Description
Position Details
Position Status: Full-time, exempt employee
Position Location: Remote, flexible in the United States
Reports to: Director of Engineering
About Credential Engine’s AI Expansion
Credential Engine is building an AI layer across the Credential Registry and CTDL ecosystem to support both AI assisted publishing and AI driven use of structured data. This includes scaling CTDL xTRA as an AI enabled publishing platform and developing capabilities that allow AI to generate insights, recommendations, and connections across credentials, skills, and jobs.
The Role
As a Software Engineer AI/ML Specialist, you will design, build, and scale software systems that power national scale data infrastructure, with a strong focus on integrating artificial intelligence into production environments. This role requires demonstrated experience building high quality software and integrating large language models into production systems.
This role combines distributed systems engineering, semantic data architecture, and applied AI. You will work directly on CTDL xTRA and collaborate with an external consulting team to scale AI assisted publishing of structured data. You will also help design and implement an AI consumption and intelligence layer that enables applications generating insights, recommendations, and skills to jobs matching using CTDL aligned data.
Who We Are
Credential Engine is a non-profit whose mission is to map the credential landscape with clear and consistent information, fueling the creation of resources that empower people to find the pathways that are best for them. We envision a future where millions of people worldwide have access to information about credentials that opens their eyes to the full range of opportunities for learning, advancement, and meaningful careers. For more information, visit www.credentialengine.org.
What We Do
Credential Engine provides a suite of web-based services that creates for the first time a Credential Registry to house up-to-date, trusted information about all credentials and skills, a common description language to enable credential comparability, and a platform to support customized applications to search and retrieve information about credentials.
Credential Engine works with a growing number of states, institutions, federal agencies, data partners, and global partners to support their efforts to make essential data about credentials and competencies open, transparent, and linked in order to better serve learners, workers, employers, and others. Credential Engine partners with national and state organizations with expertise in workforce, education and data advocacy, technical assistance organizations, employer and labor associations, and others to support policies that make credential transparency an enduring value in the marketplace.
Why We Do It
Through an increasing array of credentials – such as degrees, licenses, badges and apprenticeships – job seekers, learners, and workers have more options than ever to help them get ahead. Yet, there has never been an efficient way to collect, search, and compare credentials in a way that can be both universally understood and maintained in a manner that keeps up with the speed of change in the 21st century. With more than 1,800,000 unique credentials in the U.S. alone, and millions worldwide, this lack of information in the marketplace contributes to confusion and uninformed decision-making.
Primary Responsibilities
Core Software Engineering
- Design, develop, test, deploy and maintain software, including user interfaces, scalable APIs, data pipelines and distributed systems.
- Take end-to-end ownership of features assigned for development.
- Develop microservices with event driven design, and cloud native architectures
- Ensure systems are reliable, secure, and performant in production environments
- Engage in web application and services design reviews with a test-driven development mindset.
- Utilize Authentication/Authorization technologies for setting up Single-Sign On and Role-Based Access Control.
- Design and implement integrations with large and small language models, including API based and self hosted models, and external systems within production data pipelines and system workflows
AI and CTDL xTRA
- Build and scale CTDL xTRA for AI assisted extraction and transformation of web based data into structured formats
- Develop standards for accuracy metrics, instrumentation, collection and reporting
- Collaborate with consulting teams and partners to improve model performance, accuracy, and scalability
- Integrate large and self-hosted small language models into data pipelines and system workflows
- Develop and implement prompt and workflow best practices that produce consistent, auditable and high-quality outputs
AI Consumption and Intelligence Layer
- Design and implement standardized interfaces (e.g. for MCPs) for secure, consistent, programmatic access to Registry data
- Design, train and evaluate machine learning models for classification, extraction and data quality improvement tasks
- Enable and develop systems and processes that retrieve and reason on structured, trusted data to generate insights and recommendations.
- Identify opportunities to apply AI/ML to improve data quality, automation, and user outcomes
- Implement and compare approaches through evaluation frameworks, benchmarking and experimentation practices
CTDL and Data Systems
- Implement and extend CTDL schema using JSON-LD and linked data principles
- Support publishing, linking, validation and consuming of structured data within the Credential Registry
Collaboration and Integration
- Integrate technologies provided by our team and other external providers.
- Collaborate with partners and stakeholders to deliver scalable technical solutions
- Provide technical guidance to users and partners working with Registry data
Requirements
Qualifications
Required
Must be a U.S. citizen or a naturalized citizen of the United States.
Minimum of seven years of combined technical education credentials, at a Bachelor’s Degree level or higher, and software development experience.
Experience building and operating distributed systems in cloud environments
Strong experience developing APIs, data systems, and production services
Demonstrated experience building or integrating large language model based solutions into real world or production systems
Technical Skills
Modern programming frameworks such as .Net, Python and JavaScript based front end technologies
Cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP and containerization/orchestration technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes
Databases such as Neo4J, CosmosDB, SQL Server or PostgreSQL
Storage systems such as AWS S3 and Azure Blob
Experience working with structured data and APIs
Experience integrating machine learning models into applications, including model training, prompt design, workflow integration, and use of API based or self hosted models
Development Tools and Environments
Visual Studio 2022+, Visual Studio Code
Git tools (e.g., GitLab, GitHub, Azure DevOps)
SQL Server and/or PostgreSQL
Container-based solutions (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes)
KeyCloak, Microsoft Entra ID
Linux, Windows
AI and Emerging Technology
Experience integrating large language model APIs such as Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google
Strong understanding of prompt engineering and evaluation
Strong understanding of Machine Learning concepts including classification, regression, clustering and model evaluation techniques
Experience developing, training, and evaluating machine learning models for real-world applications
Experience with agent based systems or multi step AI workflows
Familiarity with Model Context Protocol or similar approaches for modular AI integration
Experience with retrieval augmented generation or combining AI with structured data sources
Ability to evaluate and apply emerging AI/ML technologies in production systems
Compensation
A competitive package including salary and benefits (holidays, PTO, insurance coverage for health, dental, vision, life and disability, and a retirement plan) is available and is commensurate with experience and qualifications. The expected salary range is $135,000 to $155,000 annually.
Credential Engine is based in Washington, DC with most team members located around the country. All staff work remotely, with an option to utilize co-working space.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement
Credential Engine is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. In accordance with federal law, Credential Engine prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, religion, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We also ensure equal opportunities regardless of pregnancy or marital status.
Credential Engine provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of the job.
Application Process
When hiring at Credential Engine, we are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. We understand that no candidate will be an expert with every tool or technology listed, but if you have a strong foundation in software engineering and are excited about learning and growing, we encourage you to apply!
To be considered for this position, please submit a resume and cover letter to resumes@credentialengine.org with “Software Engineer - AI/ML Specialist” in the subject line. Priority will be given to applications submitted by June 18, 2026. The position will remain open until filled.
