Software Engineer

Ardent Principles, Inc.•Chantilly, VA

7d•$130,000 - $260,000•Onsite

About The Position

We have an immediate need for a mission‑driven Software Engineer who thrives in modern Lean Agile environments and enjoys building high‑impact capabilities that blend cloud engineering, scalable search, and LLM‑powered workflows. You must understand cloud environments such as Azure or AWS and will work on designing, developing, and deploying software systems. Ardent Principles delivers cutting‑edge capabilities across data science, data engineering, software engineering, AI solutions, cybersecurity, staff augmentation, and IT program management. We thrive at the intersection of mission, technology, and innovation. Passionate Integrity, Driven by Excellence. At Ardent Principles, we don’t just offer jobs—we build careers rooted in purpose. Our competitive salary ranges and industry‑leading benefits are designed to support long‑term stability, growth, and overall well‑being. We’re committed to creating an environment where talented people can do their best work and feel valued while doing it. Join us as we continue building the future of secure, high‑impact solutions.

Requirements

Active TS/SCI with Full Scope Polygraph
Understand cloud environments such as Azure or AWS
Experience working in a Lean Agile development environment
Experience building or integrating LLM-based solutions including RAG, semantic search or AI-assisted retrieval systems
Experience developing detailed design and associated deliveries
Experience translating customer and systems requirements into design
Experience designing system interfaces
Experience developing Single Page Applications using React (modern hooks‑based architecture), HTML5, and CSS3.
Hands‑on experience developing RESTful APIs using Node.js and Express (or comparable modern backend frameworks).
Hands‑on experience with and troubleshooting Internet and web‑related protocols and technologies such as Tomcat, Node.js, Web Services, or SSL.
Experience working with testing platforms such as Jest or Karma.
Hands‑on experience working with DevOps tools such as Git, Jenkins, or Nexus.
Hands‑on experience with Elasticsearch (index design, querying, relevance tuning, and scaling).
Experience designing or implementing data pipelines to support search and/or RAG workflows (e.g., ingestion, chunking, embeddings, vector search).

Nice To Haves

Evaluating, selecting, and integrating LLMs (e.g., OpenAI, open‑source models) into enterprise applications
Working with vector databases, hybrid search (keyword + semantic), and relevance optimization
Ability to lead or mentor teams in adopting search + AI/LLM best practices (strong preference for candidates who can elevate team capability, not just contribute individually)

Responsibilities

Working in a Lean Agile development environment
Building or integrating LLM-based solutions including RAG, semantic search or AI-assisted retrieval systems
Developing detailed design and associated deliveries
Translating customer and systems requirements into design
Designing system interfaces
Developing Single Page Applications using React (modern hooks‑based architecture), HTML5, and CSS3.
Hands‑on experience developing RESTful APIs using Node.js and Express (or comparable modern backend frameworks).
Hands‑on experience with and troubleshooting Internet and web‑related protocols and technologies such as Tomcat, Node.js, Web Services, or SSL.
Working with testing platforms such as Jest or Karma.
Hands‑on experience working with DevOps tools such as Git, Jenkins, or Nexus.
Hands‑on experience with Elasticsearch (index design, querying, relevance tuning, and scaling).
Designing or implementing data pipelines to support search and/or RAG workflows (e.g., ingestion, chunking, embeddings, vector search).