Engineering Jobs Remote Jobs in Hoffman Estates Illinois Remote

Company Description

EllisLudell, headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, has been a leader in the industrial laundry sector since 1898, offering cutting-edge equipment and solutions. Known for their expert engineering, they design advanced machinery such as Sideloader Washer/Extractor and WHISPERDRYer and provide innovative systems like the Uptime Intelligent Machine Management platform. Focused on sustainability, Ellis develops products that minimize water and energy consumption, reducing costs and environmental impact. With clients in industries such as healthcare, hospitality, and food processing, Ellis specializes in delivering customized solutions that enhance performance and efficiency. Their commitment to innovation and environmental stewardship solidifies their leadership in the industrial laundry industry.

Role Description

At EllisLudell, our Buyers don’t just place orders — they help keep production moving.

We design and manufacture engineered-to-order industrial laundry and water treatment systems used across North America. Every machine we build is different. Every project has a schedule. And every late part has the potential to delay customer shipments.

We’re looking for a mid-level Buyer who thrives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and enjoys solving real problems — working directly with Engineering, Production, Customer Service, and suppliers to make sure materials arrive when they’re needed.

If you’ve ever found yourself chasing down a critical component so a build doesn’t stall… this might be the role for you.

What You'll Be Doing

• Issue purchase orders for mechanical, electrical, and fabricated components based on engineering BOMs and production schedules
• Monitor open orders and proactively follow up with suppliers to ensure on-time delivery
• Expedite late or critical materials to prevent production delays
• Communicate delivery risks or supply disruptions to internal stakeholders
• Collaborate with Engineering regarding design changes and part revisions
• Work with Production and Customer Service to align material availability with build schedules
• Participate in production meetings as needed
• Engage directly with shop floor personnel to identify and resolve material shortages
• Maintain purchasing data in ERP system
• Support vendor communication regarding order status, lead times, and pricing updates
• Identify opportunities to improve planning and reduce reactive expediting
• Participate in occasional supplier visits, particularly during onboarding or when addressing delivery/quality concerns

Qualifications

• 3+ years of purchasing experience in a manufacturing environment
• Experience working within an ERP system
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment
• Effective communication skills across departments and with suppliers

Preferred (But Not Required)

• Experience in engineered-to-order or custom equipment manufacturing
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings or BOMs
• Experience purchasing mechanical or electrical components
• Exposure to supplier performance management or vendor negotiation
• APICS certification or similar supply chain training

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary Range: $70,000 – $90,000 annually (based on experience)
• Health insurance
• 401(k)
• Paid time off
• Company holidays

Job Summary:

Hands-on technician to assist with production troubleshooting and support projects to improve manufacturing methods. Assist manufacturing engineers to address equipment and tooling needs to reduce costs and improve product quality on fans, wheels, blower packages, and corresponding component parts.

Responsibilities:

• Under technical direction, troubleshoot and analyze manufacturing problems and implement corrective actions for high quality, efficient manufacturing solutions.
• Support workflow analysis, work methods, plant and department layouts for improved product flow in production.
• Help identify required tools, jigs and fixtures, or other new or special equipment required for new production or improvements to existing production lines.
• Assist in the development of justifications for the purchase of manufacturing equipment.
• Assist with the installation and debugging of production equipment.
• Update and maintain visual and written work guidelines.
• Update and maintain manufacturing routings.
• Assist in the development of manufacturing infrastructure to integrate or deploy new manufacturing processes.
• Perform time studies and monitor or measure manufacturing processes to identify ways to reduce losses, decrease time requirements, or improve quality.
• Perform other manufacturing tasks as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Associates Degree in Manufacturing or Mechanical Engineering Technology. Must have a good mechanical aptitude of general machinery.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to develop data-driven solutions in a manufacturing environment.
• Proficient in Solidworks or similar 3D modeling package.
• Experience with manufacturing data analysis.
• Experience in Excel is preferred.

Title: Manufacturing Engineer

Location: Barrington, IL 60010

Hire Type: Direct Hire

Compensation: $115k-130k

Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k, PTO, Holiday Pay, Retirement, Life Insurance, and many more….

