Software Development Engineer 1 (AI)

At F5, we strive to bring a better digital world to life. Our teams empower organizations across the globe to create, secure, and run applications that enhance how we experience our evolving digital world. We are passionate about cybersecurity, from protecting consumers from fraud to enabling companies to focus on innovation. Everything we do centers around people. That means we obsess over how to make the lives of our customers, and their customers, better. And it means we prioritize a diverse F5 community where each individual can thrive. This position is exclusively intended for candidates who successfully completed the F5 Summer 2026 Internship Program and have received an invitation to apply for a return role. ## Position Summary Join F5's Digital organization as a Software Development Engineer (AI) and launch your career with a talented team of engineers. In this entry-level role, you will collaborate with experienced mentors, contribute to meaningful projects, and work with technologies that power real-world solutions across our digital ecosystem. As a Software Development Engineer (AI), you will contribute to the design and development of scalable systems, explore AI and machine learning technologies, and grow your technical expertise in a supportive environment. Whether your interest is backend development, DevOps, machine learning engineering, or expanding your technical toolkit, you'll take on progressively challenging projects, build your skills, and establish a strong foundation for your career at F5. Location: This role is based in Seattle, WA. ## The Ideal Candidate Will Be Able To - Contribute to real-world projects across the full development cycle, collaborating with the team to deliver solutions that meet project goals. - Work with peers to design, implement, and test code in a collaborative environment, receiving feedback and guidance from senior engineers. - Analyze requirements, test features, and integrate components into applications with support and mentorship. - Create technical documentation for designs and new features, learning best practices in technical writing and communication. - Participate actively in design and code reviews to absorb best practices, understand quality standards, and continuously improve code quality. - Collaborate with your team to explore and develop data-driven solutions using machine learning and AI technologies. - Ask questions, seek clarification, and leverage mentorship to navigate challenges and accelerate your learning. ## Knowledge, Skills and Abilities - Technical curiosity and eagerness to apply programming knowledge, learn new languages and tools, and grow technical skills. - Problem-solving mindset, critical thinking, data-informed decision-making, and willingness to seek guidance. - Adaptability and initiative when embracing new challenges and adjusting as projects evolve. - Ability to collaborate with others, exchange ideas, and support peers. - Strong communication skills and appreciation for diverse perspectives. - Growth mindset and commitment to continuous learning and professional development. ## Required Qualifications - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Engineering, or a related field. - Demonstrated programming experience in Python, preferred, or Java, C++, or Go, including building APIs/services, writing tests such as pytest or JUnit, and using Git in a collaborative codebase. - Hands-on exposure to machine learning and deep learning concepts and tooling, such as PyTorch, preferred, or TensorFlow/JAX, including training/inference workflows and basic model evaluation. - Familiarity with modern LLM tooling and patterns, such as Hugging Face Transformers, prompt engineering, and retrieval-augmented generation concepts. - Exposure to data handling for ML, including common formats and pipelines such as Parquet, basic ETL, and data quality checks. - Demonstrated knowledge of computer science fundamentals such as data structures and algorithms. - Must be willing to relocate to Seattle, WA or San Jose, CA if not currently based in one of these locations. ## Preferred Skills - Experience with API development and backend fundamentals. - Experience implementing retrieval-driven AI applications using LangChain/LlamaIndex and vector search technologies. - Familiarity with fine-tuning approaches and ML experimentation tools. - Exposure to containers and modern DevOps, including Docker, Kubernetes basics, and CI/CD. - Observability basics, including logging, metrics, and tracing. - Experience with distributed and data tooling used in ML workloads, including Spark, Ray, Kafka, or Airflow. ## Why You'll Love F5 - Seamless transition from internship to full-time employment. - Professional development through ongoing training, mentorship, and advanced learning opportunities. - Meaningful work with real business impact. - Collaborative, inclusive, and innovative culture. - Career growth opportunities, including advancement and specialization. - Inclusive community where individual contributions are valued. ## Compensation & Benefits - Competitive salary commensurate with experience and market conditions. - Comprehensive health, wellness, and retirement benefits. - Professional development and continuous learning opportunities. - Work-life balance benefits including flexible work arrangements. - Hybrid work environment with periodic in-office collaboration in Seattle. - Mentorship and career growth opportunities within the F5 Digital organization. - Access to F5's employee resource groups and community.