Software Engineer

As a Software Engineer focused on AI Integration, you will be responsible for designing, developing, and implementing the "paved road" for AI at our company. Note: This role is not focused on training foundational AI models from scratch. Instead, you will take industry best practices, open-source capabilities, and large language models (LLMs), and build a secure framework that allows our other software capabilities to seamlessly leverage AI. You will work closely with other talented engineers to create secure, enterprise-grade AI software solutions, including Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, reusable AI skills, strict safety guardrails, and other AI framework capabilities that meet the complex needs of our clients.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to work with modern tools and technologies at the intersection of complex backend engineering and applied AI, and you will be encouraged to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the field. You will be part of a dynamic and collaborative team that is committed to delivering high-quality, secure software solutions. If you are a self-motivated, creative, and detail-oriented software engineer who is passionate about treating AI as a complex software integration problem, we would love to hear from you.

Essential Job Responsibilities:
Must have a strong working knowledge and experience developing Java based software capabilities.
Design and develop foundational AI frameworks, including internal APIs, middleware, and routing layers that allow other systems to securely utilize AI capabilities.
Build Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers and a library of reusable "skills" (function calling/tools) that enable AI models to safely interact with our internal databases, microservices, and external APIs.
Implement strict enterprise AI guardrails, ensuring data privacy, sensitive data scrubbing, prompt injection defenses, and output validation to meet stringent security requirements.
Should have an inquisitive nature, responsiveness, and excellent testing skills (including an interest in automated testing pipelines for non-deterministic AI outputs).

Minimum Qualifications:
5+ years of experience Software Engineering, Modern Java Frameworks and Libraries (e.g. Spring, Guava) Bachelors in related field; OR 3 years relevant experience with Masters in related field; OR High School Diploma or equivalent and 9 years relevant experience.
Applied AI Experience: Hands-on experience or a strong aptitude for integrating commercial LLM APIs (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic) or open-source models into backend applications.
Demonstrated understanding of modern applied AI concepts such as prompt engineering, function-calling/tool-use, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG).
Experience in designing enterprise APIs.
Experience in RESTful web services.
Experience in Microservices architecture.
Experience in Object Oriented Programming (OOP) paradigms.
Experience with the agile software lifecycle.
Experience with configuration management tools (e.g. Git, Nexus, Maven).
Comfortable working on a linux command line.
Has a proven ability to learn quickly and works well both independently as well as in a team setting.
Problem solving skills and ability to review information and compile data appropriately as needed.
Must be able to work in a hybrid environment, spending an average of 1-2 days per week at our Columbia, MD office. Flexibility is essential to adapt to schedule changes as needed.

Preferred Requirements:
Familiarity with Java-based AI integration frameworks (e.g., Spring AI, LangChain4j) or Python equivalents (LangChain, LlamaIndex).
Experience with Vector Databases, semantic caching, and AI observability tools.
Experience with NiFi, Kafka, AWS Infrastructure, and K8''s.
Experience in cloud based technologies (AWS, Azure).
Experience in SQL databases (e.g., Postgres, MySQL), distributed databases, NoSQL databases.
Scripting experience (particularly Python, given its prominence in the AI ecosystem) is a huge plus.
Prior experience or familiarity with our Big Data Platform is a plus.
Understanding of agile software development methodologies and use of standard software development tool suites. (e.g., JIRA, Confluence, Youtrack, Github, etc.)
DoD 8140 / 8570 IAT Level II compliance certifications may be required in this position as directed by the customer.