Software Engineer - AI Enabled Vulnerability Research

Visionist, Inc. • Columbia, MD

3d • $187,000 - $264,000

About The Position

Visionist is hiring a Software Engineer for a fully funded opportunity on its largest prime contract. The role supports computer network exploitation and vulnerability research by developing AI-enabled software and specialized research tools for operational users. The program includes software engineering, data science, knowledge management, integration and testing, and operations and systems support. The team works collaboratively with users, policymakers, and mission leadership in a service-oriented environment.

The engineer leads complex software features and subsystems from requirements and design through deployment and sustainment. Work includes building agentic AI systems and sandbox-based dynamic analysis capabilities, integrating research and debugging tools into automated workflows, evaluating AI-assisted findings, and developing backend services, APIs, data pipelines, and user interfaces. The position also involves troubleshooting, technical documentation, design and code reviews, mentoring, and communicating progress and risks.

An active Top Secret/SCI clearance with polygraph is required. U.S. citizenship is required; green card holders and permanent residents are not eligible. Applicants selected must obtain or maintain a government security clearance.

Requirements

• Active Top Secret/SCI clearance with polygraph.
• U.S. citizenship; green card holders and permanent residents are not eligible.
• Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline, or an additional four years of experience in lieu of the degree.
• 12 years of experience in Software Engineering.
• Experience independently designing, developing, testing, and delivering complex software systems.
• Proficiency in Python, including modular design, object-oriented programming, and automated testing.
• Experience with AI-enabled computer network exploitation or vulnerability research and evaluating AI-generated findings.
• Knowledge of reverse engineering, debugging, dynamic analysis, fuzzing, and crash triage techniques.
• Experience with isolated execution environments, runtime instrumentation, execution tracing, and evidence collection.
• Experience developing LLM applications or agentic systems with tool integration, structured outputs, state management, and evaluation.
• Experience developing backend services and REST APIs using FastAPI, Flask, or Django, and relational databases such as PostgreSQL.
• Experience with Linux systems, including processes, memory, and networking.
• Experience with Git, automated testing, CI/CD, and code reviews.
• Ability to translate complex requirements into technical solutions, communicate tradeoffs, and mentor engineers.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain AI-enabled software and research tools supporting computer network exploitation and vulnerability research.
• Lead development and delivery of complex software features and subsystems from requirements and design through deployment and sustainment.
• Develop agentic AI harnesses to orchestrate research tools, manage execution state, collect evidence, and evaluate results.
• Build sandbox-based dynamic analysis capabilities to observe software behavior and reproduce suspected vulnerabilities.
• Integrate debugging, instrumentation, fuzzing, and crash analysis tools into automated research workflows.
• Develop repeatable evaluations to assess finding validity, reproducibility, false-positive rates, and AI-assisted analysis effectiveness.
• Develop backend services, REST APIs, data pipelines, and user interfaces supporting research workflows and traceable results.
• Troubleshoot issues across software, AI integrations, and execution environments to improve performance, reliability, and observability.
• Lead design and code reviews, document technical decisions, mentor engineers, and communicate technical progress and risks to stakeholders.

Benefits

• Annual merit increases and performance-based bonuses.
• Four weeks of paid time off that does not expire, 12 paid holidays, comp time, and overtime.
• Flexible work hours.
• 80 hours of paid parental leave, plus an $8,000 supplemental payment upon returning from maternity leave.
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits for individuals and families; employees who waive medical benefits receive an additional $4,160 per year.
• 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions.
• Annual $600 lifestyle bonus for fitness, technology, or an HSA.
• Term life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability.

What This Job Offers

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