Overview: Our client is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer for a highly visible role that is designed to evolve into a true subject matter expert position, with clear leadership potential over time. This is an opportunity to own complex manufacturing processes end-to-end, influence technical direction, and become a go-to resource across engineering and operations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as a technical authority for assigned manufacturing processes and product lines
• Lead manufacturing process design, optimization, and validation for precision metal components
• Drive Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives (yield, cycle time, scrap, cost)
• Partner cross-functionally with Design Engineering, Quality, and Operations on new product introductions
• Develop and improve tooling, fixturing, work instructions, and standard processes
• Troubleshoot complex manufacturing and quality issues using data-driven root cause analysis
• Support capacity planning, capital equipment justification, and implementation
• Mentor junior engineers and technicians; contribute to long-term technical strategy
• Gradually take on informal and formal leadership responsibilities as the role matures

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering (or similar)
• 7+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in precision manufacturing environments
• Strong background in metal forming, stamping, springs, or closely related processes preferred
• Experience with Lean manufacturing, process optimization, and root cause analysis
• Ability to operate as both a hands-on problem solver and strategic technical resource
• Strong communication skills and comfort working cross-functionally

Controls Engineer – Automation & Robotics (6 Openings)

Location: Elgin, IL (On-site)

Job Type: Direct Hire | Full-Time

Compensation: $95,000 – $150,000 (up to $160,000 for exceptional experience)

Benefits: Comprehensive benefits starting Day 1 (medical, dental, vision, 401k, stock programs, PTO, holidays)

About the Role

We are expanding our Automation Development team and are seeking Controls Engineers to support the design and build of highly advanced, custom automation and robotic equipment for autonomous vehicle production. This is a hands-on role focused on conceptual, in-house engineered systems—not repetitive builds or catalog automation.

Engineers in this group own projects end-to-end, from early concept and proof-of-principle through programming, debug, factory acceptance testing, and on-site integration. The current flagship project supports a next-generation autonomous vehicle platform, with the first production units already shipped.

This role is ideal for Controls Engineers coming from systems integrators or custom machine builders who enjoy variety, ownership, and technically challenging work.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, program, and debug PLC, HMI/SCADA, robotics, servo, and machine vision systems
• Develop control architectures for custom automation and robotic equipment
• Review electrical schematics and contribute to hardware and network architecture
• Perform system bring-up, debugging, validation, and factory acceptance testing
• Collaborate closely with mechanical engineers, assembly teams, and manufacturing
• Support equipment installation and integration at U.S. manufacturing facilities

Travel

• Typical travel averages 10–25% (historically fluctuates by project)
• Travel is limited to 4 U.S. manufacturing locations (California, Texas, Nevada)

Qualifications

• Experience in custom automation, robotics, or systems integration
• PLC programming experience ( Siemens preferred, Rockwell/Allen-Bradley also acceptable )
• Engineers proficient in Rockwell who are open to transitioning to Siemens are strongly encouraged to apply
• Experience with HMI/SCADA platforms (WinCC, Ignition, FactoryTalk, or similar)
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls, Mechatronics, Automation, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Why This Opportunity Stands Out

• Work on fully conceptual, in-house designs with protected intellectual property
• Exposure to cutting-edge autonomous vehicle and robotics technology
• Projects that most automation houses and integrators never get access to
• Strong compensation, Day-1 benefits, and long-term growth potential
• Collaborative engineering culture with high technical standards and visibility

• 
  
• Able to assemble a limited variety of parts involving few details
  
• Required to use light bench equipment, simple hand and power tools and assembly/test fixtures
  
• Able to perform simple adjustments
  
• Capable of interpreting routers, bill of materials, and portions of blueprints to build easy to medium assemblies
  
• Assist with other related duties as required or assigned
  

• 
  
• No previous experience
  
• Ability to lift up to 30 lbs.
  
• Basic communication skills
  
• Requires ability to differentiate between colors on certain jobs in this classification
  
• Bona Fide Occupational Qualification: Visual acuity test and color vision screening will be performed after offer/acceptance of position. Hiring is contingent upon a passing score of 20/25 (in both eyes) and passing of the color screen
  

• 
  
• Hourly rate: $15.25 per hour
  
• Profit Sharing Bonus - OTTO believes that it's fair to share the profits that the employees help to make; profit sharing is distributed to employees twice a year. OTTO's profit sharing plan is paid at the discretion of the company and is not a guaranteed bonus or any part of a compensation plan.
  
• Vacation:five days after 30 days of employment and 80 hours at 1 year - vacation time is earned on the anniversary date.
  

