Senior AI Developer

Aquent is partnering with a leading financial services organization that is driving a significant technical transformation, modernizing its core technology infrastructure and challenging the status quo in the finance industry. This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic team at the intersection of cutting-edge AI technology and complex financial domains, where you will redefine the future of financial technology and make a tangible impact on critical systems.

Are you ready to be at the forefront of innovation, shaping the next generation of financial technology? In this pivotal role, you will lead AI-focused workflows across the System Development Life Cycle, driving innovation and efficiency in how solutions are built and delivered. You will directly enhance the reliability and performance of systems that underpin operations, ensuring a secure, seamless experience for millions of people.

This is your chance to drive innovation, enhance system reliability, and contribute directly to solutions that impact millions, all within a culture of continuous improvement.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the integration and application of Generative AI coding assistants throughout the System Development Life Cycle, from implementation and refactoring to unit testing, regression support, code reviews, scripting, automation, troubleshooting, and documentation.
• Drive the adoption of AI assistance for common development tasks, including code suggestions, test generation, review support, and automation scripts, while maintaining clear ownership for correctness and quality.
• Pioneer the use of Generative AI to reduce context switching and accelerate delivery across various workflows, extending beyond just writing new code.
• Apply practical familiarity with leading AI coding tools within IDE/CLI-style workflows.
• Develop and implement agentic workflows and spec-driven development methodologies, translating low-level design artifacts into structured specifications that guide AI-assisted implementation.
• Establish team-level practices for effective AI-assisted development, including custom instructions and prompt engineering.
• Contribute to the modernization of core technology infrastructure and play a key role in IT transformations from legacy to distributed platforms.
• Collaborate with fellow developers, architects, and adjacent teams, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

Must-Have Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 7+ years of professional software engineering experience actively developing large-scale software using Java, Spring framework, cloud development, and Web Services supporting high-volume transactions in a highly available environment.
• 2+ years of hands-on experience with AI/ML implementation and production deployment.
• 6+ years of experience working with containers and microservices in the cloud.
• 6+ years of experience in cloud deployment within a continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) model.
• 2+ years of experience with major cloud platforms.
• 2+ years’ experience working with various modern databases.
• 2+ years prior experience in IT transformations and system modernization initiatives from legacy to distributed platforms.
• Hands-on experience with Large Language Models.
• Demonstrated exposure to, or hands-on experience with, Generative AI coding assistants used across day-to-day engineering workflows in the SDLC, applying engineering judgment and validation.
• Working knowledge of agentic workflows, spec-driven development, and custom instructions and prompt engineering, with the ability to establish team-level practices for effective AI-assisted development.
• Understanding of broker-dealer capabilities and operations.
• Excellent communication skills and a proven ability to communicate and lead other engineers in a collaborative environment.
• Collaborative mindset coupled with a bias for action to effectively engage with fellow developers, architects, and adjacent teams.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related degree, or related…