AI Engineer, Lead

Booz Allen Hamilton•McLean, VA

3d•$128,700 - $292,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Organizations need experienced application developers who can transform complex requirements into reliable, mission-ready software. Today’s modern applications increasingly combine cloud-native development, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI) to solve challenging operational and mission problems. As a lead Application Developer, you know how to move from an initial concept to a production-ready solution. We’re looking for an experienced developer like you to build innovative software capabilities for national security. As a lead Application Developer on our team, you’ll design, develop, test, and deploy applications that incorporate AI, automation, and modern cloud technologies. You’ll work in an environment where requirements may be evolving or incomplete, using your technical judgment to define practical solutions and make progress independently. You’ll own multiple features and capabilities end to end—from technical design and architecture through implementation, testing, deployment, and operational support. You’ll collaborate with architects, engineers, mission partners, and stakeholders to turn ideas into working systems while helping establish sound development practices and reusable technical patterns. With your ability to lead through ambiguity and deliver high-quality software, you’ll make a lasting impact on mission. Join us. The world can’t wait.

Requirements

8+ years of experience designing, developing, testing, and deploying production software applications
Experience in Python development and with Go, TypeScript, JavaScript, or Java
Experience building production AI applications using agentic frameworks such as LangChain, LangGraph, AWS Bedrock Agents, or CrewAI
Experience owning application features end to end, from requirements clarification and technical design through implementation, testing, deployment, and operational support
Experience designing and developing APIs, services, integrations, and event-driven applications
Experience with professional development practices, including Git, code reviews, automated testing, debugging, documentation, dependency management, and CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, or Jenkins
Experience developing and deploying containerized applications in cloud environments using platforms such as Docker or Kubernetes
Ability to operate independently in ambiguous environments, translate incomplete or evolving requirements into practical technical solutions, and communicate technical decisions clearly
Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust or Suitability/Fitness determination based on client requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or Information Technology

Nice To Haves

Experience implementing AI application patterns such as tool use, retrieval-augmented generation, structured outputs, workflow orchestration, and agent evaluation
Experience with emerging AI protocols, including Model Context Protocol, Agent-to-Agent, or similar technologies
Experience with AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, or other enterprise cloud platforms
Experience with Infrastructure-as-Code tools such as Terraform, CloudFormation, Pulumi, or similar technologies
Experience with GitOps and declarative application delivery using Argo CD, Flux, or similar tools
Experience with relational and NoSQL databases, caching technologies, message queues, or streaming platforms
Experience using observability tools for logging, monitoring, tracing, performance analysis, and application troubleshooting
Experience supporting applications in federal, Department of Defense, or other regulated environments
Experience mentoring developers, leading technical discussions, or establishing reusable development patterns and reference implementations
Knowledge of secure software development, application security testing, identity and access management, and cloud security principles

Responsibilities

Design, develop, test, and deploy applications that incorporate AI, automation, and modern cloud technologies.
Work in an environment where requirements may be evolving or incomplete, using technical judgment to define practical solutions and make progress independently.
Own multiple features and capabilities end to end—from technical design and architecture through implementation, testing, deployment, and operational support.
Collaborate with architects, engineers, mission partners, and stakeholders to turn ideas into working systems.
Help establish sound development practices and reusable technical patterns.