• 
  
• HMO Plan
  
• Standard PPO Plan
  
• Enhanced PPO Plan
  
• High Deducible PPO Plan
  
• FSA, LFSA, and HSA
  

• 
  
• Base Plan
  
• Buy-Up Plan
  

• 
  
• Life/AD&D
  
• Voluntary Life/AD&D
  
• Short-Term Disability
  
• Long-Term Disability
  

*At Securian Financial the internal position title is Infrastructure Dir."

Mission

"To lead the engineering discipline that ensures Securian's technology platforms and cloud services are built and operated with uncompromising resilience, performance, and quality. This role drives the design and automation of fault-tolerant, high-availability architectures across AWS, Azure, and GCP-ensuring the enterprise meets resiliency, scalability, and efficiency expectations at every layer of technology."

Positioning

The Director of Resilience Engineering and Quality Leader is both a strategic peer and technical counterpart to the Infrastructure & Reliability Engineering Leader.

This role provides bench depth and succession coverage for REO's most technically complex domains while driving innovation in reliability, resilience, and performance practices.

• Strategic influence: Shapes cloud reliability, quality engineering, and resilience strategy across REO and Architecture domains.

• Operational authority: Leads Sr. Managers and Managers who own the execution of quality, resilience, and performance engineering capabilities.

• Enterprise collaboration: Works hand-in-hand with Technology, Solution, Business, Data, and Enterprise Architects to embed reliability and resilience as core architecture principles.

Scope of Accountability

Resilience Engineering & Cloud Reliability

• Architect and validate fault-tolerant, regionally resilient architectures across AWS, Azure, and GCP.

• Own resilience automation, chaos testing, and IaC-based recovery validation.

• Lead cross-cloud reliability design reviews and failure-mode analyses for critical systems.

Quality Engineering & Continuous Testing

• Define enterprise-wide quality engineering strategy integrated into CI/CD pipelines.

• Drive automation-first testing (functional, non-functional, performance, resilience).

• Embed observability-driven quality validation and contract testing across services.

Performance, Capacity & Efficiency Engineering

• Oversee predictive capacity planning, scaling automation, and cost/efficiency optimization (FinOps/GreenOps).

• Partner with Platform & Infrastructure teams to tune performance across application and platform layers.

• Measure and report on performance SLIs/SLAs aligned to REO's Reliability Metrics framework.

Cross-Domain Architecture Collaboration

• Partner with Enterprise Architects to codify resilience and reliability standards in technology blueprints.

• Collaborate with Technology & Solution Architects to design service reliability into delivery architectures.

• Engage Data Architects for data resilience, replication, and pipeline reliability.

• Work with Business Architects to align technical reliability goals with critical business outcomes.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead a team of Sr. Managers and Managers, fostering a high-performance, hands-on engineering culture.

• Build and mentor top-tier technical talent in cloud reliability, resilience, and quality automation.

• Partner with HR and REO Enablement to develop succession plans and technical competency frameworks.

Core Technical Competencies

• AWS (primary) - Multi-account design, HA architecture, region failover, resilience automation, Terraform/CDK/CloudFormation.

• Azure & GCP (secondary) - Compute, networking, and reliability constructs; hybrid cloud design and failover integration.

• Infrastructure as Code (IaC) - Deep proficiency in Terraform, policy-as-code (OPA/Conftest), drift detection, pipeline integration.

• Reliability & Chaos Engineering - AWS Fault Injection Simulator, Gremlin, steady-state hypothesis design.

• Observability & Quality Automation - OpenTelemetry, Prometheus, CloudWatch, K6, Gatling; CI/CD quality gates and dashboards.

• Performance Engineering - Load, stress, and soak testing automation; performance profiling and SLO alignment.

• Disaster Recovery Automation - Cross-region orchestration, IaC-driven DR runs, replication validation.

• FinOps/GreenOps - Cloud cost and efficiency automation, carbon-aware scaling policies.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic Technical Leadership: Operates at the intersection of deep engineering and executive strategy.

• Multi-Domain Collaborator: Integrates reliability and resilience across architecture, operations, and business domains.

• Talent Multiplier: Develops and empowers senior managers, fostering engineering mastery and innovation.

• Credible Technical Authority: Trusted peer to Infrastructure & Reliability Engineering; capable of leading architecture reviews and executive briefings.

• Change Champion: Drives transformation of reliability practices across platforms, pipelines, and teams.

