[Remote] Senior Application Engineer

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. OuterBox is a company that specializes in building resilient software for complex internal applications. They are seeking a Senior Application Engineer to design and develop AI-integrated software, focusing on API development, data services, and cloud infrastructure while mentoring the development team.ResponsibilitiesCollaborate in designing and building resilient, AI-integrated software for complex internal applications, with emphasis on API development, data services, and cloud infrastructure. You will work hands-on with code and architecture to ensure systems align with user needs, company objectives, and the growing role of AI within our product suiteBuild and maintain AI-powered features within internal applications, integrating APIs from providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. Scope, implement, and harden LLM-connected capabilities with an emphasis on reliability, performance, and practical utility - from integration design through testing and production deploymentWrite and manage application code, scripts, and automations using JavaScript, Python, and PHP. Design and maintain serverless Cloud Functions on AWS, with emphasis on performance, reliability, and clean integration with AI-driven workflowsPerform data management using MySQL and PostgreSQL. Ensure the scalability, reliability, and security of all database systems supporting both traditional and AI-enhanced application layersIdentify and resolve complex technical issues — including those specific to AI integration, model behavior, and API reliability — both independently and collaboratively, ensuring smooth operation across all systems and componentsMaintain clear, precise documentation of code, AI workflows, system behaviors, and processes. Keep records up to date and ensure all technical documentation is accessible for team members and stakeholdersWield AI effectively across the full development lifecycle - using tools like Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and AI-enabled CLI utilities to accelerate coding, code review, debugging, and testing. Champion AI DevOps practices for how the team builds, iterates, governs, and scales applications: automated pipelines, AI-assisted testing, deployment tooling, and performance monitoring. Evaluate emerging AI development tools, establish team standards for responsible use across the SDLC, and drive continuous improvement in how AI amplifies engineering outputLead the implementation phase by overseeing code quality, performing reviews, and ensuring solutions follow best practices - including those specific to AI-integrated systems. Optimize application performance in cloud environments, focusing on efficient use of AWS services, SQS handling, and automated testingProvide mentorship and guidance to the development team, including on AI integration approaches, development tooling, and application architecture. Offer project consultation and support to uphold and advance our engineering gold standardsAdditional duties, as assignedSkills4+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a track record of shipping and maintaining production systems. Demonstrated exemplary performance may supersede the experience requirementStrong foundation in computer science fundamentals — data structures, algorithms, time/space complexity, and object-oriented and functional design patterns — with the ability to apply them across languagesComfortable picking up new languages and frameworks as needed; current stack exposure to a modern JS framework (Vue/React) and a server-side language (PHP, Python, or Node) is helpful but not requiredExperience integrating third-party APIs (including generative AI providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google) into production, with a clear understanding of rate limits, retries, idempotency, schema design, and failure modesDemonstrated proficiency with AI-powered development tools such as Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, or equivalent CLI and agentic coding tools — as a regular part of a professional engineering workflowFamiliarity with AI DevOps practices: using AI tooling across the SDLC for code review, automated testing, deployment pipelines, and application monitoringSolid experience with SQL for data manipulation and analysisProven ability to build, deploy, and manage applications in cloud environments, specifically AWSExperience designing and implementing well-structured APIs for data integration across systems, with fluency in at least one paradigm (REST, GraphQL, gRPC, or event-driven/messaging) and an understanding of when each is appropriateExperience working with structured data and running extract, load, and transform (ETL) processesStrong debugging and systems-thinking skills: able to isolate issues across layers (client, service, data, infra) and reason about non-deterministic behavior, including in AI-integrated systemsEffective communication with the ability to break down technical concepts for non-technical stakeholdersLaravel familiarity is a plusFamiliarity with data tools like Pandas is a plusBenefitsHigh-character, fun, and cohesive work cultureCompetitive base salaryPTO that is genuinely encouragedAffordable, low-deductible health insurance plansSupplemental benefits, including employer-paid life insurance, short & long term disability insurance401k with company matchRemote work flexibilitySupportive, transparent, and accessible leadership that welcomes ideas, insights & feedbackProfessional/individual development stipendCompany OverviewOuterBox is a performance marketing agency specializing in SEO/GEO, paid media, web design & development, email marketing and UX It was founded in 2004, and is headquartered in Akron, Ohio, USA, with a workforce of 201-500 employees. Its website is http://www.outerboxdesign.com.