Senior AI Developer

State of Maryland • Baltimore City, MD

13h • Hybrid

About The Position

This contractual position serves as the senior AI developer and subject matter expert within the Information Technology Branch (ITB) of the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). Reporting to the IT Partner, the incumbent will design, build, and maintain AI-powered applications to support MSDE’s operational and programmatic needs, ultimately aiming to improve outcomes for Maryland's children, families, schools, and the programs that serve them. This founding role requires bringing enterprise software development and applied AI expertise to anchor ITB’s growing AI program. The incumbent will be a core technical member of a collaborative team, establishing development standards, architectural patterns, and a governance framework for the AI program, while also being comfortable working in a low-maturity environment. They will leverage AI tools to accelerate their own development work and apply judgment to validate AI-generated outputs. Success in this role demands adaptability, self-direction, and effectiveness both independently and as part of a team, with significant technical autonomy balanced by close alignment with leadership on direction and priorities. All work must adhere to Maryland cybersecurity law (COMAR 14.41), DoIT security and AI governance policies, MSDE data governance and privacy policies, Maryland state AI standards, and FERPA.

Requirements

• Seven (7) or more years of direct professional experience designing, building, and deploying software applications, including direct experience overseeing a codebase (architecture, code quality, and technical direction), and direct professional experience with AI/ML application development (LLM-based tools, generative AI, or applied machine learning)
• Experience deploying and maintaining applications in a cloud environment, including containerization and basic Infrastructure as Code, with working proficiency in Python or a comparable language
• Experience with secure development practices and handling sensitive or protected data within a regulated environment, including working knowledge of accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG 2.1 AA)
• Direct professional experience in government or public-sector work, or on technology serving public-facing programs
• Demonstrated ability to adapt to shifting priorities, evolving requirements, and a changing technical and regulatory landscape
• Applicants must consent to State and FBI (CJIS) background check as a routine procedure for all employees.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with AWS Bedrock or a comparable managed AI/LLM service
• Experience establishing release management practices and code review discipline as a solo developer or member of a very small team
• Familiarity with the OWASP LLM Top 10 or a comparable AI security framework
• Experience serving as the lead technical SME on a small, cross-functional team, including producing documentation that enables operational handoff

Responsibilities

• Design, build, maintain, and enhance ITB’s AI-powered applications across the full lifecycle: requirements through deployment and ongoing operation.
• Write production-quality application code; maintain and extend existing Python codebases.
• Use AI-assisted development tools to accelerate work; apply the judgment and experience to validate what those tools produce.
• Ensure every solution is maintainable, documented, and built to be handed off.
• Design AI tools so that human review of outputs is meaningful and well supported -- not perfunctory.
• Work with the IT Partner to help program staff understand what they are checking, why it matters, and how to do it effectively.
• Establish and maintain quality standards appropriate to each tool’s purpose and the program’s compliance needs.
• Establish and apply ITB’s AI application development standards: code quality, testing, documentation, dependency management, and version control discipline.
• Serve as the sole practitioner on the team for Linux environments, container operations, and cloud deployment; must be self-sufficient at this layer as no other ITB staff member operates in these environments.
• Work with program offices and the IT Partner to identify problems worth solving, understand process and data realities, and translate needs into technical approaches.
• Engage stakeholders iteratively throughout development -- not just at requirements and UAT, but as working software evolves.
• Ensure all applications comply with Maryland cybersecurity law (COMAR 14.41), DoIT security and AI governance policies, MSDE privacy policies, state AI standards, and FERPA.
• Coordinate with the MSDE CISO, Privacy Officer, and Accessibility Section as standard practice -- not a one-time checkpoint.
• Document architecture, design decisions, and operational procedures clearly and at the right level for the intended audience.

Benefits

• Subsidized health benefits coverage for themselves and their dependents (contractual employees working 30+ hours/week may be eligible for 75% subsidy).
• Option to enroll in dental coverage, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, and life insurance (full premium paid by employee).
• Leave granted at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked, not to exceed 40 hours per calendar year.

What This Job Offers

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