Department:
Technology
Our Company Promise
We are committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer.
Job Description:
As a Sr Software Engineer Global supporting Southwest’s Agentic AI initiatives, you’ll design, build, and operate highly reliable, cloud‑native software systems used at scale across the enterprise. This role combines deep hands‑on engineering with technical leadership—contributing to system design, feature development, and production support while identifying and preventing issues before they impact Customers or internal teams. You’ll work across the full software lifecycle, applying strong coding, testing, and observability practices while mentoring Software Engineers and promoting “shift‑left” quality and reliability. This role offers the opportunity to shape robust platforms and services that support Southwest’s evolving AI capabilities. As we continue to grow our Global Innovation Center (GIC) in Hyderabad, we’re hiring multiple Sr Software Engineers across a variety of Pods and initiatives—each offering the opportunity to lead meaningful work, navigate complexity, and help advance the technology that powers Southwest’s operation. Read on to learn more about the Pods you could support.
- Agentic AI - Customer & Commercial Pod
In the Agentic AI – Customer & Commercial Pod, you’ll help build and operate scalable, production‑grade services that embed large language models and agentic capabilities into Customer‑facing digital experiences. This role focuses on translating high‑level agent designs into reliable, testable software—developing workflows that manage orchestration, tools, memory, and system integrations. You’ll apply strong software engineering practices across cloud‑native services, APIs, and supporting infrastructure, while partnering with Product and AI teams to deliver features that simplify how Customers get help, explore options, and complete transactions. Your work ensures AI‑driven experiences remain performant, observable, and resilient as they grow more sophisticated over time.
- Agentic AI - ETO Support Pod
In the Agentic AI – ETO Support Pod, you’ll own and evolve the microservices and APIs that allow AI agents to interact with enterprise systems such as ITSM, ERP, and identity platforms. This role offers a “founding‑engineer” opportunity—contributing to greenfield architecture while building services designed for long‑term scalability and operational stability. You’ll work deeply within AWS‑native environments, developing cloud‑based services and integrations that support agentic workflows across internal Technology Teams. With a strong focus on production readiness, observability, and reliability, you’ll help ensure enterprise AI solutions are secure, maintainable, and able to scale as adoption grows across the organization.
Responsibilities
- Drive the technical direction and feature roadmap of large-scale cloud systems
- Serve as a technical lead contributing to and directing the efforts of development teams, including internal and external team members
- Determines operational feasibility by evaluating analysis, problem definition, requirements, solution development, and proposed solutions
- Drives detailed definition of feature requirements through discussions with product managers and customers
- Supports continuous improvement by investigating alternatives and new technologies
- Prepares and installs solutions by determining and designing system specifications, standards, and programming
- Evaluates code to ensure that it is valid, is properly structured, meets industry standards, and is compatible with browsers, devices, or operating systems
- Mentor Software Engineers to allow for skill/knowledge development through advice, coaching, and training opportunities
- Update job knowledge by studying state-of-the-art development tools, programming techniques and computing equipment; participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations
- May perform other job duties as directed by Employee's Leaders
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Advanced knowledge of software development methodologies, practices, concepts, and technologies obtained through formal training and / or work experience
- Proactively shares knowledge and skills of software development and testing to solve a range of problems
- Advanced knowledge of at least one required programming language
- Excellent partnering, communication, negotiation skills, and execution in working with various Technology or partner Teams
- Ability to articulate (verbally / visually) ideas, approach, concepts, options, risk, impact, and provides guidance to technical, non-technical, and Leadership audiences
- Ability to lead multiple assignments, whether administrative or project related, while maintaining a successful level of completion in all responsible work
- Ability to mentor others
- Ability to lead ideating, presentations, mentoring and group-thinking sessions
- Ability to influence without authority
Education
- Required: Required: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems or related field and/or equivalent formal training
Experience
- Required: Advanced-level experience, seasoned and specialized knowledge in software development and methodologies
- 5-7 years of relevant work-related experience
- Advanced experience designing, coding, testing, documenting, and implementing large-scale cloud application systems; drives technical direction.
- Serving as technical lead directing development teams; determines operational feasibility and drives detailed feature requirements with product and customers.
- Identifies and prevents production problems; leads immediate resolution efforts and focuses on “shift-left” activities.
- Evaluates code quality and standards; articulates options/risks/impact to technical and non-technical audiences and influences without authority.
- Mentors software engineers through coaching/training; investigates new technologies and drives continuous improvement.
- Preferred: Experience in:
- Proven track record driving feature roadmaps for large-scale cloud systems.
- Experience leading ideation/presentations and group-thinking sessions; strong influence without authority.
- Experience preventing production issues via testing automation and shift-left practices.
- Experience mentoring and developing engineers through coaching/training programs.
Other Qualifications
- Must meet confidentiality expectations as to confidential, proprietary and sensitive Company information
- Ability to work extended hours as needed
Southwest Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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