Lead Software Engineer (Backend) - Materia AI

Lead Backend Engineer, Materia AI

Are you excited about building AI-driven software that redefines how professionals work? Join a dynamic and highly skilled team at Thomson Reuters, where we combine the agility and innovation of a startup with the stability and resources of a global leader. As a Lead Backend Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in developing AI-powered systems that enhance accounting workflows through automation, intelligence, and seamless orchestration.

About the Role:
In this role as a Lead Backend Engineer, you will:
Innovate in a Startup-Like Environment

Be part of a fast-moving, forward-thinking group that is creating AI-driven software for accounting professionals. You’ll work with top AI and software development experts, leveraging cutting-edge technology to build intelligent and scalable systems. This role is for the CoCounsel for Accounting team, formed from the recent acquisition of the startup Materia.

Build AI-Driven Systems

Design and implement backend services that power generative AI agents and orchestration systems. This role requires both creativity and rigor to ensure our AI-driven solutions are performant, reliable, and adaptable to real-world use cases.

Collaborate Across Functions

Work closely with AI/ML engineers, frontend developers, product managers, and designers to build robust services that support generative AI experiences. Help to build out our core AI interfaces such as Conversations, Workspaces, Grid, and Knowledge Base.
Key Responsibilities:
Backend Development & AI Integration

• Develop and maintain backend services using Python, FastAPI, and PostgreSQL.
• Implement AI orchestration systems integrating LLMs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and other providers.
• Design APIs and backend logic for real-time AI interactions.
• Help to design our AI Platform to automate many different AI driven tasks across the accounting domain

Performance & Scalability

• Ensure backend systems are secure, scalable, and optimized for AI-driven applications.
• Monitor and enhance system performance, across millions of documents and AI driven interactions

Collaboration & Leadership

• Work closely with AI researchers, engineers, and product teams to translate AI capabilities into real-world applications.
• Foster a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement, exploring new AI technologies and methodologies.

About You:
You are a fit for the position of Lead Backend Engineer if your background includes:
Required Experience & Skills:

• Bachelors Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Related Field, or Equivalent Experience
• 6-8 years of experience in backend development, building scalable web services and APIs.
• Strong Python skills, with experience in FastAPI, PostgreSQL, and AWS.
• Experience in distributed systems, API and data model design.
• Strong debugging skills and a track record of building production-grade software.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration abilities.
• Passion for AI-driven software and new engineering paradigms.
• A creative problem solver who enjoys exploring new technologies.
• Dedicated to building high-quality, reliable AI-first systems.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience with AI-driven systems, agent-based architectures, or AI APIs from providers like OpenAI and Anthropic.
• Knowledge of vector databases, embeddings, or search-based AI.
• Strong opinions on backend testing strategies and automation.

#LI-JF1

What's in it For You?
You will join our inclusive culture of world-class talent, where we are committed to your personal and professional growth through:

• Hybrid Work Model: We’ve adopted a flexible hybrid working environment (2-3 days a week in the office depending on the role) for our office-based roles while delivering a seamless experience that is digitally and physically connected

• Wellbeing: Comprehensive benefit plans; flexible and supportive benefits for work-life balance: flexible vacation, two company-wide Mental Health Days Off; work from another location for up to a total of 8 weeks in a year, 4 of those weeks can be out of the country and the remaining in the country, Headspace app subscription; retirement, savings, tuition reimbursement, and employee incentive programs; resources for mental, physical, and financial wellbeing.

• Culture: Globally recognized and award-winning reputation for equality, diversity and inclusion, flexibility, work-life balance, and more.

• Learning & Development: LinkedIn Learning access; internal Talent Marketplace with opportunities to work on projects cross-company; Ten Thousand Coffees Thomson Reuters café networking.

• Social Impact: Ten employee-driven Business Resource Groups; two paid volunteer days annually; Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives for local and global impact.

• Purpose Driven Work: We have a superpower that we’ve never talked about with as much pride as we should – we are one of the only companies on the planet that helps its customers pursue justice, truth and transparency. Together, with the professionals and institutions we serve, we help uphold the rule of law, turn the wheels of commerce, catch bad actors, report the facts, and provide trusted, unbiased information to people all over the world.

In the United States, Thomson Reuters offers a comprehensive benefits package to our employees. Our benefit package includes market competitive health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance programs, as well as a competitive 401k plan with company match. In addition, Thomson Reuters offers market leading work life benefits with competitive vacation, sick and safe paid time off, paid holidays (including two company mental health days off), parental leave, sabbatical leave. These benefits meet or exceeds the requirements of paid time off in accordance with any applicable state or municipal laws. Finally, Thomson Reuters offers the following additional benefits: optional hospital, accident and sickness insurance paid 100% by the employee; optional life and AD&D insurance paid 100% by the employee; Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts; fitness reimbursement; access to Employee Assistance Program; Group Legal Identity Theft Protection benefit paid 100% by employee; access to 529 Plan; commuter benefits; Adoption & Surrogacy Assistance; Tuition Reimbursement; and access to Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

Thomson Reuters complies with local laws that require upfront disclosure of the expected pay range for a position. The base compensation range varies across locations.

For any eligible US locations, unless otherwise noted, the base compensation range for this role is $140,000 - $260,000.

This role may also be eligible for an Annual Bonus based on a combination of enterprise and individual performance.
Base pay is positioned within the range based on several factors including an individual’s knowledge, skills and experience with consideration given to internal equity. Base pay is one part of a comprehensive Total Reward program which also includes flexible and supportive benefits and other wellbeing programs.

Do you want to be part of a team helping re-invent the way knowledge professionals work? How about a team that works every day to create a more transparent, just and inclusive future? At Thomson Reuters, we’ve been doing just that for almost 160 years. Our industry-leading products and services include highly specialized information-enabled software and tools for legal, tax, accounting and compliance professionals combined with the world’s most global news services – Reuters. We help these professionals do their jobs better, creating more time for them to focus on the things that matter most: advising, advocating, negotiating, governing and informing.

We are powered by the talents of 26,000 employees across more than 70 countries, where everyone has a chance to contribute and grow professionally in flexible work environments that celebrate diversity and inclusion. At a time when objectivity, accuracy, fairness and transparency are under attack, we consider it our duty to pursue them. Sound exciting? Join us and help shape the industries that move society forward. 

Accessibility 

As a global business, we rely on diversity of culture and thought to deliver on our goals. To ensure we can do that, we seek talented, qualified employees in all our operations around the world regardless of race, color, sex/gender, including pregnancy, gender identity and expression, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, citizen status, veteran status, or any other protected classification under applicable law. Thomson Reuters is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer providing a drug-free workplace.

We also make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs in accordance with applicable law.

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More information about Thomson Reuters can be found on https://thomsonreuters.com.