AI/ML Agent Engineer - Back-End Specialist

About the Company

Join eBay, a pioneering leader in global ecommerce that connects millions of buyers and sellers across more than 190 countries. Committed to innovation and sustainability, eBay fosters an inclusive environment where uniqueness and bold ideas flourish, shaping the future of online commerce.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Junior AI/ML Agent Engineer focused on backend development to craft dependable agent services and APIs leveraging Java Spring Boot. This role involves creating agentic workflows powered by Large Language Models (LLMs) including OpenAI specifications and MCP technologies, integrated with developer-centric tools like GitHub, Cline, and Claude models.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop Spring Boot microservices that coordinate LLM-driven agents utilizing OpenAI specifications and MCP frameworks encompassing clients, servers, and tool schemas.
• Implement execution layers for tools, encompassing function triggering, retry mechanisms, guardrails, and safety validations to ensure reliable agent operations.
• Build APIs and event-driven pipelines to handle agent requests, assemble context through retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) or embeddings, and enable streaming of results.
• Integrate with developer ecosystems such as GitHub (including webhooks, Actions, pull request review bots), Cline workflows, and Claude AI endpoints to automate developer tasks.
• Administer configuration settings, secret management, and access controls adhering to internal security protocols and principle of least privilege.
• Implement observability solutions, including logging, metrics, tracing, and operational metadata; develop dashboards to monitor service reliability and performance.
• Develop comprehensive unit and integration tests, automate build and deployment pipelines, and maintain thorough documentation covering specifications and service contracts.
• Work closely with frontend and platform teams to implement complete features; contribute actively to architecture discussions and code reviews.

Mandatory Qualifications

• Between two to five years of professional experience in backend software engineering, specifically using Java and Spring Boot.
• Hands-on experience integrating LLMs like OpenAI and Claude into backend services, with a good understanding of agent workflows and orchestration of tools and functions.
• Knowledge of MCP protocols including client-server implementations and OpenAI specification-driven tool definitions.
• Proficiency with RESTful and GraphQL APIs, data modeling, and event/message systems such as Kafka or SQS.
• Experience working with GitHub APIs, GitHub Actions, Cline, and Claude model integrations to support developer automation.
• Strong familiarity with testing methodologies, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, and cloud deployment strategies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), vector embeddings, lightweight vector store management, and techniques for caching and rate limiting to optimize cost and performance.
• Awareness of security considerations in AI services including defenses against prompt injection, input validation, and secret handling.
• Knowledge of observability tools such as Datadog or OpenTelemetry, along with JVM and Spring performance tuning skills.

Values and Culture

• A strong eagerness to learn and adapt to evolving AI models and agent frameworks.
• An ownership-driven attitude prioritizing service reliability and clear, effective communication.
• A collaborative mindset that encourages partnerships across product, security, and platform engineering teams.

Compensation and Application Instructions

We offer competitive compensation suitable for junior-level candidates along with comprehensive benefits. Final salary and level will be based on experience and interview outcomes. Applicants are invited to submit their resumes along with GitHub or portfolio links and a brief description of an AI service or agent they have delivered, emphasizing the design choices, model selection, and evaluation approach.

Additional Information

eBay is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to fostering diversity and inclusion regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability, or other legally protected characteristics. Accommodations are available upon request for applicants requiring assistance during the hiring process. The company maintains a commitment to digital accessibility and responsible use of AI and data privacy throughout recruitment.