AI Applications Technical Lead

Bitwise • Laurel, MD

1d

About The Position

We're building the next generation of AI infrastructure, and we need a Senior Software Engineer to help lead that charge. You'll be at the heart of developing and maintaining high-quality AI tools and applications that empower our customer's workforce to use AI seamlessly and efficiently. This is a role where you'll wear multiple hats — architect, builder, leader, and innovator. Your day-to-day will involve developing robust AI tools and applications, ensuring they maintain high availability, reliability, performance, and security. You'll engage directly with customers to understand their evolving needs, then translate those loosely-defined problems into elegant technical solutions. You'll modify and adapt open-source software to fit our customer's unique use cases, and you'll maintain the infrastructure and applications that keep everything running smoothly. Beyond individual contribution, you'll serve as a technical lead for AI Tools and Applications initiatives, coordinating work across integrated teams. You'll mentor junior developers, conduct one-on-ones, provide coaching and feedback, and help them grow. You'll also serve as the team's point of contact for contract administration functions, navigate ambiguity in complex systems, establish technical policies and governance frameworks, and drive adoption of new technologies and practices across engineering teams. You'll implement and oversee monitoring, logging, and observability solutions for AI services, communicate effectively with stakeholders at multiple organizational levels, and own the reliability and security of our components. In short: you'll be expected to grow, learn, and lead — and we'll support you every step of the way.

Requirements

• An active TS//SCI clearance with polygraph is required.
• 12 years of experience in software engineering, OR a B.S. in a technical discipline plus 8 additional years of experience.
• Mastery of Python.
• Significant experience developing and maintaining production software.
• Significant experience with Large Language Models (LLMs) as part of a code solution workflow.
• Expertise in UI/UX principles.
• Familiarity with AWS or other cloud service providers.
• Experience with Kubernetes/Helm.
• Familiarity with Argo CD and/or other CI/CD frameworks.
• Experience supporting production software using Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) best practices.
• Experience with Docker and containerization.
• Ability to learn new technologies quickly.
• Strong communication skills and willingness to ask questions.
• Demonstrated willingness to learn, lead a team, and manage multiple junior developers.

Nice To Haves

• Proficiency (not just familiarity) with AWS or other cloud service providers.
• Proficiency (not just familiarity) with Kubernetes/Helm.
• Proficiency (not just familiarity) with Argo CD and/or other CI/CD frameworks.
• Extensive experience supporting production software using SRE best practices.
• Proficiency (not just familiarity) with Docker and containerization.
• Experience with LLM UI open-source software such as OpenWebUI.
• Extensive experience with customer requirements elicitation and expertise in community outreach and integration.
• Experience with LLM model hosting.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain high-quality AI tools and applications.
• Ensure AI tools and applications maintain high availability, reliability, performance, and security.
• Engage directly with customers to understand their evolving needs and translate problems into technical solutions.
• Modify and adapt open-source software for customer use cases.
• Maintain the infrastructure and applications that keep everything running smoothly.
• Serve as a technical lead for AI Tools and Applications initiatives, coordinating work across integrated teams.
• Mentor junior developers, conduct one-on-ones, provide coaching and feedback.
• Serve as the team's point of contact for contract administration functions.
• Navigate ambiguity in complex systems.
• Establish technical policies and governance frameworks.
• Drive adoption of new technologies and practices across engineering teams.
• Implement and oversee monitoring, logging, and observability solutions for AI services.
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders at multiple organizational levels.
• Own the reliability and security of our components.

Benefits

• Top salaries.
• Flexible PTO (3 to 5 weeks with corresponding pay adjustment).
• All 11 federal holidays, paid.
• Up to 2 snow days, paid.
• 4x match on the first 6% contributed to 401(k) (up to 24% company match).
• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurances.
• Option to trade health insurance benefit for a salary boost if already covered.
• $5,250 annual education assistance for training, certifications, tuition, and student loan repayments.
• Spot bonuses for obtained certifications, customer recognition, etc.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior