Lead AI Software Engineer
Employment Type: Contract-to-Hire
Clearance Requirement: Candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Federal or DoD Public Trust. Approved adjudication is required before onboarding, and candidates with an active Public Trust or suitability determination are preferred.
Work Authorization: Candidates must be able to work in the United States without sponsorship.
We are seeking a hands-on Lead AI Software Engineer to support the development of secure, scalable, and user-focused technology solutions for federal clients.
This role is ideal for a senior engineer who can lead the architecture and delivery of full-stack AWS applications while remaining actively involved in design, development, testing, deployment, and technical mentorship. You will work with software engineers, data scientists, product managers, and mission stakeholders to build modern applications that combine strong software engineering practices with Artificial Intelligence capabilities.
The position emphasizes full-stack engineering, cloud-native development, DevSecOps, accessibility, and the practical use of Generative AI tools to improve development velocity and software quality.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the architecture, design, development, and deployment of AI-enabled full-stack web applications in AWS.
- Develop end-to-end solutions across ReactJS frontends, Java or Python backend services, APIs, workflow orchestration, and relational databases.
- Design accessible and user-friendly web interfaces aligned with Section 508 and applicable usability standards.
- Architect and maintain relational data models using technologies such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, or Amazon Aurora.
- Build workflow orchestration and process automation capabilities supporting business and mission operations.
- Develop dashboards, charts, analytics features, and interactive data visualization components.
- Design and integrate AI-enabled capabilities such as intelligent search, chatbots, document processing, Retrieval-Augmented Generation, and agent-driven workflows.
- Use Generative AI development tools such as GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code, or comparable platforms for coding, debugging, testing, refactoring, and documentation.
- Ensure AI-assisted code meets established security, quality, maintainability, and compliance requirements.
- Participate in a SAFe environment, including sprint planning, backlog refinement, Agile Release Trains, and cross-team coordination.
- Implement DevSecOps practices and application security testing throughout the software development lifecycle.
- Integrate SAST, DAST, SCA, container scanning, dependency scanning, automated testing, and compliance checks into CI/CD pipelines.
- Mentor engineers, conduct code reviews, and establish best practices for software design, cloud development, security, and AI-enabled engineering.
- Collaborate with technical and nontechnical stakeholders to prototype, iterate, and deliver solutions aligned with mission requirements.
Required Qualifications- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or a related technical discipline.
Four additional years of relevant professional experience may be considered in place of a degree.- At least six years of professional software engineering experience, including experience in a senior, technical lead, or team leadership capacity.
- Expert-level proficiency in either Java or Python for backend application development.
- Strong hands-on experience developing modern frontend applications with ReactJS.
- Demonstrated experience building and deploying full-stack applications in AWS.
- Experience with workflow orchestration, process automation, relational databases, and data visualization.
- Experience developing accessible web applications and working with accessibility standards or testing tools.
- Strong experience designing and integrating RESTful APIs, microservices, and distributed systems.
- Hands-on experience using Generative AI-assisted coding and software development tools.
- Experience working within a SAFe or comparable scaled Agile environment.
- Experience using DevSecOps and application security tools to identify, assess, and remediate software vulnerabilities.
- Experience implementing CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, version control, and secure coding practices.
- Strong leadership, communication, collaboration, and stakeholder-engagement skills.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience developing AI or Generative AI applications involving RAG, chatbots, semantic search, intelligent document processing, or agentic workflows.
- Experience with LangChain, Haystack, Semantic Kernel, or similar AI application frameworks.
- Hands-on experience with AWS services such as Lambda, ECS, Fargate, API Gateway, Step Functions, S3, Glue, or QuickSight.
- Experience with modern data architectures, including lakehouse platforms, analytics environments, or federated query engines.
- Experience with visualization technologies such as D3.js, Plotly, Tableau, or Amazon QuickSight.
- Experience with Infrastructure as Code using Terraform, AWS CDK, or CloudFormation.
- Familiarity with federal security and compliance frameworks such as FISMA, FedRAMP, or NIST 800-53.
- SAFe, Agile, AWS, security, or related technical certifications.
- Experience mentoring technical teams and driving the adoption of secure, AI-enabled, cloud-native engineering practices.
System One, and its subsidiaries including Joulé and Mountain Ltd., are leaders in delivering outsourced services and workforce solutions across North America. We help clients get work done more efficiently and economically, without compromising quality. System One not only serves as a valued partner for our clients, but we offer eligible employees health and welfare benefits coverage options including medical, dental, vision, spending accounts, life insurance, voluntary plans, as well as participation in a 401(k) plan.
System One is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, family care or medical leave status, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
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