Part-Time Student - Software Engineer -Moline, IL

Summary

John Deere is a leading company focused on addressing global challenges related to food, fiber, and infrastructure. They are seeking a Part-Time Student Software Engineer to design and implement systems using large language models while supporting the company's technology initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and operationalize systems using large language models (LLMs) and multimodal models
• Build and integrate LLM-powered features, including retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), agent frameworks, tool use, and conversational interfaces
• Evaluate and implement open-source and commercial foundation models (text, code, image, multimodal)
• Develop embedding pipelines, vector search, and hybrid search strategies

Skills

• Pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or others may apply
• Must be registered as a full-time student at a local accredited university
• Graduation date of Spring 2028 or later
• Cumulative GPA of 2.8 or above
• Available to work 16-20 hours/week during the academic year
• Available to work 30-40 hours/week during the summer semester
• Build and integrate LLM-powered features, including retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), agent frameworks, tool use, and conversational interfaces
• Evaluate and implement open-source and commercial foundation models (text, code, image, multimodal)
• Develop embedding pipelines, vector search, and hybrid search strategies
• Must be able to commute to the work location on scheduled workdays
• Familiarity with orchestration frameworks such as LangChain, Semantic Kernel, or LlamaIndex
• Proficiency in Python (preferred) and Java, with hands-on experience in LLM workflows
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Strong software engineering fundamentals in distributed systems, API development, and performance optimization
• Experience building microservices, event-driven systems, or real-time inference services
• Strong understanding of CI/CD, testing strategies for AI systems, and observability tools

Qualifications

Must Haves

• Pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or others may apply
• Must be registered as a full-time student at a local accredited university
• Graduation date of Spring 2028 or later
• Cumulative GPA of 2.8 or above
• Available to work 16-20 hours/week during the academic year
• Available to work 30-40 hours/week during the summer semester
• Build and integrate LLM-powered features, including retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), agent frameworks, tool use, and conversational interfaces
• Evaluate and implement open-source and commercial foundation models (text, code, image, multimodal)
• Develop embedding pipelines, vector search, and hybrid search strategies
• Must be able to commute to the work location on scheduled workdays

Nice to Haves

• Familiarity with orchestration frameworks such as LangChain, Semantic Kernel, or LlamaIndex
• Proficiency in Python (preferred) and Java, with hands-on experience in LLM workflows
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Strong software engineering fundamentals in distributed systems, API development, and performance optimization
• Experience building microservices, event-driven systems, or real-time inference services
• Strong understanding of CI/CD, testing strategies for AI systems, and observability tools

Benefits

• Flexible work arrangements
• Highly competitive base pay
• Savings & Retirement benefits (401K and Defined Benefit Pension)
• Healthcare benefits with a generous company contribution in the Health Savings Account
• Adoption assistance
• Employee Assistance Programs
• Tuition assistance
• Fitness subsidies and on-site gyms at specific Deere locations
• Charitable contribution match
• Employee Purchase Plan & numerous discount programs for personal use
• Vacation and Holiday Pay