field. Experience: Minimum of 7 years of professional software engineering experience, with at least 4 years specifically focused on developing and deploying AI/ML solutions. Technical Skills: Python Programming Dialogflow (CX/ES), Agent Builder, Conversational Agents Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Core AI/ML Concepts Familiarity with Copilot Studio and Goodle ADK development Generative AI (Preferred) Vertex AI (Preferred) Firestore, BigQuery (Preferred) MLOps/AIOps (Preferred) Backend API Integration Familiarity with building agentic systems Non-Technical Skills: Team Leadership Cross-Functional Collaboration Strong Communication Problem‑Solving Strategic Thinking Responsible AI (Familiarity) Analytical Skills: Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to translate complex business requirements into AI solutions. Communication: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with cross‑functional teams and present technical concepts to non‑technical stakeholders. Leadership: Demonstrated leadership abilities, with experience in mentoring and guiding junior engineers. Passion for AI: A deep passion for AI and a commitment to staying current with the latest industry trends and advancements. Preferred Qualifications Experience contributing to or utilizing an integrated Generative AI platform on GCP designed to streamline the end‑to‑end lifecycle of AI applications, from development and experimentation to robust deployment and monitoring. Hands‑on experience with key components of modern AI/ML infrastructure and data stacks within the Google Cloud ecosystem, specifically including Vertex AI Vector Search, Firestore, Vertex AI Model Registry, and BigQuery. Compensation This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. Individual pay is based on skills, experience and other relevant factors. Location‑Based Pay Ranges: $105,786 - $141,047 in these states: AL AR AZ FL GA IA ID IN KS KY LA ME MO MS MT ND NE NM OH OK PA SC SD TN UT VT WI WV WY $111,074 - $148,099 in these states: CO HI MI MN NC NH NV OR RI $116,364 - $155,152 in these states: AK CA CT DC DE IL MA MD NJ NY TX VA WA Lumen offers a comprehensive package featuring a broad range of Health, Life, Voluntary Lifestyle benefits and other perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. We're able to answer any additional questions you may have about our bonus structure (short‑term incentives, long‑term incentives and/or sales compensation) as you move through the selection process. Background Screening If you are selected for a position, there will be a background screen, which may include checks for criminal records and/or motor vehicle reports and/or drug screening, depending on the position requirements. For more information on these checks, please refer to the Post Offer section of our FAQ page. Job‑related concerns identified during the background screening may disqualify you from the new position or your current role. Background results will be evaluated on a case‑by‑case basis. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Equal Employment Opportunities We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons regardless of race, color, ancestry, citizenship, national origin, religion, veteran status, disability, genetic characteristic or information, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, family status, pregnancy, or other legally protected status (collectively, “protected statuses”). We do not tolerate unlawful discrimination in any employment decisions, including recruiting, hiring, compensation, promotion, benefits, discipline, termination, job assignments or training. Privacy Notice Lumen is committed to protecting the privacy and security of personal information collected during the recruitment and hiring process. Our Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect applicant information, as well as how individuals may request access to or deletion of their personal data. To review Lumen’s Privacy Notice, please visit Disclaimer The job responsibilities described above indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to include a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities for this job. Job duties and responsibilities are subject to change based on evolving business needs and conditions. In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age‑identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information. Please be advised that Lumen does not require any form of payment from job applicants during the recruitment process. All legitimate job openings will be posted on our official website or communicated through official company email addresses. If you encounter any job offers that request payment in exchange for employment at Lumen, they are not for employment with us, but may relate to another company with a similar name. Requisition #: 342469 #J-18808-Ljbffr