Software Engineer 3 - (Python, AI, Vulnerability Research)

Akina • Columbia, MD

14h

About The Position

Akina is seeking an experienced Software Engineer to design, develop, and integrate AI-enabled capabilities supporting computer network exploitation (CNE) and vulnerability research (VR). The role combines software engineering with vulnerability research, program analysis, and AI-assisted research workflows, with particular emphasis on dynamic vulnerability research in isolated sandbox environments. The engineer independently owns complex features and subsystems, translates mission needs into technical designs, and delivers reliable software from prototype through deployment.

The engineer develops agentic AI harnesses connecting large language models, research tools, instrumented execution environments, and backend services to enable repeatable, evidence-driven analysis. Working with vulnerability researchers, AI/ML engineers, and mission stakeholders, the role involves making architectural decisions, evaluating AI-generated findings, and improving research workflows. The position also includes mentoring engineers and contributing to technical direction and engineering standards. A TS/SCI clearance with polygraph is required. The position is located in Columbia, Maryland.

Requirements

• Demonstrated experience independently designing, implementing, testing, and delivering complex software features or subsystems, with sound judgment about architecture, maintainability, and operational requirements.
• Proficiency in Python and experience building maintainable, tested software using modular design and appropriate object-oriented programming practices.
• Demonstrated expertise in AI-enabled CNE or vulnerability research, including integrating AI capabilities into research workflows and critically evaluating their outputs.
• Experience with vulnerability research or software analysis techniques such as reverse engineering, debugging, dynamic analysis, fuzzing, or crash triage.
• Working knowledge of isolated execution environments and dynamic analysis concepts, including runtime instrumentation, execution tracing, environment reproducibility, and evidence collection.
• Experience developing LLM applications or agentic systems that use external tools, structured outputs, workflow state, error handling, and evaluation.
• Experience developing backend services and REST APIs using frameworks such as FastAPI, Flask, or Django, and working with relational databases such as PostgreSQL.
• Experience working in Linux environments, with an understanding of operating system behavior, processes, memory, and networking relevant to software analysis.
• Experience using Git, automated testing, CI/CD, and code review to deliver reliable software collaboratively.
• Ability to translate ambiguous requirements into actionable technical work, explain technical tradeoffs, and provide effective guidance to other engineers.
• A minimum of twelve years of experience as a software engineer in programs and contracts of similar scope, type, and complexity.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related discipline from an accredited college or university; four additional years of SWE experience on projects with similar software processes may substitute for a bachelor's degree.
• TS/SCI clearance with polygraph required.

Nice To Haves

• Hands-on experience conducting dynamic vulnerability research in sandbox environments, including configuring instrumented targets, controlling execution, capturing runtime evidence, and reproducing findings across clean environment resets.
• Experience building AI agents that interact with debuggers, fuzzers, emulators, or other analysis tools within controlled research environments.
• Experience with virtualization, emulation, snapshots, and automated provisioning of repeatable analysis environments.
• Experience with C/C++, assembly, binary analysis, memory corruption analysis, or operating system internals.
• Experience designing evaluation datasets and benchmarks for AI-assisted vulnerability discovery, triage, or validation.
• Experience with retrieval-augmented generation, vector databases, or search platforms such as Elasticsearch, Qdrant, or ChromaDB.
• Experience building researcher-facing interfaces using TypeScript, React, or comparable technologies.
• Contributions to vulnerability research, security tooling, open-source projects, or relevant technical publications.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain AI-enabled software and research tooling supporting CNE and vulnerability research workflows.
• Own the design and delivery of complex features and subsystems, including requirements refinement, implementation, testing, deployment, and sustainment.
• Develop and integrate agentic AI harnesses that orchestrate research tools, manage execution state, collect evidence, and evaluate results.
• Build and extend sandbox-based dynamic analysis capabilities for executing and observing software, capturing runtime behavior, and reproducing suspected vulnerabilities.
• Integrate debugging, instrumentation, fuzzing, crash analysis, and related research tools into automated or researcher-directed workflows.
• Establish repeatable evaluations measuring finding validity, reproducibility, false-positive rates, and the usefulness of AI-assisted analysis.
• Develop backend services, APIs, data pipelines, and user interfaces that make research capabilities accessible and results traceable.
• Troubleshoot complex issues across application code, AI integrations, research tooling, and execution environments; improve performance, reliability, and observability.
• Lead design and code reviews within assigned areas, document technical decisions, mentor engineers, and communicate progress, risks, and tradeoffs to stakeholders.

Benefits

• 24 days of PTO accrued annually
• 11 federal holidays
• 401(k) is 100% vested on the start date
• Company direct 401(k) contribution worth 10% of salary
• Company covers 100% of employee healthcare costs and 50% of dependent healthcare costs
• Educational assistance toward college classes
• Coverage of costs associated with job-related training and certifications

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior