Sr AI Platform Engineer – Retrieval & Knowledge Systems

LPL Financial Holdings, Inc.$115K — $191K *
Information Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 8+ years in backend or platform engineering
  • Experience with distributed systems, search platforms, or large-scale data services
  • Hands-on with APIs, microservices, and cloud-native architectures
  • Familiar with search systems, indexing, or retrieval pipelines
  • Programming skills in Java, Python, or Go

Responsibilities

  • Design and build high-scale retrieval systems
  • Develop RAG infrastructure including indexing and retrieval
  • Build and optimize search indices and hybrid retrieval systems
  • Implement advanced ranking and relevance pipelines
  • Build streaming and batch pipelines for data
  • Develop enrichment pipelines for data processing
  • Establish patterns for multi-tenant, scalable platform services

Benefits

  • 401K matching
  • Health benefits
  • Employee stock options
  • Paid time off
  • Volunteer time off
Full Job Description

Job Overview:

The Senior Engineer will design and build core AI knowledge infrastructure that powers intelligent applications across the enterprise.

This role focuses on distributed systems, retrieval architectures, and AI platform services, enabling applications and agents to discover, retrieve, and reason over large-scale enterprise data. You will work at the intersection of search, vector retrieval, LLMs, and real-time data systems, building high-performance platforms used by AI and application teams.

The ideal candidate is a strong backend/platform engineer with deep experience in building scalable systems and modern AI-powered retrieval architectures.

Responsibilities:

AI Retrieval & Search Platform

  • Design and build high-scale retrieval systems combining keyword search, semantic search, and vector-based retrieval.

  • Develop RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) infrastructure including indexing, retrieval, ranking, and context assembly.

  • Build and optimize search indices, vector stores, and hybrid retrieval systems for relevance, latency, and scale.

  • Implement advanced ranking, relevance tuning, and personalization pipelines.

Data Pipelines & Indexing Systems

  • Build streaming and batch pipelines for ingesting and transforming structured and unstructured data.

  • Develop enrichment pipelines (chunking, embeddings, metadata extraction, classification).

  • Design systems for real-time indexing, incremental updates, and freshness guarantees.

  • Optimize data flow, storage, and compute efficiency at scale.

AI Platform Services & APIs

  • Build low-latency, highly available APIs that expose retrieval and knowledge services to applications and AI agents.

  • Develop reusable SDKs and service abstractions for easy integration into product teams.

  • Enable context retrieval, query understanding, and response augmentation for downstream AI systems.

  • Establish patterns for multi-tenant, scalable platform services.

LLM & Intelligent Systems Integration

  • Integrate LLMs with retrieval systems to enable grounded, context-aware experiences.

  • Build systems for context construction, prompt augmentation, and response orchestration.

  • Implement evaluation frameworks for relevance, grounding quality, and user experience.

  • Support use cases like AI assistants, copilots, search experiences, and automation agents.

Performance, Scalability & Reliability

  • Design for low-latency (<100ms retrieval), high-throughput, and horizontal scalability.

  • Implement caching, sharding, and distributed query execution strategies.

  • Build observability pipelines (metrics, logs, tracing) for system performance and usage insights.

  • Drive resiliency, fault tolerance, and system reliability at scale.

Technical Leadership

  • Lead design and architecture of large-scale AI platform components.

  • Mentor engineers on distributed systems, retrieval architectures, and AI engineering practices.

  • Drive adoption of modern engineering practices (CI/CD, infrastructure-as-code, automated testing).

  • Partner with AI, data, and product teams to shape next-gen intelligent platform capabilities.


What are we looking for?

We’re looking for strong collaborators who deliver exceptional client experiences and thrive in fast-paced, team-oriented environments. Our ideal candidates pursue greatness, act with integrity, and are driven to help our clients succeed. We value those who embrace creativity, continuous improvement, and contribute to a culture where we win together and create and share joy in our work.


Requirements:
  • Minimum of 8 years of experience in backend or platform engineering.

  • Experience building distributed systems, search platforms, or large-scale data services.

  • Hands-on experience with APIs, microservices, and cloud-native architectures.

  • Experience with search systems, indexing, or retrieval pipelines.

  • Experience programming skills in Java, Python, or Go.

Preferences:

  • Experience with cloud platforms and containerized environments (Kubernetes).

  • Experience with Elasticsearch/OpenSearch, vector databases, or hybrid retrieval architectures.

  • Familiarity with RAG systems, embeddings, and LLM integration patterns.

  • Experience building AI platforms, copilots, or agent-based systems.

  • Experience with real-time data systems (Kafka, streaming pipelines).

  • Strong understanding of performance optimization in distributed systems.


Pay Range:

$115,154.00 - $191,889.00
 Actual base salary varies based on factors, including but not limited to, relevant skill, prior experience, education, base salary of internal peers, demonstrated performance, and geographic location. Additionally, LPL Total Rewards package is highly competitive, designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play – such as 401K matching, health benefits, employee stock options, paid time off, volunteer time off, and more. Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that LPL has to offer!

About LPL Financial Holdings, Inc.

LPL Financial Holdings, Inc. Careers

Joining LPL Financial Holdings, Inc. presents an unparalleled opportunity to become part of a leading team of professionals in the financial services industry. The company is renowned for its commitment to innovation, leadership, and professional growth, making it an ideal workplace for ambitious individuals looking to advance their careers.

Explore Job Opportunities

LPL Financial Holdings, Inc. offers a variety of job opportunities that cater to a range of skills and interests. From entry-level positions to senior leadership roles, each job opening provides a platform for personal and professional development. Candidates can expect a rigorous interview process that ensures each team member is not only a fit for the position but also aligns with the company's culture of excellence and integrity.

Internship Programs

For those starting their career journey, LPL Financial Holdings, Inc. provides robust internship programs designed to offer real-world experience in the financial sector. Internships are a cornerstone of the company's commitment to nurturing young talent, providing a foundation of knowledge and skills that are crucial for future employment in the industry.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of LPL Financial Holdings, Inc. The company believes in empowering all employees through diversity training and leadership opportunities that promote an inclusive workplace. This approach not only enhances team collaboration but also drives innovation and creativity.

Benefits and Culture

LPL Financial Holdings, Inc. is dedicated to supporting its employees with comprehensive benefits designed to promote a healthy work-life balance. Benefits include competitive health care options, retirement plans, and wellness programs. The company culture is built on a foundation of mutual respect and teamwork, encouraging networking and professional development across all levels of the organization.

Professional Growth and Development

Employees at LPL Financial Holdings, Inc. are encouraged to continuously enhance their professional skills and advance their careers within the company. Leadership development programs and continuous learning opportunities are readily available, allowing individuals to achieve their career goals and contribute effectively to their teams.

Join the LPL Financial Holdings, Inc. Team

LPL Financial Holdings, Inc. is actively hiring and looking for passionate, creative, and solution-driven team players. Explore open positions that match your skills and interests on the LPL Financial Holdings, Inc. careers page. Each position offers a chance to be part of a dynamic team that is instrumental in shaping the future of financial services.

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