Qualifications & Experience

• 12+ years in cloud engineering, reliability, or platform leadership roles.

• 5+ years leading Sr. Managers/Managers in technical domains.

• Proven expertise across AWS, with working knowledge of Azure and GCP.

• Experience with multi-cloud governance, DR design, IaC at scale, and reliability automation.

• Strong understanding of observability, SRE principles, and REO/ITIL-aligned reliability frameworks.

• Certifications:

  • Required: AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional

  • Preferred: AWS DevOps Engineer, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Google Professional Cloud Architect

Success Metrics

• 99.9% availability maintained for Tier-1 workloads.

• 100% coverage of DR automation for Tier-1 services.

• 25% annual increase in automated quality/test coverage.

• 15% annual improvement in resource efficiency and cost performance.

• Documented resilience participation across all enterprise architecture blueprints.

• Positive "technical peer readiness" and succession rating from Head of REO.

Summary Value Proposition

This Director role blends deep AWS reliability engineering expertise, multi-cloud technical breadth, and leadership scale.

It ensures REO maintains both technical depth and leadership redundancy, and it strengthens the bridge between engineering execution and enterprise architecture alignment.

#LI-hybrid **This position will be in a hybrid working arrangement.**

Securian Financial believes in hybrid work as an integral part of our culture. Associates get the benefit of working both virtually and in our offices. If you're in a commutable distance (90 minutes), you'll join us 3 days each week in our offices to collaborate and build relationships. Our policy allows flexibility for the reality of business and personal schedules.

The estimated base pay range for this job is:

Pay may vary depending on job-related factors and individual experience, skills, knowledge, etc. More information on base pay and incentive pay (if applicable) can be discussed with a member of the Securian Financial Talent Acquisition team.

Be you. With us. At Securian Financial, we understand that attracting top talent means offering more than just a job - it means providing a rewarding and fulfilling career. As a valued member of our high-performing team, we want you to connect with your work, your relationships and your community. Enjoy our comprehensive range of benefits designed to enhance your professional growth, well-being and work-life balance, including the advantages listed here:

Paid time off:

• We want you to take time off for what matters most to you. Our PTO program provides flexibility for associates to take meaningful time away from work to relax, recharge and spend time doing what's important to them. And Securian Financial rewards associates for their service by providing additional PTO the longer you stay at Securian.

• Leave programs: Securian's flexible leave programs allow time off from work for parental leave, caregiver leave for family members, bereavement and military leave.

• Holidays: Securian provides nine company paid holidays.

Company-funded pension plan and a 401(k) retirement plan: Share in the success of our company. Securian's 401(k) company contribution is tied to our performance up to 10 percent of eligible earnings, with a target of 5 percent. The amount is based on company results compared to goals related to earnings, sales and service.

Health insurance: From the first day of employment, associates and their eligible family members - including spouses, domestic partners and children - are eligible for medical, dental and vision coverage.

Volunteer time: We know the importance of community. Through company-sponsored events, volunteer paid time off, a dollar-for-dollar matching gift program and more, we encourage you to support organizations important to you.

Associate Resource Groups: Build connections, be yourself and develop meaningful relationships at work through associate-led ARGs. Dedicated groups focus on a variety of interests and affinities, including:

• Mental Wellness and Disability

• Pride at Securian Financial

• Securian Young Professionals Network

• Securian Multicultural Network

• Securian Women and Allies Network

• Servicemember Associate Resource Group

For more information regarding Securian's benefits, please review our Benefits page.

This information is not intended to explain all the provisions of coverage available under these plans. In all cases, the plan document dictates coverage and provisions.

Securian Financial Group, Inc. does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital or familial status, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, political affiliation, veteran status, status in regard to public assistance or any other protected status. If you are a job seeker with a disability and require an accommodation to apply for one of our jobs, please contact us by email at , by telephone (voice), or 711 (Relay/TTY).

To view our privacy statement click here

To view our legal statement click here

*At Securian Financial the internal position title isEngineering Senior Analyst or Engineering Consultant. The title and salary will be determined based on experience and applied skills.*

Position Summary:

Are you a hands-on engineer who enjoys designing, building, and supporting modern communication platforms? Do you like solving complex problems and working with teams that move quickly from idea to delivery? This role offers the opportunity to make an immediate impact.

