Software Engineer, Frontier AI Infrastructure

Scale AI is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Software Engineer, Frontier AI Infrastructure to join our dynamic Public Sector Engineering team. As a part of this team, you will own the model inference layer—enabling state‑of‑the‑art models, debugging the latest AI tools, managing networking, debugging latency, and tracking pricing/usage metrics for AI models. You will lead technical discussions on the front lines with cloud vendors and customers to deliver on critical contracts and to debug platform issues.

You will also work upstream with Product to understand features before they break, moving us from “infra‑only debugging” to proactive integration testing.

• Design and implement secure, scalable backend systems for Public Sector customers, leveraging Scale’s modern and cloud‑native AI infrastructure.
• Own services or systems and define their long‑term health goals, while also improving the health of surrounding components.
• Re‑architect the stack to run in compliant or restrictive environments. This requires designing swappable components (auth, storage, logging) to meet government/security mandates without breaking the product.
• Build integration tests with Product to catch issues early, shifting the focus from “infra‑only debugging” to preventing failures upstream.
• Participate actively in customer engagements, working closely with stakeholders to understand requirements and deliver innovative solutions.
• Contribute to the platform roadmap and product strategy for Scale AI’s Public Sector business, playing a key role in shaping the future direction of our offerings.

• At least an active secret clearance and the ability & willingness to up‑level to TS/SCI with CI Poly. This is a requirement and candidates will not be considered who do not hold at least a secret clearance.

• Full‑stack development experience—proficiency in both front‑end and back‑end development, including modern web frameworks, programming languages, and databases. Experience delivering software to air‑gapped & isolated environments is a plus.
• Cloud‑native technologies—understanding of containerization (e.g., Docker) and orchestration (e.g., Kubernetes). Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and experience deploying applications in a cloud‑native environment.
• Security focus—experience with Federal compliance frameworks and requirements (Cloud SRG, FedRAMP, STIG Benchmarks, etc.) and developing software that meets strict security & regulatory compliance requirements.
• Problem‑solving—strong analytical and problem‑solving skills to understand complex challenges and devise effective solutions. Ability to think critically, identify root causes, and propose innovative approaches to overcome technical obstacles.
• Collaboration & communication—excellent interpersonal and communication skills to collaborate with cross‑functional teams, stakeholders, and customers. Ability to articulate technical concepts to non‑technical audiences and foster a collaborative environment.
• Adaptability & learning agility—willingness to embrace new technologies, learn new skills, and adapt to evolving project requirements. Ability to quickly grasp and apply new concepts and stay up‑to‑date with emerging trends in software engineering.
• Must be able to support work 3–4 days a week from the DC, SF, NYC, or STL office.

Compensation packages at Scale for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position and may be inclusive of several career levels at Scale; it will be determined during the interview process based on work location and additional factors, including job‑related skills, experience, qualifications, interview performance, and relevant education or training.

Scale employees in eligible roles are also granted equity‑based compensation, subject to Board of Director approval. You’ll receive benefits including, but not limited to: comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, a learning and development stipend, generous PTO, and a commuter stipend.

Base salary range for this full‑time position in the locations of San Francisco, New York, Seattle: $184,000—$259,440 USD. Base salary range in the locations of Hawaii, Washington DC, Texas, Colorado: $165,600—$233,496 USD. Base salary range in the location of St. Louis: $138,000—$194,580 USD.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability status, gender identity or Veteran status. We are an inclusive and equal opportunity workplace and provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.