Staff Software Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Staff Software Engineer jobs in Illinois are in strong demand, with active hiring concentrated in enterprise technology, financial services, healthcare IT, and cloud infrastructure across experience levels from senior engineer through principal contributor. Chicago anchors the market as one of the most active tech hiring metros in the Midwest, with the suburban corridors of Naperville and Schaumburg adding significant volume from large corporate technology centers. Well-established employers with deep Illinois roots such as Morningstar, Allstate, and Discover Financial consistently hire for this level, with the most sought-after specializations in distributed systems, platform engineering, and backend services. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 30+ Staff Software Engineer jobs
JLL empowers you to shape a brighter way.
Our people at JLL are shaping the future of real estate for a better world by combining world class services, advisory and technology for our clients. We are committed to hiring the best, most talented people and empowering them to thrive, grow meaningful careers and to find a place where they belong. Whether you’ve got deep experience in commercial real estate, skilled trades or technology, or you’re looking to apply your relevant experience to a new industry, join our team as we help shape a brighter way forward.
#JLLTechAmbitions
JLL, an international real estate management company, is building AI into the way its teams work with enterprise data. As an AI Engineer you will turn proofs of concept into reliable, governed, production services: agents that can call tools, remember context, respect user permissions, and be traced, evaluated, and costed.
You will work across both technology tracks as project priorities shift: agent engineering on AWS (Amazon Bedrock and AgentCore) and data and AI engineering on Oracle (AI Data Platform and AI Database). The ideal candidate is a hands-on builder with a “Get it done” attitude, strong engineering discipline, and a habit of asking the right questions before building.
Responsibilities
- Build agents on AWS: design, deploy, and operate AI agents on Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, using AgentCore Runtime for hosting, Gateway to expose APIs and Lambda functions as tools (including MCP), Memory for short- and long-term context, Identity for secure agent access, and Observability for tracing and debugging.
- Build RAG and agent solutions with Amazon Bedrock: implement foundation-model integrations, Knowledge Bases, Agents, and Guardrails, and manage prompts and model selection for cost, latency, and quality.
- Build on Oracle AI Data Platform (AIDP): develop in the AIDP Workbench using Master Catalog assets, Spark notebooks, and workflows; apply medallion (bronze, silver, gold) data patterns; and build knowledge bases and agent flows on governed enterprise data.
- Build on Oracle AI Database: implement AI Vector Search, hybrid (vector + relational) retrieval, Select AI natural-language-to-SQL interfaces, and in-database ML, with embedding pipelines and PL/SQL where needed.
- Integrate across platforms: connect Oracle data services with AWS-hosted AI applications through secure, well-defined APIs and swappable service interfaces.
- Engineer retrieval quality: own chunking and embedding strategy, metadata filtering, reranking, and retrieval tuning, and measure results with repeatable evaluations.
- Secure and govern AI: apply IAM least privilege, database-enforced access control (such as role-based access and data redaction), PII handling, and guardrails that screen for prompt injection and unsafe output. Keep audit trails of agent actions and outcomes.
- Test and evaluate: build evaluation and regression suites for LLM output, track hallucination and accuracy, and verify behavior end to end against real services, not only with unit tests.
- Deploy and operate: ship Python services (for example FastAPI) to production on AWS using Lambda, API Gateway, S3, ECS/EKS, Step Functions, and Secrets Manager. Monitor latency, quality, and cost with CloudWatch and AgentCore Observability.
- Collaborate and document: take part in sprint ceremonies and code and design reviews, and maintain documentation, runbooks, and knowledge-transfer material.
Experience & Education
- 4-8 years of software, data, or AI/ML engineering experience, with hands-on delivery of generative AI or LLM-based applications in production or near-production.
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, AI, or a related field is preferred.
- Proven experience building RAG pipelines and agentic workflows, including tool calling and multi-step orchestration.
- Experience with Amazon Bedrock and AWS-native deployment. Hands-on AgentCore experience is strongly preferred.
- Experience with Oracle Database or Oracle AI Database. Experience with the Oracle AI Data Platform is strongly preferred.
- Strong debugging and root-cause analysis skills, including tracing non-deterministic model behavior.
- Clear written and verbal communication, and the ability to work independently in a distributed team.
Technical Skills & Competencies
- Generative AI on AWS: Amazon Bedrock foundation models, Knowledge Bases, Agents, Guardrails, prompt engineering, and model evaluation; Amazon Bedrock AgentCore (Runtime, Gateway, Memory, Identity, Observability, and built-in tools such as Code Interpreter).
- Oracle data and AI: Oracle AI Database (AI Vector Search, Select AI, in-database ML, PL/SQL) and Oracle AI Data Platform (Master Catalog, notebooks, workflows, knowledge bases, agent flows, OCI Generative AI integration).
- AI application engineering: RAG pipelines, agentic workflows, LangChain, LangGraph, or LlamaIndex, Model Context Protocol (MCP), embedding strategy, chunking, reranking, and structured LLM output.
- AWS cloud: Lambda, API Gateway, S3, ECS/EKS, Step Functions, IAM, VPC, CloudWatch, and Secrets Manager.
- Programming: Python (primary), REST APIs, and SQL; FastAPI or similar async frameworks.
- Security and governance: IAM least privilege, data privacy controls, PII handling, and responsible-AI guardrails.
- Delivery: Agile/Scrum, Git and CI/CD, Docker, Jira and Confluence, and clear documentation.
Preferred (Nice to Have)
- Experience with AgentCore Identity and Gateway for secure, tool-enabled agents.
- Experience with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), Apache Spark, or medallion-architecture data pipelines.
- Infrastructure as code (for example Terraform) and Kubernetes experience.
- Experience with agent frameworks such as Strands Agents, or with migrating Bedrock Agents to a code-first framework.
- Experience with LLM gateways, token and cost tracking, and usage analytics.
- Relevant certifications, such as AWS or Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Generative AI certifications.
This position does not provide visa sponsorship. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.
Expected compensation for this position:
100,000.00 – 240,000.00 USD per year
Final compensation packages are determined by various considerations including but not limited to candidate qualifications, location, market conditions, and internal considerations.
Location:
Job Tags:
If this job description resonates with you, we encourage you to apply, even if you don’t meet all the requirements. We’re interested in getting to know you and what you bring to the table!
Personalized benefits that support personal well-being and growth:
JLL recognizes the impact that the workplace can have on your wellness, so we offer a supportive culture and comprehensive benefits package that prioritizes mental, physical and emotional health. Some of these benefits include:
- 401(k) plan with matching company contributions
- Comprehensive Medical, Dental & Vision Care
- Paid parental leave at 100% of salary
- Paid Time Off and Company Holidays
- Early access to earned wages through Daily Pay
At JLL, we harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to efficiently accelerate meaningful connections between candidates and opportunities. Using AI capabilities, we analyze your application for relevant skills, experiences, and qualifications to generate valuable insights about how your unique profile aligns with the specific requirements of the role you're pursuing.
JLL Privacy Notice
Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading global provider of real estate and investment management services. We take our responsibility to protect the personal information provided to us seriously. Generally the personal information we collect from you are for the purposes of processing in connection with JLL’s recruitment process. We endeavour to keep your personal information secure with appropriate level of security and keep for as long as we need it for legitimate business or legal reasons. We will then delete it safely and securely.
For more information about how JLL processes your personal data, please view our Candidate Privacy Statement.
For additional details please see our career site pages for each country.
For candidates in the United States, please see a full copy of our Equal Employment Opportunity policy here.
Jones Lang LaSalle (“JLL”) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process – including the online application and/or overall selection process – you may email us at HRSCLeaves@jll.com. This email is only to request an accommodation. Please direct any other general recruiting inquiries to our Contact Us page > I want to work for JLL.
Pursuant to the Arizona Civil Rights Act, criminal convictions are not an absolute bar to employment.
Pursuant to Illinois Law, applicants are not obligated to disclose sealed or expunged records of conviction or arrest.
Pursuant to Columbia, SC ordinance, this position is subject to a background check for any convictions directly related to its duties and responsibilities. Only job-related convictions will be considered and will not automatically disqualify the candidate.
California Residents only
If you are a California resident as defined in the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) please view our Supplemental Privacy Statement which describes your rights and disclosures about your personal information. If you are viewing this on a mobile device you may want to view the CCPA version on a larger device.
Pursuant to the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, JLL will consider for employment all qualified Applicants, including those with Criminal Histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Accepting applications on an ongoing basis until candidate identified.
JLL empowers you to shape a brighter way.
Our people at JLL are shaping the future of real estate for a better world by combining world class services, advisory and technology for our clients. We are committed to hiring the best, most talented people and empowering them to thrive, grow meaningful careers and to find a place where they belong. Whether you’ve got deep experience in commercial real estate, skilled trades or technology, or you’re looking to apply your relevant experience to a new industry, join our team as we help shape a brighter way forward.
#JLLTechAmbitions
JLL, an international real estate management company, is building AI into the way its teams work with enterprise data. As an AI Engineer you will turn proofs of concept into reliable, governed, production services: agents that can call tools, remember context, respect user permissions, and be traced, evaluated, and costed.
You will work across both technology tracks as project priorities shift: agent engineering on AWS (Amazon Bedrock and AgentCore) and data and AI engineering on Oracle (AI Data Platform and AI Database). The ideal candidate is a hands-on builder with a “Get it done” attitude, strong engineering discipline, and a habit of asking the right questions before building.
Responsibilities
- Build agents on AWS: design, deploy, and operate AI agents on Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, using AgentCore Runtime for hosting, Gateway to expose APIs and Lambda functions as tools (including MCP), Memory for short- and long-term context, Identity for secure agent access, and Observability for tracing and debugging.
- Build RAG and agent solutions with Amazon Bedrock: implement foundation-model integrations, Knowledge Bases, Agents, and Guardrails, and manage prompts and model selection for cost, latency, and quality.
- Build on Oracle AI Data Platform (AIDP): develop in the AIDP Workbench using Master Catalog assets, Spark notebooks, and workflows; apply medallion (bronze, silver, gold) data patterns; and build knowledge bases and agent flows on governed enterprise data.
- Build on Oracle AI Database: implement AI Vector Search, hybrid (vector + relational) retrieval, Select AI natural-language-to-SQL interfaces, and in-database ML, with embedding pipelines and PL/SQL where needed.
- Integrate across platforms: connect Oracle data services with AWS-hosted AI applications through secure, well-defined APIs and swappable service interfaces.
- Engineer retrieval quality: own chunking and embedding strategy, metadata filtering, reranking, and retrieval tuning, and measure results with repeatable evaluations.
- Secure and govern AI: apply IAM least privilege, database-enforced access control (such as role-based access and data redaction), PII handling, and guardrails that screen for prompt injection and unsafe output. Keep audit trails of agent actions and outcomes.
- Test and evaluate: build evaluation and regression suites for LLM output, track hallucination and accuracy, and verify behavior end to end against real services, not only with unit tests.
- Deploy and operate: ship Python services (for example FastAPI) to production on AWS using Lambda, API Gateway, S3, ECS/EKS, Step Functions, and Secrets Manager. Monitor latency, quality, and cost with CloudWatch and AgentCore Observability.
- Collaborate and document: take part in sprint ceremonies and code and design reviews, and maintain documentation, runbooks, and knowledge-transfer material.
Experience & Education
- 4-8 years of software, data, or AI/ML engineering experience, with hands-on delivery of generative AI or LLM-based applications in production or near-production.
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, AI, or a related field is preferred.
- Proven experience building RAG pipelines and agentic workflows, including tool calling and multi-step orchestration.
- Experience with Amazon Bedrock and AWS-native deployment. Hands-on AgentCore experience is strongly preferred.
- Experience with Oracle Database or Oracle AI Database. Experience with the Oracle AI Data Platform is strongly preferred.
- Strong debugging and root-cause analysis skills, including tracing non-deterministic model behavior.
- Clear written and verbal communication, and the ability to work independently in a distributed team.
Technical Skills & Competencies
- Generative AI on AWS: Amazon Bedrock foundation models, Knowledge Bases, Agents, Guardrails, prompt engineering, and model evaluation; Amazon Bedrock AgentCore (Runtime, Gateway, Memory, Identity, Observability, and built-in tools such as Code Interpreter).
- Oracle data and AI: Oracle AI Database (AI Vector Search, Select AI, in-database ML, PL/SQL) and Oracle AI Data Platform (Master Catalog, notebooks, workflows, knowledge bases, agent flows, OCI Generative AI integration).
- AI application engineering: RAG pipelines, agentic workflows, LangChain, LangGraph, or LlamaIndex, Model Context Protocol (MCP), embedding strategy, chunking, reranking, and structured LLM output.
- AWS cloud: Lambda, API Gateway, S3, ECS/EKS, Step Functions, IAM, VPC, CloudWatch, and Secrets Manager.
- Programming: Python (primary), REST APIs, and SQL; FastAPI or similar async frameworks.
- Security and governance: IAM least privilege, data privacy controls, PII handling, and responsible-AI guardrails.
- Delivery: Agile/Scrum, Git and CI/CD, Docker, Jira and Confluence, and clear documentation.
Preferred (Nice to Have)
- Experience with AgentCore Identity and Gateway for secure, tool-enabled agents.
- Experience with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), Apache Spark, or medallion-architecture data pipelines.
- Infrastructure as code (for example Terraform) and Kubernetes experience.
- Experience with agent frameworks such as Strands Agents, or with migrating Bedrock Agents to a code-first framework.
- Experience with LLM gateways, token and cost tracking, and usage analytics.
- Relevant certifications, such as AWS or Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Generative AI certifications.
This position does not provide visa sponsorship. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.
Expected compensation for this position:
100,000.00 – 240,000.00 USD per year
Final compensation packages are determined by various considerations including but not limited to candidate qualifications, location, market conditions, and internal considerations.
Location:
Job Tags:
If this job description resonates with you, we encourage you to apply, even if you don’t meet all the requirements. We’re interested in getting to know you and what you bring to the table!
Personalized benefits that support personal well-being and growth:
JLL recognizes the impact that the workplace can have on your wellness, so we offer a supportive culture and comprehensive benefits package that prioritizes mental, physical and emotional health. Some of these benefits include:
- 401(k) plan with matching company contributions
- Comprehensive Medical, Dental & Vision Care
- Paid parental leave at 100% of salary
- Paid Time Off and Company Holidays
- Early access to earned wages through Daily Pay
At JLL, we harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to efficiently accelerate meaningful connections between candidates and opportunities. Using AI capabilities, we analyze your application for relevant skills, experiences, and qualifications to generate valuable insights about how your unique profile aligns with the specific requirements of the role you're pursuing.
JLL Privacy Notice
Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading global provider of real estate and investment management services. We take our responsibility to protect the personal information provided to us seriously. Generally the personal information we collect from you are for the purposes of processing in connection with JLL’s recruitment process. We endeavour to keep your personal information secure with appropriate level of security and keep for as long as we need it for legitimate business or legal reasons. We will then delete it safely and securely.
For more information about how JLL processes your personal data, please view our Candidate Privacy Statement.
For additional details please see our career site pages for each country.
For candidates in the United States, please see a full copy of our Equal Employment Opportunity policy here.
