Senior Applied AI Engineer - Software Engineering

Visionist, Inc.•Columbia, MD

2d•$170,000 - $240,000

About The Position

Visionist has an exciting new, fully FUNDED opportunity for a Senior Applied AI Engineer - Software Engineering on our largest PRIME contract. Our team of Analysts and Engineers is motivated by the direct impact on the mission, crafting specialized tools for enhanced efficiency and quick iterations for our operations user base. Seeing your tools in real-time action brings immediate gratification. This premier program encompasses traditional software services including Systems Design and Engineering, Database Administration, Data Science and Knowledge Management, Enterprise Risk Management, Integration and Test, as well as Operations and Systems Support. The program is characterized by innovation and excitement, fostering meaningful engagements, and offering distinctive collaboration opportunities with users, policy makers, and mission leadership, all while maintaining a service mindset. If you thrive in a collaborative work environment and enjoy utilizing a diverse tech stack, then this opportunity is tailor-made for you! For over 15 years, Visionist has been solving the Intelligence Community's toughest software and analysis challenges. As a 100% employee-owned company, we prioritize our people—your job security is assured. We embed small engineering teams with analysts to rapidly identify and solve mission capability gaps playing a critical role in defending our nation’s cyber infrastructure & providing expertise in malware analysis, attribution, mapping adversarial infrastructure, pen testing, and operational planning. Our open-door leadership team fosters a supportive culture, where internal growth and promotion opportunities are the norm. Don’t just take our word for it—check out our 4.8-star review on Glassdoor. Join a company that feels like a family with regular happy hours, baseball games, activity clubs and more. Check us out at www.visionistinc.com.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline. (Additional 4 years of experience may substitute degree)
12 years of experience in software development
Production software development experience using Python
Experience designing and developing distributed or backend software systems
Experience building AI-enabled applications using LLMs, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), AI agents, or similar technologies
Experience developing REST APIs and integrating multiple data sources
Experience working with SQL, Elasticsearch, or other data storage technologies
Strong understanding of software architecture, object-oriented design, and software engineering best practices
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Experience collaborating directly with mission customers to understand requirements and deliver operational solutions
Ability to communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
Active Top Secret (TS/SCI) clearance with polygraph is required.
U.S citizenship required (green card holders and permanent residents are not eligible). Applicants selected will be required to obtain / maintain a government security clearance.

Responsibilities

Design, develop, and maintain production AI-enabled software applications using Python and modern software engineering practices
Architect and implement LLM-powered workflows, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines, and AI agent capabilities that solve mission problems
Develop backend services, APIs, and data pipelines supporting AI-enabled applications
Translate natural language user requests into deterministic analytical workflows through integration with mission data sources, databases, and search platforms
Collaborate directly with mission stakeholders to understand operational workflows and rapidly prototype customer-focused AI solutions
Integrate structured and unstructured data from multiple sources into scalable AI applications
Evaluate emerging AI frameworks, models, and software engineering techniques for mission applicability
Mentor junior engineers and contribute to technical architecture, engineering standards, and software design across the team

Benefits

100% employee-owned company
Competitive 15% retirement contribution! (5% 401K match & 10% ESOP)
4 weeks paid time off that is never “use or lose”
12 paid holidays
Comp time
Overtime
Flexible work hours
80 hours of paid parental leave with an additional $8,000 supplemental payment upon returning from maternity
Medical, dental, & vision benefits for both individuals and families
Additional $4,160/year for those who waive medical benefits
Annual lifestyle bonus of $600 – use it towards gyms/fitness, new tech, or your HSA!
Annual merit increases & performance-based bonuses
Term life insurance
Short-term disability
Long-term disability