Senior Applied AI Engineer

Job Description

SALARY RANGE $209,000 - $266,000/year.

DUTIES As a successful candidate for the Senior Applied AI Engineer role, you will join a fast-moving Tactical AI team developing production-quality AI applications that accelerate mission workflows through large language models (LLMs), retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and modern software engineering. In this role, you will design and develop AI-powered systems enabling analysts and operators to interact with complex mission data using natural language and intelligent automation. You will collaborate directly with mission customers to understand operational challenges, rapidly prototype tailored solutions, transition capabilities into production, and shape the team's overarching technical direction.

Required Skills

SKILLS

• Design, develop, and maintain production AI-enabled software applications using Python and modern software engineering practices
• Architect and implement LLM-powered workflows, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines, and AI agent capabilities to solve core mission problems
• Develop backend services, APIs, and data pipelines supporting AI-enabled applications
• Translate natural language user requests into deterministic analytical workflows through integration with mission data sources, databases, and search platforms
• Collaborate directly with mission stakeholders to analyze operational workflows and rapidly prototype customer-focused AI solutions
• Integrate structured and unstructured data from multiple sources into scalable AI applications
• Evaluate emerging AI frameworks, models, and software engineering techniques for mission applicability
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to technical architecture, engineering standards, and software design across the team

QUALIFICATIONS Twelve (12) years' experience as a SWE in programs and contracts of similar scope, type, and complexity is required. A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related discipline from an accredited college or university is required. Four (4) years of additional SWE experience on projects with similar software processes may be substituted for a bachelor's degree.

Additional requirements:

• Demonstrate production software development experience using Python
• Design and develop distributed or backend software systems
• Build AI-enabled applications leveraging LLMs, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), AI agents, or related technologies
• Develop REST APIs and integrate disparate data sources
• Work with relational databases, Elasticsearch, or other data storage technologies
• Apply a strong understanding of software architecture, object-oriented design, and engineering best practices
• Apply strong analytical and problem-solving skills to complex technical challenges
• Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Collaborate directly with mission customers to gather requirements and deliver operational solutions

Desired Skills

NICE-TO-HAVES

• Experience with Model Context Protocol (MCP), PydanticAI, LangChain, LlamaIndex, or similar AI frameworks
• Experience deploying applications using Docker, Kubernetes, or containerized environments
• Experience with React, TypeScript, Gradio, or modern web application development
• Experience designing agentic AI workflows or multi-step reasoning systems
• Experience supporting classified mission environments
• Experience leading software engineering teams or technical projects