Jones Lang LaSalle (“JLL”) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process – including the online application and/or overall selection process – you may email us at HRSCLeaves@jll.com. This email is only to request an accommodation. Please direct any other general recruiting inquiries to our Contact Us page > I want to work for JLL.
Pursuant to the Arizona Civil Rights Act, criminal convictions are not an absolute bar to employment.
Pursuant to Illinois Law, applicants are not obligated to disclose sealed or expunged records of conviction or arrest.
Pursuant to Columbia, SC ordinance, this position is subject to a background check for any convictions directly related to its duties and responsibilities. Only job-related convictions will be considered and will not automatically disqualify the candidate.
California Residents only
If you are a California resident as defined in the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) please view our Supplemental Privacy Statement which describes your rights and disclosures about your personal information. If you are viewing this on a mobile device you may want to view the CCPA version on a larger device.
Pursuant to the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, JLL will consider for employment all qualified Applicants, including those with Criminal Histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Accepting applications on an ongoing basis until candidate identified.
See All 30 Staff Software Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Staff Software Engineer JobsStaff Software Engineer Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Staff Software Engineer Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Insurance
- Manufacturing
- Consulting & Professional Services
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in staff software engineer jobs across Illinois.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related technical field
- Seven or more years of professional software engineering experience including technical leadership responsibilities
- Deep expertise in at least one major backend language such as Java, Go, or Python at scale
- Demonstrated experience designing and operating distributed systems or large-scale cloud infrastructure
- Proven ability to mentor engineers and drive technical direction across multiple teams or squads
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines, observability tooling, and modern DevOps practices in production environments
Staff Software Engineer Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a staff software engineer in Illinois?
Becoming a staff software engineer in Illinois does not require a state-issued license or certification. The path typically runs through a computer science or engineering degree, several years of progressive engineering experience, and a demonstrated record of influencing technical decisions at a team or organizational level. Illinois employers, particularly those in Chicago's financial services and enterprise technology sectors, place high value on system design depth, cross-functional leadership experience, and contributions to architecture decisions at scale.
How much do staff software engineers make in Illinois?
Staff software engineers in Illinois earn a median of about $132,110 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $80,980 for the lowest 10% to over $194,740 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire staff software engineers in Illinois?
Employers hiring staff software engineers in Illinois right now include Ritchie Bros., JLL, and Braze, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Illinois's dense concentration of financial technology firms, insurance carriers, and enterprise software companies headquartered in and around Chicago means consistent, year-round hiring at the staff level across a wide range of domains.
Which Illinois cities have the most staff software engineer jobs?
Chicago, Westchester, and Illinois have the most staff software engineer openings in Illinois. Chicago leads because it is home to a large concentration of financial services firms, healthcare technology companies, and enterprise software operations, while suburban hubs like Schaumburg and Naperville drive volume through major corporate technology centers for companies such as Motorola Solutions and Zurich North America.
Are there remote staff software engineer jobs in Illinois?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 73% of staff software engineer openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting how broadly software engineering work can be done off-site. Platform engineering, backend services, and architecture roles tend to be the most remote-friendly, while roles requiring close collaboration with embedded hardware or on-site infrastructure teams lean more toward hybrid arrangements.
How can I get hired as a staff software engineer in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through an associate or mid-level software engineer role at a large Illinois employer, then building toward staff over several years. Companies like Allstate, Discover Financial, and Morningstar run structured new-graduate and rotational technology programs based in the Chicago metro that offer mentorship and visibility into senior-track work. Moving from an adjacent role such as site reliability engineer, platform engineer, or data engineer is also a recognized path. Building a public portfolio demonstrating system design thinking gives Illinois candidates a meaningful edge in competitive screening rounds.
Where can I find and apply to staff software engineer jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to staff software engineer jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current Illinois openings updated regularly. Find roles that fit your experience and apply directly to each one without needing to create a profile or sign up first.
See All 30 Staff Software Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Staff Software Engineer Jobs