Associate Software Engineer Jobs in Peoria, IL (NOW HIRING)

About UsWe're not like other insurance companies. From our specialty products to our business model, our culture to our results -we're different.Different is who we are, and how we work, interact, deliver and succeed together.Creating a different and better insurance experience doesn't just happen. It takes focus and a shared passion for going beyond the expected to forge relationships and deliver care that makes a difference. This approach rises from and is supported by our talented, ethical and smart team of employee owners united around a single purpose: to work alongside our customers and partners when they need us, in unexpected ways, with exceptional results. Apply today to make a difference with us.RLI is a Glassdoor Best Places to Work company with a strong, successful background. For decades, our financial track record has been stellar - a testament to our culture and validation of our reputation as an excellent underwriting company.Position Purpose

Under general management, design, develop, and deliver next-generation AI solutions that improve business processes across the enterprise. Develop intelligent applications, integrate AI capabilities with enterprise systems, and build scalable cloud-native solutions that enable automation, knowledge discovery, and operational efficiency. Collaborate with product owners, architects, business stakeholders, and development teams to design secure, scalable, and maintainable AI-enabled solutions that solve complex business challenges.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and deploy enterprise AI applications using modern software engineering practices.
• Build intelligent solutions utilizing Large Language Models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), AI agents, and workflow orchestration technologies.
• Develop scalable backend services, REST APIs, and cloud-native applications that integrate AI capabilities with enterprise systems.
• Design and implement integrations using APIs, messaging, and event-driven architectures.
• Develop document processing, OCR, and knowledge extraction solutions using AI technologies.
• Design and implement vector search, semantic retrieval, and enterprise knowledge base solutions.
• Deploy, manage, and optimize applications within Kubernetes-based environments.
• Collaborate with business partners to understand business needs and translate them into practical AI-enabled solutions.
• Participate in architecture reviews, code reviews, Agile ceremonies, technical planning, and solution design discussions.
• Contribute to CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure automation, and software engineering best practices.
• Mentor team members and promote high standards for software quality, testing, security, observability, and maintainability.
• Assist with special projects or perform other duties as assigned.

Education & Experience

• Typically requires a Bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field
• Minimum of 7 years of professional software engineering experience designing, developing, and supporting enterprise applications.
  • Equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
• Experience designing and developing cloud-native applications, distributed systems, and RESTful APIs.
• Experience developing AI-enabled applications utilizing Large Language Models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), AI agent frameworks, and prompt engineering techniques.
• Experience designing and implementing vector databases, vector search, embeddings, and semantic retrieval solutions.
• Experience using AI-assisted software development tools to improve software design, development, testing, and delivery.
• Experience working within Agile software development environments utilizing Git-based source control and CI/CD practices.

Knowledge, Skills, & Competencies

• Strong proficiency in Python and modern software engineering principles.
• Strong understanding of software architecture, object-oriented design, and design patterns.
• Ability to design and develop scalable cloud-native applications utilizing Kubernetes, Docker, REST APIs, and microservices.
• Knowledge of modern AI application architecture including Large Language Models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), AI agents, LangGraph, LangChain, Azure AI Foundry, prompt engineering, and AI model evaluation.
• Ability to design and implement vector search, semantic retrieval, embeddings, and knowledge ingestion pipelines for enterprise AI solutions.
• Knowledge of intelligent document processing technologies including OCR, document processing pipelines, and structured and unstructured document extraction.
• Experience integrating enterprise systems using APIs, messaging, and event-driven architectures.
• Knowledge of DevOps tools and practices including Git, GitLab, GitLab CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), and automated deployment pipelines.
• Ability to leverage AI-assisted development tools while maintaining high standards for software quality, security, testing, and observability.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Demonstrates the ability to evaluate emerging AI technologies and apply them to solve complex business problems.

Compensation OverviewThe base salary range for the position is listed below. Please note that the base salary is only one component of our robust total rewards package at RLI. The salary offered will take into account a number of factors including, but not limited to, geographic location, experience, scope & responsibilities of the role, qualifications/credentials, talent availability & specialization, as well as business needs. The below range may be modified in the future. Base Pay Range$120,515.00 - $175,650.00Total RewardsAt RLI, we're all owners. We hire the best and the brightest employees and allow them to share in the company's success through our Total Rewards. With the Employee Stock Ownership plan at its core, the Total Rewards program includes all compensation, benefits and perks that come with being an RLI employee.Financial Incentives

• Annual bonus plans
• Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)
• 401(k) - automatic 3% company contribution
• Annual 401k and ESOP profit-sharing contributions (Up to 15% of eligible earnings)

Work & Life

• Paid time off (PTO) and holidays
• Paid volunteer time off (VTO) to support our communities
• Parental and family care leave
• Flexible & hybrid work arrangements
• Fitness center discounts and free virtual fitness platform
• Employee assistance program

Health & Wellness

• Comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits
• Flexible spending and health savings accounts
• 2x base salary for group life and AD&D insurance
• Voluntary life, critical illness, & accident insurance for purchase
• Short-term and long-term disability benefits

Personal & Professional GrowthRLI encourages its employees to pursue professional development work in insurance and job-related areas. We make a commitment to employees to provide educational opportunities that help them enhance their skills and further their career advancement. RLI fosters a true learning culture and encourages professional growth through insurance courses, in-house training and other educational programs. RLI covers the cost for most programs and employees typically earn a bonus upon successful completion of approved courses and certifications. Our personal and professional growth benefits include:

• Training & certification opportunities
• Tuition reimbursement
• Education bonuses

Diversity & InclusionOur goal is to attract, develop and retain the best employee talent from diverse backgrounds while promoting an environment where all viewpoints are valued and individuals feel respected, are treated fairly, and have an opportunity to excel in their chosen careers. We actively support, and participate in, initiatives led by the American Property Casualty Insurance Association that aim to increase diversity in the insurance industry. Cultivating an exceptional and diverse workforce to deliver excellent customer service reinforces our culture and is a key to achieving superior business results.RLI is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.