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Staff Software Engineer, Public Sector

Scale AISan Francisco, CA; St. Louis, MO; New York, NY; Washington, DCPublic Sector Engineering
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Salary
Not listed
Job type
Full-time
Posted
31 Mar 2026
Status
Open · checked 7d ago

About this role

Scale AI is seeking a Staff Software Engineer for the Public Sector team to architect core product building blocks and advanced agentic capabilities for federal environments. This strategic role is well-suited for an experienced engineer ready to lead technical strategy, mentor team members, and collaborate directly with senior government stakeholders across San Francisco, St. Louis, New York, or Washington, DC.

Role Overview

Public Sector software engineers at Scale AI create essential product building blocks that forward-deployed teams utilize to build agentic capabilities functioning across multiple domains. The professional in this role will build systems required to ingest and process federal datasets to support real-time decision-making in contested environments. Responsibilities include creating multi-layered guardrails around agents, optimizing data retrieval, orchestrating asynchronous agent fleets, and automatically alerting users to data deviations.

Key Responsibilities

Orchestrate feature implementation across the Federal engineering team to ensure architectural consistency.
Define technical strategy for agentic guardrails, explainability, and fleet orchestration.
Ensure system reliability and performance across multiple security classifications and network types.
Mentor engineers in the process of defining requirements with stakeholders and gathering acceptance.
Communicate high-level technical trade-offs and implementation strategies to senior government stakeholders and Scale C-Suite members.
Influence long-term product strategy and the technical roadmap for the Federal business unit.
Consult on the architecture of AI-powered solutions for large-scale federal contracts.

Requirements

Proficiency in full-stack development, covering front-end, back-end, and infrastructure with modern web frameworks, programming languages, and databases.
Familiarity with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, and GCP, alongside containerization tools like Docker and orchestration platforms like Kubernetes.
Knowledge of ETL processes, data pipelines, data modeling, data warehousing, and data governance principles.
Familiarity with integrating Large Language Models (LLMs), prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and agent orchestration.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills to devise effective solutions for complex technical obstacles.
Excellent interpersonal, communication, and adaptability skills to collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

Skills and Tools

AWS, Azure, GCP
Kubernetes and Docker
Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
ETL and Data Pipelines
Full-Stack Development and LLM Integration

Salary and Benefits

Compensation packages include base salary, equity, and benefits. Base salary ranges vary by location: San Francisco and New York range from $252,000 to $362,000 USD; Washington, DC ranges from $227,200 to $326,000 USD; and St. Louis ranges from $188,800 to $272,000 USD. Eligible employees receive comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage, retirement benefits, learning and development stipends, commuter stipends, and generous PTO, alongside equity compensation subject to board approval.

About the Company

Scale AI develops reliable AI systems for the world's most important decisions, providing high-quality data and full-stack technologies that power leading models. The company works closely with industry leaders and government agencies, including the Army and Air Force, to build, deploy, and oversee impactful AI applications. Scale AI operates as an inclusive, equal-opportunity workplace dedicated to fair hiring practices and reasonable accommodations.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly on the official company careers page.

Skills and tech stack

AWSGCPAzureKubernetesDockerRAG

Questions candidates ask

What locations are available for this role?

This position is located in San Francisco, CA; St. Louis, MO; New York, NY; and Washington, DC.

What is the salary range for the San Francisco location?

The base salary range for the San Francisco location is $252,000 to $362,000 USD.

What technical skills are required for the Staff Software Engineer position?

Required skills include full-stack development, cloud-native technologies like AWS, Azure, GCP, Docker, and Kubernetes, data engineering principles, and AI application integration involving LLMs and RAG.

What benefits are provided with this role?

Benefits include comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage, retirement benefits, a learning and development stipend, generous PTO, equity-based compensation, and a potential commuter stipend.

Is there a waiting period to reapply if previously considered?

Yes, Scale AI has a policy requiring a 90-day waiting period before reconsidering candidates for the same role.

Ready to apply?

The application is on the official Scale AI careers page.

Apply on company site