Senior AI Software Engineer Jobs in San Diego, CA

Senior AI Software Engineer jobs in San Diego are in strong demand, concentrated in Sorrento Valley, Torrey Pines, and the UTC corridor across defense tech, biotech, and enterprise software. Employers hiring right now include Qualcomm, University of San Diego, and ServiceNow. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

Find Jobs

Overview

Open roles16
Top employerQualcomm
Work type60% Remote
Top credentialBachelor's degree
Companies hiring6

Showing 5 of 16+ Senior AI Software Engineer jobs

Senior Staff Software Engineer, AI-Native Engineering - Flow
We won't show you this job again
Added 2d ago
Senior Staff Software Engineer, AI-Native Engineering - Flow
ServiceNow
San Diego, California
Cloud Engineering
Data Engineering
Software Engineering
$172k - $301k/yr
Remote (US)
10,000+

Have you applied for this role?

Senior Software Engineer (AI-Assisted Development)
We won't show you this job again
Added 3d ago
Senior Software Engineer (AI-Assisted Development)
Nathan Kunes Inc
San Diego, California
Embedded Systems Engineering
Engineering (Non-Software)
Technical Program Management
$110k - $140k/yr
Bachelor's degree

Have you applied for this role?

Provost's Faculty Fellows in Artificial Intelligence (two)
We won't show you this job again
Added 2w ago
Provost's Faculty Fellows in Artificial Intelligence (two)
University of San Diego
San Diego, California
Corporate Training
Higher Education
K-12 Teaching
1,001-5,000

Have you applied for this role?

Part-time Adjunct Faculty/Developer for Artificial Intelligence Coding and Programming
We won't show you this job again
Added 2w ago
Part-time Adjunct Faculty/Developer for Artificial Intelligence Coding and Programming
University of San Diego
San Diego, California
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Data Science
Software Engineering
$40 - $44/hr
Remote (US)
Bachelor's degree
1,001-5,000

Have you applied for this role?

Adjunct Faculty/Developer- Artificial Intelligence for Business Solutions
We won't show you this job again
Added 2w ago
Adjunct Faculty/Developer- Artificial Intelligence for Business Solutions
University of San Diego
San Diego, California
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Data Science
Software Engineering
$40 - $44/hr
Remote (US)
Bachelor's degree
1,001-5,000

Have you applied for this role?

See All 16 Senior AI Software Engineer Jobs in San Diego

Find roles in San Diego that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

Find Jobs

Senior AI Software Engineer Job Market in San Diego

Who's Hiring

Qualcomm6 open roles
University of San Diego6 open roles
ServiceNow1 open role

Senior AI Software Engineer Jobs in San Diego: Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a senior ai software engineer job in San Diego?

Focus your search on San Diego's defense and government contracting sector in Kearny Mesa and Sorrento Valley, the biotech and life sciences cluster near Torrey Pines, and the enterprise software companies in the UTC and Rancho Bernardo corridors. Candidates with experience in large language models, computer vision, or edge AI for embedded systems stand out in this market. Security clearance eligibility is a genuine edge for roles tied to defense primes.

Which companies hire senior ai software engineers in San Diego?

Companies currently hiring senior ai software engineers in San Diego include Qualcomm, University of San Diego, and ServiceNow, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. The local market mixes large defense contractors and life sciences firms with a growing base of mid-size enterprise software and deep tech startups, many of them anchored near the UC San Diego research ecosystem.

Are there remote senior ai software engineer jobs in San Diego?

Yes, and this role lends itself well to remote work given its analytical and software-development nature. About 60% of senior ai software engineer openings tied to San Diego are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, though roles at defense contractors typically require on-site presence. Model development, research, and MLOps work are the functions most commonly offered as fully remote locally.

How can I get a senior ai software engineer job in San Diego with little or no experience?

The most realistic entry path in San Diego is through mid-size biotech and healthtech companies near the Torrey Pines and Sorrento Valley corridors, which regularly hire junior AI or machine learning engineers who grow into senior roles. Contributing to research projects through UC San Diego or San Diego State University partnerships, or joining a startup as a full-stack engineer with an AI focus, builds the local portfolio that senior hiring managers look for.

See All 16 Senior AI Software Engineer Jobs in San Diego

Find roles in San Diego that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

Find Jobs