Applied AI Engineer

Bitwise • Columbia, MD

7h

About The Position

As an Applied AI Engineer supporting Cyber Operations, you will design, prototype, and deploy AI-enabled capabilities that enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of mission users. You will work directly with cyber operators, analysts, and engineers to identify workflow bottlenecks and apply modern AI techniques to solve real operational challenges. This role focuses on practical, production-grade AI implementation — not research for research’s sake. You will build systems that integrate large language models (LLMs), retrieval systems, structured data pipelines, and automation frameworks into secure mission environments. Success in this role requires both strong software engineering fundamentals and a deep understanding of how AI behaves in real-world, high-stakes applications.

Requirements

• Active TS/SCI with Polygraph.
• Strong software engineering background with proficiency in Python
• Experience building and deploying AI-powered applications in production environments
• Familiarity with modern AI frameworks and orchestration tools
• Experience integrating APIs and handling structured/unstructured data
• Understanding of prompt engineering, structured outputs, and tool invocation patterns
• Experience working in Linux-based development environments
• Familiarity with Git-based workflows
• Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous and rapidly evolving technical environments

Nice To Haves

• Experience applying AI to cybersecurity or intelligence use cases
• Familiarity with agentic frameworks and multi-step orchestration systems
• Experience building retrieval systems using vector databases or semantic search
• Knowledge of AI system observability and evaluation methodologies
• Experience integrating multiple AI providers or model types
• Experience building automation or developer-assist tooling
• Familiarity with containerized deployments and cloud environments
• Experience supporting production CNO capabilities and operations
• Knowledge of end-to-end SIGINT collection and analysis systems
• Familiarity with Atlassian tools (Jira, Confluence)

Responsibilities

• Maintain an active TS/SCI with Polygraph. Candidates without a current clearance will not be considered.
• Design and implement AI-powered tools to support cyber operations workflows
• Develop production-ready applications leveraging modern AI/ML frameworks
• Build and integrate retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines
• Develop API integrations that connect AI services to mission systems and data sources
• Prototype and evaluate emerging AI models and techniques for operational viability
• Implement structured outputs, tool/function calling, and agent-based workflows
• Monitor and improve reliability, performance, and observability of AI systems
• Troubleshoot non-deterministic AI behaviors and refine prompt strategies
• Collaborate directly with mission stakeholders to refine requirements and iterate quickly
• Document architectures, trade-offs, and best practices for AI system development

Benefits

• Top salaries because we're top performers
• Pick your PTO – Everyone values time and money differently, so we give you the flexibility to choose between 3 and 5 weeks of PTO with a corresponding adjustment to your pay. Your choice, your balance.
• All 11 federal holidays, paid!
• Up to 2 snow days, paid!
• We’ll quadruple (4x!) the first 6% you contribute to your 401(k), giving you up to a 24% company match. Contributing less than 6%? Unclaimed matches come right back to you as extra income, giving you a guaranteed 24% that goes to your retirement, to your paycheck, or both. C’mon now! 🚀
• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurances. That’s a lot. Already covered on health insurance? No problem – we’ll trade you this benefit for a boost to your salary instead.
• $5,250 annual education assistance for training, certifications, tuition, and even student loan repayments.
• Spot bonuses for obtained certifications, customer recognition, and just about anything else that makes us go "Hot damn!". We hope to say that many times about you. 🔥

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed