Senior Software Engineer (Backend) – Labs Legal Tech

Senior Software Engineer (Backend) – Labs Legal Tech

Are you a seasoned software engineer with expertise in cloud-based system design and implementation? Thomson Reuters Labs is offering an exciting opportunity to join a cutting-edge team processing millions of documents monthly using advanced AI/ML technologies, including Large Language Models (LLMs). Our services power innovative applications like CoCounsel. As a senior engineer in this role, you'll spearhead the design, planning, implementation, and deployment of new services while maintaining and supporting existing ones. You'll be at the forefront of applying AI technologies to legal and business information processing, driving innovation in a fast-paced, high-impact environment. 

About the Role:  

In this opportunity as Senior Software Engineer (Backend), you will:  

•  Contribute to technical decision-making, influencing the direction of our product design, cloud infrastructure, and application architecture. 

•  Implement scalable cloud-based solutions that process millions of documents using cutting-edge AI/ML technologies, including LLMs. 

• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineers, product managers, scientists, legal experts, and stakeholders to deliver innovative, market-leading software products. 

• Collaborate on initiatives with autonomy, contributing to a culture of excellence, self-organization, and continuous improvement. 

• Stay at the forefront of evolving technologies, adapting swiftly to changes in cloud platforms, AI/ML advancements, and industry trends. 

• Ensure robust support for client applications and backend services, optimizing performance and reliability. 

• Be involved in the entire software development lifecycle, from conception through deployment, advocating best practices in planning, implementation, testing, and CI/CD. 

• Champion process improvements, implementing methodologies that enhance team efficiency, code quality, and overall project outcomes. 

• Mentor junior engineers, promoting engineering culture and skill development across the team and the enterprise. 

About You:  

You are a fit for the role of Senior Software Engineer (Backend) if your background includes:

Required Skills and Experience: 

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field; or equivalent practical experience. 

• 4+ years of extensive software development experience, with a strong focus on cloud-native application hosting and maintenance. 

• 2+ years of hands-on experience in maintaining large-scale distributed applications, preferably using Azure (experience with AWS or GCP is also valuable). 

• Proven track record (3+ years) in backend application development using Python, with proficiency in containerization (Docker & Kubernetes), SQL databases, CI/CD tools (e.g., Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions), version control systems (e.g., Azure DevOps, GitHub), etc. 

• Comprehensive understanding of the entire software development lifecycle, including agile methodologies, testing, monitoring, and incident management. 

• Experience providing technical leadership within a development team, including but not limited to: mentoring junior developers, reviewing code, training on new technologies / concepts, providing input on technical decisions.

• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to: 

• Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders 

• Contribute positively to long-term team dynamics and health 

• Demonstrated ability to solve complex technical problems creatively and effectively. 

• Adaptability and eagerness to learn new technologies and methodologies in a rapidly evolving field. 

• Interest in learning and using Rust to implement services. 

Preferred Skills and Experience:  

• Experience with other languages (e.g. C#, C++, Java, etc.) and/or cloud providers (AWS, GCP) is useful.

• Experience with AI/ML technologies – especially model hosting and deployment (“MLOps”), processing large document volumes, and/or NLP (Natural Language Processing) – is highly desirable.  

• Familiarity with the legal industry is helpful but not essential. 

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What’s in it For You?

• 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