Software Engineer - AI/ML

Company Overview:
For more than 50 years, NISC has worked to develop technology solutions for our customers, who we call our "Members". Those Members are comprised primarily of 960+ energy (utility) and communication (broadband) organizations across North America. Our mission is to deliver technology solutions and services that are Member-focused, quality driven and valued priced. Our Members have over 18 million end customers (residential and businesses who receive power, internet, television and/or telephone services) that our enterprise software solution enables our Member's employees to compete effectively in the industry, while excelling in providing customer service to their end customers.
NISC exists to serve our Members and help them serve their communities through our innovative software products, services and outstanding customer support. We are an AI-forward company committed to being a technology leader in our industry. NISC has been ranked in ComputerWorld's Best Places to Work for 23 years, and we are looking for qualified individuals to join our team.
Position Overview:
We are looking for a high-agency, AI-native Software Engineer who loves building real-world AI systems that make a measurable difference.
This is not a research role. This is not a "play with models in a lab" role. This is a builder role.
You will design, build, ship, and continuously improve production-grade AI applications that are embedded directly into mission-critical software used by utilities and broadband providers across North America. Your work will power customer service interactions, operational workflows, and intelligent automation at scale.
We are looking for someone who:

Gets excited about taking AI from idea → prototype → production → scale
Loves experimenting with new models, frameworks, and agentic patterns
Has a "there's a way" mindset when solving hard technical problems
Believes AI should drive tangible business impact, not just technical novelty
Thrives in ambiguity and moves fast while maintaining engineering discipline
At NISC, AI is not a side initiative — it is a core strategic priority. You will help shape how AI transforms the way our Members serve their communities.
If you've built and deployed AI systems that real users depend on — and you want to do it in an organization that values ownership, innovation, and meaningful impact — we encourage you to apply.
Essential Functions:

Design & Build Production AI Systems: Architect, develop, and deploy AI-powered features and applications using LLMs, RAG pipelines, agentic workflows, and modern ML techniques.
Own Outcomes, Not Just Code: Take ideas from concept to production. Prototype quickly, validate with users, iterate based on feedback, and optimize for reliability and performance.
LLM & Agent Integration: Integrate foundation models, fine-tuned models, and multi-agent systems into enterprise-grade applications in secure, scalable environments.
Data & Retrieval Engineering: Design and optimize data ingestion pipelines, embeddings workflows, and vector database implementations that support high-quality AI responses.
Performance & Scalability: Deploy AI systems that are resilient, observable, and cost-efficient in production environments.
Mission Alignment: Ensure solutions are practical, intuitive, and aligned with the operational realities of cooperatives, utilities, and broadband providers.
Continuous Innovation: Actively explore new AI capabilities and rapidly evaluate how they can improve our products and development practices.
Collaborative Execution: Partner with product, architecture, and engineering teams to embed AI capabilities across our enterprise platform.
Follow all established software development methodologies and procedures.
Other duties as assigned
Desired Experience & Skills:

8-10+ years experience in software development, preferably with at least 3+ years in AI/ML software development.
Demonstrated experience shipping AI solutions used by real customers — not just prototypes or academic projects
Experience integrating LLMs into applications (prompt engineering, evaluation, fine-tuning, API orchestration)
Experience designing RAG pipelines, embeddings workflows, and working with vector databases
Experience deploying AI systems in cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP)
Technical Expertise:
Strong Python proficiency and familiarity with ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, or equivalent)
Experience building scalable APIs and backend services
Understanding of agentic architectures, orchestration frameworks, or multi-agent systems
Experience optimizing AI performance, cost, and latency in production
Familiarity with observability, evaluation frameworks, and model monitoring
Mindset & Attributes (Critical for Success)
Builder mentality — you love shipping
High ownership — you see problems and move toward them
Curiosity about emerging AI capabilities and how to apply them pragmatically
Bias toward action and experimentation
Comfort operating in evolving AI landscapes
Ability to balance speed with engineering discipline
Strong communicator who can translate AI capabilities into business value
Bonus Experience
Experience in utilities, broadband, cooperatives, or enterprise SaaS
Knowledge of AI safety, evaluation strategies, or explainability techniques
Full-stack experience or ability to deliver end-to-end AI features
Portfolio, GitHub, or case studies demonstrating deployed AI systems
Experience working with utilities, broadband providers, or cooperatives, preferred.
Commitment to NISC's Statement of Shared Values NISC's Shared Values & Competencies:
We're a cooperative, which means we're owned by the Members we serve. It also means that our focus is on taking care of our Members and our employees, rather than having a big bottom line. Quality service and innovative technology starts with happy and dedicated employees. Join our team and learn for yourself what sets NISC apart.

Integrity – We are committed to doing the right thing – always.
Relationships – We are committed to building and preserving lasting relationships.
Innovation – We promote the spirit of creativity and champion new ideas.
Teamwork – We exemplify the cooperative spirit by working together.
Empowerment – We believe individuals have the power to make a difference.
Personal Development – We believe the free exchange of knowledge and information is absolutely necessary to the success of each individual and the organization.
Work Schedule:

Hybrid from one of our office locations:
Cedar Rapids, IA
Lake Saint Louis, MO
Mandan, ND
Hybrid Schedule: Minimum of working 3 day per week out of an office location and ability to work up to all 5 days a week from an office location.
Required Days from an Office Location: Tuesday and Wednesday - the third required day will be up to the candidate and their supervisor to choose.
Virtual Office Location: Fully remote candidates will be considered for candidates who have a background in providing AI/ML solutions that work in real world applications, not just conceptual understanding or research based projects. Benefits:

Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance.
Health Savings Account (HSA) with $100 monthly contributions from NISC.
Like to walk? Improve your overall wellness knowledge? Ability to earn up to $800 additional dollars into your HSA each year through our Wellness Rewards program.
Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) thru Paylocity.
Fully covered life insurance up to x3 annual base salary.
Fully covered short- and long-term disability.
401(k), traditional or Roth, with employee match up to 6% and employer 4% salary base contributions.
PTO accrual levels dependent on years of service, 120 Life Leave Event hours, and 9 paid holidays.
$2,500 Interest-FREE technology loan program.
$25,000 employee educational assistance program.
Volunteer, Wellness, Family Events and other employee fun supplied by our committees.
Employee Assistance Program; assisting employees and dependents with virtually any life event
Benevolence Committee to support employees with financial hardships like unexpected medical bills, funerals and other unfortunate hardships. Desired Education:
Bachelor's Degree in a Computer Science, Computer Engineering,  or a related field and/or equivalent experience.
Master's Degree in Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning, preferred.
Minimum Physical Requirements:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Employees must be able to see, speak, and hear, to operate computer keyboards or office equipment, and are required to stand, walk, and sit.
Disclaimer:
Management may modify this job description by assigning or reassigning duties and responsibilities at any time.