Software Engineer – AI Integration | DoD Security Clearance

Phoenix Operations Group • Columbia, MD

11d • Hybrid

About The Position

Phoenix Operations Group seeks a Software Engineer in Columbia, Maryland, to build secure AI integrations and agent capabilities for enterprise data platforms. This hybrid position requires approximately 1–2 days onsite per week. U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance are required; an active clearance is not required at the time of hire.

Requirements

• Related bachelor’s degree plus five years’ relevant experience; related master’s plus three years; or high school diploma/equivalent plus nine years.
• Strong Python development and hands-on Kubernetes experience.
• Production experience integrating LLM APIs or open-source models.
• Understanding of agents, prompt engineering, tool use, and RAG.
• Experience with REST APIs, microservices, Git, Docker, CI/CD, and Linux.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain government clearance are required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Java/Spring, AI integration frameworks, vector databases, semantic caching, AI observability, AWS/Azure, NiFi/Kafka, relational/NoSQL databases, or data lakes.
• Active clearance is not required initially; Secret or Top Secret is preferred.
• Customer-directed DoD 8140/8570 IAT Level II certification may be required.

Responsibilities

• Develop Python backend services, MCP servers, and reusable AI tools.
• Deploy and scale Kubernetes workloads.
• Connect AI agents with APIs, databases, and microservices.
• Implement privacy safeguards, prompt-injection defenses, and output validation.
• Automate testing, troubleshoot issues, and collaborate across engineering teams.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance: 100% company-paid premiums.
• Short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance: 100% company paid.
• 401(k): Automatic 10% company contribution; no matching required.
• Paid time off: Four weeks per year.
• Paid holidays: Eleven per year.
• Birthday leave: Your birthday off with pay.
• Referral bonuses: Upfront and annually recurring bonuses.
• Open-source bonuses: Rewards for contributing to our GitHub projects.
• Professional development: Paid training, certifications, and enrichment opportunities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED