AI Engineer

Aperio Global•Linthicum Heights, MD

3d•$127,000 - $200,000•Onsite

About The Position

Aperio Global is seeking motivated AI Engineers across multiple experience levels to support our AI & Emerging Technologies (AI&ET) mission. Engineers at all levels will work closely with mission stakeholders to capture requirements, aid in structured planning, and improve the certification process by introducing AI/ML tooling. You will use AI/ML to develop tools and techniques — including fine-tuning Large Language Models (LLMs) — that assist in enhanced vulnerability identification and mitigation capabilities. This role sits at the intersection of applied AI research and national security, deploying cutting-edge tooling within classified secure enclaves. The AI & Emerging Technologies (AI&ET) team is at the forefront of applying artificial intelligence to national security challenges. Our engineers work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment on problems that directly impact mission outcomes. We value intellectual curiosity, technical depth, and a commitment to responsible AI development.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree plus 5 years (SWE2) or 8 years (SWE3) of relevant experience, or equivalent
Proficiency in Python, LLM integration, and data engineering
Experience with static analyzers and RAG frameworks
Experience with both relational and vector databases
Familiarity with Agile methodologies, Git, Jira, and Confluence
Active TS/SCI + Polygraph

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with Rust
Experience with Claude Code or OpenAI Codex
CI/CD pipeline design and maintenance
Hands-on experience deploying AI tools within classified or air-gapped environments
Performance profiling and scalability optimization in networked AI systems

Responsibilities

Design, develop, and maintain LLM orchestration frameworks that coordinate static analyzers, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems, and automated testing pipelines
Develop and optimize data preprocessing pipelines to ingest, clean, transform, and vectorize product documentation, source code, and test results for LLM consumption
Design and implement database solutions to support RAG architectures, artifact storage, audit trails, and metadata management
Collaborate with systems engineers to architect and deploy networked AI tools within secure enclaves
Conduct performance profiling, optimization, and scalability analysis of mission systems
Support security assessments and Authority to Operate (ATO) processes
Collaborate closely with technical leadership on system design decisions and roadmap planning