Job Summary:
We are seeking an AI-Native Software Engineer who views AI not just as an autocomplete tool, but as a core collaborative partner in software delivery. In this role, you will spend less time manually writing boilerplate and more time architecting systems, designing precise technical specifications, and orchestrating multi-agent workflows.
Core Responsibilities
- System Architecture & Design: Define high-level system structures, API contracts, and data models before instructing AI tools to implement them. Own the design, not just the execution.
- Context Engineering & Spec Writing: Author rigorous, unambiguous technical specifications and context rules to guide AI agents toward deterministic, reviewable outputs.
- RAG Pipeline Design: Architect and own end-to-end Retrieval-Augmented Generation pipelines, document ingestion, chunking strategy, embedding selection, vector store configuration, hybrid retrieval, and relevance evaluation.
- Agentic Workflow Management: Build and operate agent harnesses using orchestration frameworks (e.g. LangGraph, LangChain, AutoGen) including tool definitions, routing logic, guardrails, fallback paths, and evaluation hooks.
- Human-in-the-Loop Validation: Design and enforce HITL gates for agentic write operations. Know when to automate and when to require human sign-off, especially for irreversible or high-stakes actions.
- Review, test, and audit AI-generated code for security vulnerabilities, performance characteristics, edge cases, and architectural alignment before it reaches production.
Required Technical Skills
- Engineering Fundamentals: Strong mastery of computer science fundamentals — data structures, algorithms, distributed systems, and system design. You must be able to catch and correct AI errors because you understand the underlying systems.
- Code Review & Auditing: Exceptional ability to read, evaluate, and critique AI-generated code across multiple languages rapidly.
- Agentic System Design: Hands-on production experience building agent harnesses, multi-agent orchestration pipelines, and supervisor/routing patterns using frameworks such as LangGraph, LangChain, or equivalent.
- RAG & Retrieval Engineering: Practical experience designing RAG pipelines including vector store selection, embedding strategies, hybrid search, Reciprocal Rank Fusion, and retrieval quality evaluation.
- AI Tooling Proficiency: Advanced hands-on experience with AI-native IDEs (e.g. Cursor, Windsurf, GitHub Copilot) and command-line agentic tools (e.g. Claude Code, Aider, Codex CLI).
- Context & Prompt Engineering: Proven ability to manage AI context windows, system instructions, tool schemas, and prompt structure to produce consistent, auditable outputs.
- Cloud & API Integration: Solid experience with cloud-native deployment (Azure, AWS, or GCP), RESTful API design, async patterns, and enterprise identity/auth integration.
- Testing & CI/CD: Strong experience writing automated test suites to validate AI-generated logic inside modern CI/CD pipelines, including adversarial and edge-case coverage.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent deep production experience.
- Experience integrating with enterprise HR, workforce, or ERP platforms (e.g. SAP SuccessFactors, Workday, Concur, or Oracle HCM) — particularly in an agentic or API integration context.
- Hands-on ML experience beyond API consumption: model fine-tuning, training pipelines, evaluation frameworks, or MLOps deployment.
- Familiarity with enterprise identity providers (e.g. OKTA, Azure AD) and secure token handling in agentic contexts.
- A portfolio or GitHub repository demonstrating projects built primarily via agentic or spec-driven development methodologies.
What we offer
- The chance to work with impact. Here, you’re empowered to bring your biggest thinking to help our company and clients improve everyday life.
- Ownership over your career. Stay at the top of your game through our award-winning learning and development ecosystem. And when your ambitions change or we offer new opportunities, we help you pivot by providing reskilling, on-the-job learning and guidance to find new roles that might be a better fit.
- The opportunity to thrive on a high caliber team with heart. We celebrate each other’s experiences and perspectives and promote a sense of belonging through our affinity groups and diversity and inclusion initiatives.
- A comprehensive total rewards package, including a competitive salary and a pension plan with matching contributions.
- Flexible health and financial benefits to support you and your eligible dependents—from day one.
- True work-life balance. Be at your best through paid time off, flexible work arrangements, volunteering opportunities, social events, and so much more.
About us
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is an AI Builder and technology services provider, building the bridge between AI investment and enterprise value by building full-stack AI solutions for our clients. Our deep industry, process and engineering expertise enables us to build an organization’s unique context into technology systems that amplify human potential, realize tangible returns and keep global enterprises ahead in a fast-changing world. See how at www.cognizant.com or @cognizant.
Other employment-related information
Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. Your application and candidacy will not be considered based on race, color, sex, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, provincial or local laws.
If you have a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening or submit an application, please email [email protected] with your request and contact information.
Language requirements vary depending on roles, but we ask that all candidates have basic English proficiency for company-wide communications purposes. For roles based in Quebec, professional English proficiency is required, as you’ll deliver services to and collaborate with stakeholders outside the province who may not speak French.