As a member of the Telephony and Contact Center Technologies team, you will design, engineer, implement, and support Securian's enterprise telephony and contact center platforms. This role is focused on delivering secure, scalable, cloud-first communication solutions using RingCentral, NiCE CXone, and Cyara.

You will work closely with Contact Center Operations, Agile delivery teams, and technology partners to continuously improve customer and associate experiences across the enterprise.

Responsibilities include but not limited to:

• Design, engineer, implement, and support enterprise UCaaS and CCaaS platforms

• Provide daily operational support for cloud-based telephony, unified communications, SIP services, and IVR solutions

Qualifications:

• Hands-on experience engineering and supporting cloud-based telephony or contact center platforms

• Strong understanding of VoIP technologies, SIP, and call routing concepts

• RingCentral and RingCentral Contact Center engineering

• NiCE inContact / CXone administration and development

• Cyara or similar modern telephony orchestration platforms

• Experience designing and supporting UCaaS and CCaaS (including IVRs and contact center workflows) solutions in large enterprise environments

• Solid knowledge of networking concepts related to real-time communications

Preferred Qualifications:

• Supporting remote contact center agents

• REST API integrations and automation

• Scripting using PowerShell or Python

• Workforce management, call recording, or speech technologies

• PSTN carrier and phone number lifecycle management

This role plays a critical part in modernizing Securian's communication platforms and ensuring reliable, scalable experiences for customers and associates. You will have the opportunity to influence technical direction and deliver compelling solutions that matter.

#LI-Hybrid**This position willhave a hybrid working arrangement.**

Securian Financial believes in hybrid work as an integral part of our culture. Associates get the benefit of working both virtually and in our offices. Ifyou'reina commutable distance (90 minutes)you'lljoin us 3 days each week in our offices to collaborate and build relationships. Our policy allows flexibility for the reality of business and personal schedules.

The estimated base pay range for this job is:

Pay may vary depending on job-related factors and individual experience, skills, knowledge, etc. More information on base pay and incentive pay (if applicable) can be discussed with a member of the Securian Financial Talent Acquisition team.

Be you. With us. At Securian Financial, we understand that attracting top talent means offering more than just a job - it means providing a rewarding and fulfilling career. As a valued member of our high-performing team, we want you to connect with your work, your relationships and your community. Enjoy our comprehensive range of benefits designed to enhance your professional growth, well-being and work-life balance, including the advantages listed here:

Paid time off:

• We want you to take time off for what matters most to you. Our PTO program provides flexibility for associates to take meaningful time away from work to relax, recharge and spend time doing what's important to them. And Securian Financial rewards associates for their service by providing additional PTO the longer you stay at Securian.

• Leave programs: Securian's flexible leave programs allow time off from work for parental leave, caregiver leave for family members, bereavement and military leave.

• Holidays: Securian provides nine company paid holidays.

Company-funded pension plan and a 401(k) retirement plan: Share in the success of our company. Securian's 401(k) company contribution is tied to our performance up to 10 percent of eligible earnings, with a target of 5 percent. The amount is based on company results compared to goals related to earnings, sales and service.

Health insurance: From the first day of employment, associates and their eligible family members - including spouses, domestic partners and children - are eligible for medical, dental and vision coverage.

Volunteer time: We know the importance of community. Through company-sponsored events, volunteer paid time off, a dollar-for-dollar matching gift program and more, we encourage you to support organizations important to you.

Associate Resource Groups: Build connections, be yourself and develop meaningful relationships at work through associate-led ARGs. Dedicated groups focus on a variety of interests and affinities, including:

• Mental Wellness and Disability

• Pride at Securian Financial

• Securian Young Professionals Network

• Securian Multicultural Network

• Securian Women and Allies Network

• Servicemember Associate Resource Group

For more information regarding Securian's benefits, please review our Benefits page.

This information is not intended to explain all the provisions of coverage available under these plans. In all cases, the plan document dictates coverage and provisions.

Securian Financial Group, Inc. does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital or familial status, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, political affiliation, veteran status, status in regard to public assistance or any other protected status. If you are a job seeker with a disability and require an accommodation to apply for one of our jobs, please contact us by email at , by telephone (voice), or 711 (Relay/TTY).

