Senior Optimization Engineer

Jahnel Group’s mission is to provide the absolute best environment for software creators to pursue their passion by connecting them with great clients doing meaningful work.

We get to build some of the most complex and compelling applications for our clients located across the country. We’re a fast-growing INC 5000 recognized company, yet we still work as a very close-knit team (100+ employees). We’re growing like crazy, and if you’re looking for the next place to call home, hit us up for a beer or coffee.

Who We’re Looking For

We're in search of a Senior Optimization Engineer to join our team right away. This role focuses on building advanced optimization systems to power last-mile delivery at scale.

Our client is developing a tool to automate vehicle routing across a large distribution network for packaged goods. The goal is to move away from a rigid, geography-based routing model and improve fleet utilization while reducing costs.

We’re looking for someone who thrives at the intersection of operations research, software engineering, and real-world logistics, and can translate complex business problems into scalable optimization solutions.

Primary Responsibilities

• Design and implement optimization models for large-scale vehicle routing and scheduling problems (VRP).
• Translate business requirements into mathematical models including variables, constraints, and objective functions.
• Build and maintain production-grade optimization services such as APIs and microservices for routing and dispatch systems.
• Leverage tools like OR-Tools, including CP-SAT and MILP, to solve complex combinatorial optimization problems.
• Optimize performance and scalability of solvers handling high-volume, multi-distribution center routing scenarios.
• Diagnose infeasibility issues and refine models to handle real-world constraints effectively.
• Develop scenario planning capabilities including what-if analysis, disruption handling, and overrides with auditability.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to continuously improve routing efficiency and system performance.
• Implement robust exception handling and fallback strategies for real-time routing challenges.
• Contribute to system design, including data pipelines, orchestration, and containerized deployments.

Skills and Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience in optimization, operations research, or mathematical modeling.
• Strong background in combinatorial optimization techniques including CP-SAT and MILP.
• Proven experience with Google OR-Tools in production, including VRP, scheduling, and performance tuning.
• Ability to model complex, real-world constraints in logistics and routing systems.
• Proficiency in Python, Java, or .NET with strong software engineering fundamentals.
• Experience building scalable backend systems such as APIs, microservices, and distributed systems.
• Familiarity with databases, data pipelines, containers such as Docker, and asynchronous orchestration.
• Experience with dispatch systems and routing at scale, including multi-DC and high order volumes.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to debug infeasibility and performance issues in optimization models.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to bridge business context with technical solutions.
• MSc or PhD in Operations Research, Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent practical experience.

Where We’re Looking For It

• Schenectady, New York
• 100% Remote for the right candidate

Other Information

The work hours will be approximately 9:00 am to 5:00 pm EST, depending on workload, with the occasional late night when a tight deadline calls for it. We work for security-conscious clients, thus background checks will be required. Salary dependent upon experience.