Senior Software Engineer, Applied AIThe Cato Institute seeks qualified candidates for the Senior Software Engineer, Applied AI position. Cato is building two technology platforms in parallel, a React-powered Next.js content platform and a Python research and operations platform, and both need an engineer who can move between them. Features, infrastructure, testing, AI integration: The work goes where the need is.That cross-platform expectation is practical: Cato's development environments run on AI agent orchestration with structured reasoning frameworks, automated quality enforcement, and strict type systems that catch mistakes before the engineer does.
The role does not require years of experience in both TypeScript and Python. It requires strong engineering fundamentals and comfort working inside an AI-empowered development loop, as well as building and improving the agent skills undergirding it.The Senior Software Engineer joins a small, technically ambitious team working at the intersection of policy scholarship with modern software engineering and AI-integrated workflows.The projected salary range for this role is $100,000 - $190,000 per year.
Compensation is based on the successful candidate's educational background, experience, and skills.ResponsibilitiesBuild and maintain sophisticated agent skills and agentic tooling that integrate AI across engineering and operational workflowsIntegrate AI content retrieval systems, such as Sanity's Agent Context, into production workflowsBuild services (e.g., API and MCP endpoints) that surface Cato's 50 years of policy research for diverse consuming applicationsBuild and extend features, components, and shared packages across both the TypeScript / React content platform and the Python research and operations platformExtend and harden core infrastructure packages across both platforms: API client integration, streaming data pipelines, document processing, and structured loggingMaintain testing infrastructure across both platforms, closing coverage gaps and integrating tests into continuous integration workflowsLikely Initial Focus Areas (First 6 - 12 Months)Contribute to the content platform's march toward production, picking up feature work, migration tasks, and building pipeline improvementsDevelop familiarity with both codebases through Cato's AI development infrastructure — project instruction files, quality enforcement hooks, and structured reasoning frameworks that provide persistent architectural context and catch errors in real timeBuild out test suites for both platforms, prioritizing high-dependency packages and critical pathsEducation and ExperienceBachelor's degree in any field5+ years of professional software engineering experience, including work on production systemsExpertise with multiple major LLMs: Claude, ChatGPT, and/or GeminiExpertise with agentic AI development tools (Claude Code, Codex, or similar), including authoring reusable agent capabilities — agent skills, structured workflows, and tool integrations — not just using themProficiency in TypeScript / React or Python, with demonstrated ability to work productively in languages and frameworks outside your primary expertiseExperience building or integrating LLM-enabled systems — prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation, tool use, or evaluation pipelinesKnowledge and SkillsStrong software engineering fundamentals: testing, version control, CI/CD, code review, and systems designComfort working across the stack — backend services, frontend components, data pipelines, and build infrastructureClear written and verbal communication; ability to document systems and explain technical decisions to non-engineersSelf-directed, adaptable, and comfortable with ambiguity in a small team where priorities shiftFamiliarity with Cato's work or demonstrated interest in public policyPreferred QualificationsFamiliarity with headless CMS platforms, content modeling, or structured content systemsExperience building streaming or pipeline-based data processing systemsExperience with AI output evaluation frameworks or quality benchmarking toolsExperience authoring and maintaining agent skills (such as Claude/Claude Code Skills) or comparable agentic workflow packagesFamiliarity with think tank, research, government, or academic technology environmentsBenefitsMedical, dental, and vision insuranceEmployer contribution to a Health Savings Account (HSA)Generous vacation and sick daysPaid parental leaveEmployer-provided life and disability insurance401(k) employer matchTransit/Parking benefitsPet discount planTo ApplyPlease submit the following materials :Resume or CVA cover letter making the case, to yourself as much as to us, for why this particular job at this particular organization. Go beyond ATS-focused keyword slop and get real.Optional: links to code repositories, personal projects, or technical writingApplicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. This position does not offer visa sponsorship.