To view our privacy statement click here

To view our legal statement click here

*Securian Financial the internal position title is Engineering Sr Analyst or Engineering Consultant. Title and salary will be determined based on applied skills.*

Position Summary:

Join theEnterprise Partner Solutions (EPS)team as aLicensing and Compensation Engineer, where you'll drive innovation in partner experience using cutting-edge SAP technologies. This team envisions a future where every financial producer is empowered from day one through intuitive, reliable, and scalable technology. Our engineering team is committed to transforming the producer experience by delivering back-end systems that simplify onboarding, ensure compliance in licensing, and guarantee timely and accurate compensation. We strive to be the trusted backbone of producer operations, enabling our company to grow with confidence and integrity. If you're passionate about engineering solutions that make a measurable impact, this is your opportunity to shape the future of partner engagement at scale.

Responsibilities include but not limited to:

• Support and maintain SAP technologies related to partner compensation and licensing, including APM (ICM), ALM, OK2, and Advanced Workflow.

• Perform analysis, design, development, and integration on medium to high level complexity assignments.

• Develop and support automation capabilities through webservices and APIs.

• Troubleshoot and resolve incidents across the licensing and compensation platform, including integrations with internal and external systems.

• Collaborate with product analysts, quality engineers, and business stakeholders to deliver enhancements and ensure platform stability.

• Analyze job failures, support tickets, and backlog stories to identify trends and drive continuous improvement.

• Participate in Agile ceremonies and contribute to sprint planning, story refinement, and retrospectives.

• Document technical processes and contribute to knowledge sharing across the EPS team.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field, or equivalent experience.

• 3+ years of experience supporting SAP technologies, preferably in compensation or licensing domains.

• Familiarity with SAP ICM/APM and ALM modules.

• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to manage multiple priorities.

• Excellent communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally.

• Experience with Agile methodologies and DevOps practices is a plus.

Preferred Qualifications:

• SAP Certification in relevant Modules

• Development Languages: Java, Groovy, SQL, Git, IntelliJ, webservices

• Understanding of compensation payment structures for agents and familiarity with licensing and regulatory compliance frameworks governing producer eligibility to sell products.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.

• Commitment to continuous learning and process improvement.

#LI-hybrid **This position will be in a hybrid working arrangement.**

Securian Financial believes in hybrid work as an integral part of our culture. Associates get the benefit of working both virtually and in our offices. If you're in a commutable distance (90 minutes) you'll join us 3 days each week in our offices to collaborate and build relationships. Our policy allows flexibility for the reality of business and personal schedules.

The estimated base pay range for this job is:

Pay may vary depending on job-related factors and individual experience, skills, knowledge, etc. More information on base pay and incentive pay (if applicable) can be discussed with a member of the Securian Financial Talent Acquisition team.

Be you. With us. At Securian Financial, we understand that attracting top talent means offering more than just a job - it means providing a rewarding and fulfilling career. As a valued member of our high-performing team, we want you to connect with your work, your relationships and your community. Enjoy our comprehensive range of benefits designed to enhance your professional growth, well-being and work-life balance, including the advantages listed here:

Paid time off:

• We want you to take time off for what matters most to you. Our PTO program provides flexibility for associates to take meaningful time away from work to relax, recharge and spend time doing what's important to them. And Securian Financial rewards associates for their service by providing additional PTO the longer you stay at Securian.

• Leave programs: Securian's flexible leave programs allow time off from work for parental leave, caregiver leave for family members, bereavement and military leave.

• Holidays: Securian provides nine company paid holidays.

Company-funded pension plan and a 401(k) retirement plan: Share in the success of our company. Securian's 401(k) company contribution is tied to our performance up to 10 percent of eligible earnings, with a target of 5 percent. The amount is based on company results compared to goals related to earnings, sales and service.

Health insurance: From the first day of employment, associates and their eligible family members - including spouses, domestic partners and children - are eligible for medical, dental and vision coverage.

Volunteer time: We know the importance of community. Through company-sponsored events, volunteer paid time off, a dollar-for-dollar matching gift program and more, we encourage you to support organizations important to you.

Associate Resource Groups: Build connections, be yourself and develop meaningful relationships at work through associate-led ARGs. Dedicated groups focus on a variety of interests and affinities, including:

• Mental Wellness and Disability

• Pride at Securian Financial

• Securian Young Professionals Network

• Securian Multicultural Network

• Securian Women and Allies Network

• Servicemember Associate Resource Group

For more information regarding Securian's benefits, please review our Benefits page.

This information is not intended to explain all the provisions of coverage available under these plans. In all cases, the plan document dictates coverage and provisions.

