Software Engineer at Toyon
Fort Collins, CO
$120,000–$200,000from the description
Jul 15, 2026
Fort Collins, CO
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
This role involves building AI and machine learning software in Python or C++, working alongside researchers and customers on problems in areas such as reinforcement learning, large language models, computer vision, and sensor data or signal processing. It suits engineers with a solid grounding in computer science, mathematics, or physics who have hands-on experience with software design, team-based development, and containerization tools like Docker.
Mid level · 2+ years · Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA · Bachelor's required · Secret clearance · Full-time
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
Posted 2 times — it's one opening, so apply once.
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $161,771 (middle half $130,294–$177,479). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (8)
The JD requires either an MS with some industry experience OR a BS with at least 2 years of industry experience — the minimum hard gate is a BS degree plus 2 years. The preferred profile (MS + 2 yrs or BS + 4 yrs) is listed under 'Preferred Skills and Experience' and is not a hard gate.
Clearance: the JD states candidates must be able to 'qualify for a US Department of Defense security clearance' — this is a gate on clearance eligibility, not a specific level. The closest standard level for DoD work of this nature (AI/ML, sensor/signal processing) is Secret; TS/SCI cannot be confirmed from the text alone.
Python and C++ are presented as interchangeable ('Python or C++'); Python is listed as the primary with C++ as the alternative.
Kubernetes is listed under 'Preferred Skills and Experience' as 'highly desired' — preferred, not required.
Reinforcement Learning, LLMs, and Computer Vision are listed as 'a plus' under the preferred section. Signal/video processing and other AI/ML techniques also appear there but name no specific tool and are omitted from the skills list.
The role is classified as Mid-level: the minimum gate is a BS + 2 years, which aligns with early-to-mid career. The title carries no explicit seniority label (advertised as Unspecified). The preferred profile and mentoring experience suggest the upper end of Mid is the target, but the hard minimum gates support Mid rather than Senior.
Location is inferred as Toyon Research Corporation's headquarters in Goleta/Santa Barbara, CA; the posting explicitly states the position is in-person.
Requires a Secret clearance — the cleared population is a small fraction of this occupation, so the real candidate pool is materially smaller than the estimate below, which does not model clearance.
Read the full posting
The employer publishes the full description on their own site — read it there ↗. Or sign in to read it here — it's free, and it also lets you track this application.