Software Engineer, Backend - AI Practice Team

Job Description

ABS is seeking an exceptional Backend Engineer to join us full‑time on our Artificial Intelligence (AI) Practice Team. In this role, you will design and scale high‑performance backend systems that power real‑time analytics and retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG) pipelines. You’ll build distributed services that deliver sub‑500ms response times under high load, enabling next‑generation AI and data‑driven applications.

This position can be based in Houston, Texas;
Knoxville, Tennessee; or Washington, DC.

• Architect distributed systems:
  Design and implement event‑driven backends using advanced patterns such as CQRS, Event Sourcing, Saga, and Circuit Breakers; build at scale:
  Develop and maintain web services in Go and Python, leveraging cloud‑native infrastructure for resiliency and elasticity.
• Optimize for performance:
  Ensure APIs and data pipelines meet strict SLAs through advanced performance profiling, caching, and query optimization.
• Stream real‑time data:
  Engineer high‑throughput pipelines using Apache Kafka and other event streaming platforms.
• Deliver reliability:
  Establish strong observability, testing and monitoring practices to guarantee consistency, uptime, and fault tolerance.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• 8+ years of backend development experience, with a focus on high‑performance, data‑intensive systems.
• 5+ years deploying and operating applications on AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
• Proven track record building production systems that sustain high concurrency and throughput.

• Expert proficiency in Go and Python for backend development.
• Deep experience with event‑driven architectures and real‑time streaming, particularly Apache Kafka.
• Mastery of distributed system patterns (CQRS, Event Sourcing, Saga, Circuit Breaker, Bulkhead).
• Strong command of performance optimization—caching layers, database tuning, and system‑level profiling.
• Hands‑on experience with analytics platforms (e.g., Databricks) for large‑scale data processing and ML workflows.
• Proficiency with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and infrastructure as code.
• Familiarity with vector databases, search systems, and advanced retrieval‑optimized data structures.

This role reports to a project manager and does not initially include direct reports.

$90,000 - $150,000 USD

Starting salary is based on multiple factors including skillset and experience.

We set out more than 160 years ago to promote the security of life and property at sea and preserve the natural environment. Today, we remain true to our mission and continue to support organizations facing a rapidly evolving seascape of challenging regulations and new technologies. Through it all, we are anchored by a vision and mission that help our clients find clarity in uncertain times.

ABS is a global leader in marine and offshore classification and other innovative safety, quality, and environmental services. We’re at the forefront of supporting the global energy transition at sea, the application of remote and autonomous marine systems, cutting‑edge technical solutions, and many more exciting advancements. Our commitment to safety, reliability, and efficiency is ever‑present, guiding our clients to safer and more efficient operations.

ABS Group proudly offers a variety of industry‑leading benefits designed to enhance the life and well‑being of our employees and their families. These benefits include, but are not limited to, medical insurance (PPO and HD), dental and vision insurance, Health Savings account (HSA), Flexible Savings Account (FSA), life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, disability leave programs, parental leave program, paid holidays, and paid vacation time.

The Company provides an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) that offers additional support in personal wellness, including work‑life services. ABS Group also offers a 401K plan with a generous company match, subject to plan requirements.

The ABS Group of Companies is committed to the equal employment opportunity of its employees and prohibits discrimination against any employee or qualified applicant based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status or veteran status, or other non‑work‑related characteristics that may be protected under the law of the Federal Government or specific state employment laws.