Securian Financial Group, Inc. does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital or familial status, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, political affiliation, veteran status, status in regard to public assistance or any other protected status. If you are a job seeker with a disability and require an accommodation to apply for one of our jobs, please contact us by email at , by telephone (voice), or 711 (Relay/TTY).

To view our privacy statement click here

To view our legal statement click here

Applied AI Engineer

Compensation:

• Up to $150,000 base salary (direct hire w2 only, no c2c, no 1099), (flexibility on base salary for exceptional experience)

Location:

• Hybrid / Onsite - Greater Kansas City Metro Area
• 3 days per week onsite, 2 days remote
• Candidates must currently reside in the KC metro area or be willing to relocate within a reasonable timeframe
• Fully remote candidates cannot be considered

Work Authorization:

• Must be authorized to work in the U.S.
• No current or future visa sponsorship available

Engagement Type:

• Full time, direct hire only
• No third-party agencies, consulting firms, C2C, or 1099 arrangements

About the Opportunity

Vaco Highspring is conducting a confidential search on behalf of a global enterprise organization with a strong technology footprint, including a proprietary SaaS platform and a technology?enabled services business.

The organization is making a focused investment in artificial intelligence to improve internal efficiency, modernize workflows, and embed intelligent capabilities into its software platform. This role offers meaningful ownership and visibility, with a mandate to build and deploy AI systems that have real, production level impact.

The Role

As an Applied AI Engineer, you will play a key role in integrating AI across internal systems and a customer facing SaaS platform. You will work hands on with large language models (LLMs) and modern AI tooling to automate processes, build internal tools, and deliver intelligent product features.

This is a production focused role operating at the intersection of engineering, product, and business operations, with close collaboration across teams in a hybrid/onsite environment. (3-days per week onsite in Greater Kansas City Metro Area, 2-days remote work.)

Key Responsibilities

• Design and build scalable AI powered services and tools to streamline internal workflows across multiple teams (e.g., operations, content, sales, support).
• Develop and deliver intelligent features within a proprietary SaaS platform.
• Integrate, manage, and optimize multiple LLMs and AI APIs (e.g., OpenAI style, Anthropic style, or comparable providers).
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to other engineers, including guidance on architecture, best practices, and performance.
• Build and maintain backend systems and APIs that support AI functionality across products and services.
• Design infrastructure for model serving, orchestration, monitoring, and lifecycle management.
• Implement fallback strategies, model routing, and cost performance optimization.
• Partner cross functionally with engineering, product, and business stakeholders to identify high impact AI opportunities.
• Apply best practices related to data privacy, security, compliance, and responsible AI use.
• Stay current with advancements in AI, LLMs, and MLOps, introducing new approaches where appropriate.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of engineering experience with multiple years of experience in a production environment deploying AI/ML applications or infrastructure.
• Proven experience applying LLMs or similar AI models to real business or product challenges.
• Strong backend engineering skills (Python and/or TypeScript preferred).
• Experience with AI/ML orchestration and deployment tools (e.g., LangGraph style frameworks, Airflow like systems, Kubeflow, Ray, or workflow automation tools).
• Hands on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Front end development experience in areas like React, Node.js, Web Development, front end web product design
• Solid understanding of MLOps practices, including deployment, monitoring, logging, and evaluation.
• Knowledge of data privacy, security, and ethical AI considerations.
• Experience supporting SaaS platforms or technology driven products is a plus.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate across technical and non-technical teams.
• Passion for applying AI in practical, high impact ways.

Why This Role

• High visibility and ownership of AI initiatives
• Opportunity to build AI systems that directly impact business outcomes
• Emphasis on production grade systems, not experimentation alone
• Collaborative, hybrid environment with close access to stakeholders

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to the individual's skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, office location and other geographic considerations, as well as other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law in geographies that require salary range disclosure, Vaco/Highspring notes the salary range for the role is noted in this job posting. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, and can participate in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's 401(k) retirement plan. Additional disclaimer: Unless otherwise noted in the job description, the position Vaco/Highspring is filing for is occupied. Please note, however, that Vaco/Highspring is regularly asked to provide talent to other organizations. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. Submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase within Vaco/Highspring will be otherwise assessed by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco/Highspring does not have knowledge of the tools used by its clients in making final hiring decisions and cannot opine on their use of AI products.