AI Application Engineer

BigBear.ai; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

BigBear.ai is seeking an AI Applications Engineer to build and maintain AI-powered applications and a config-driven decision-support platform for logistics workflows. You will own features end-to-end across backend APIs, database, and a modern React UI, while supporting a Dash/Flask migration path.

The role emphasizes hands-on LLM/RAG experience, FastAPI/REST APIs, PostgreSQL, and secure, scalable CI/CD pipelines. A US security clearance is required and residency is in the United States.

Qualifications

• 3+ years full-stack development with Python and React/TypeScript.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
• Hands-on LLM/RAG experience with LangChain or LangChain4J.
• Experience building and consuming REST APIs (FastAPI or similar).
• Solid PostgreSQL skills: schema design, SQL, migrations (pgvector a plus).
• Comfortable with Docker and CI/CD workflows.
• Strong debugging, testing, and code review habits.
• Ability to work independently across backend, frontend, database, and AI layers.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain full-stack features using FastAPI services, PostgreSQL, and React/TypeScript UI.
• Design and maintain LLM/RAG pipelines, embeddings, and tool/agent orchestration.
• Integrate LLM providers, document ingestion, semantic search, and chat/report features.
• Work with vector stores, Redis, and Keycloak for access control and secure APIs.
• Connect to external systems via MCP, REST/PostgREST, and data adapters.
• Write and maintain tests (pytest, Vitest) and participate in CI/CD (Docker, GitHub Actions).
• Debug production issues, improve reliability and performance, keep dependencies updated.
• Use AI-assisted development tools effectively and ship production-quality code.

Skills

Python

React/TypeScript

Full-stack development

REST APIs

CI/CD

Tools

PostgreSQL

Docker

LangChain

LangChain4J

Redis

Keycloak

GitHub Actions

FastAPI

Job description

Residency

All applicants must currently reside in the United States.

All applicants must reside in the National Capital Region.

Overview

BigBear.ai is seeking an AI Applications Engineer. In this position, you will develop and maintain AI applications and a config-driven decision-support platform that combines LLM-powered chat (RAG), structured data (MCP/PostgreSQL), and dashboards to support operational readiness and logistics workflows. You will own features end-to-end across backend APIs, database, and the modern React UI, with ongoing support for the existing Dash/Flask application during migration.

What You Will Do

• Build and maintain full-stack features: FastAPI services, PostgreSQL schema/migrations, and React/TypeScript UI in an Nx monorepo


• Design, implement, and maintain LLM/RAG pipelines using LangChain (Python) or LangChain4J (Java)—retrieval, embeddings, tool/agent orchestration, and prompt workflows


• Integrate LLM providers (e.g. OpenAI, Anthropic, Ask Sage), document ingestion, semantic search, and chat/report features


• Work with vector stores (e.g. PostgreSQL (pgvector), Weaviate), Redis, and Keycloak auth; implement role-based access and secure API patterns


• Connect to external systems via MCP, REST/PostgREST, and related data adapters


• Write and maintain tests (pytest, Vitest) and participate in CI/CD (Docker, GitHub Actions)


• Debug production issues, improve reliability/performance, and keep dependencies and security patches current


• Use AI-assisted development tools (e.g. Cursor) effectively: prompt well, review generated code critically, and ship production-quality changes at a steady pace

What You Need To Have

• 3+ years full-stack development with strong Python and React/TypeScript


• Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance


• Hands-on LLM/RAG experience building production features with LangChain or LangChain4J (chains, retrievers, agents/tools, embeddings, vector stores)


• Experience building and consuming REST APIs (FastAPI or similar)


• Solid PostgreSQL skills: schema design, SQL, migrations (pgvector a plus)


• Comfortable with Docker, local dev environments, and basic deployment workflows


• Strong debugging, testing, and code review habits


• Ability to work independently across backend, frontend, database, and AI layers


• Proven comfort using AI coding assistants as a daily workflow—not as a substitute for understanding the codebase

What We'd Like You To Have

• Dash/Plotly, Flask, or legacy-to-modern UI migration experience


• Keycloak/OAuth, Redis sessions


• Nx monorepos, TanStack Router/Query, Tailwind CSS


• MCP protocol, Ask Sage, or similar enterprise LLM platforms


• Government/defense or regulated-environment experience

Pay transparency

Please note the targeted compensation range is provided as an estimate, and any actual compensation offer may vary depending on the needs of the company, or an applicant's skillset, competencies, experience, education, certifications, location, or other factors. The estimated range does not include the value of any benefits offered.

About BigBear.ai

BigBear.ai is a leading provider of AI-powered decision intelligence solutions for national security, supply chain management, and digital identity. Customers and partners rely on Bigbear.ai’s predictive analytics capabilities in highly complex, distributed, mission-based operating environments. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, BigBear.ai is a public company traded on the NYSE under the symbol BBAI. For more information, visit https://bigbear.ai/ and follow BigBear.ai on LinkedIn: @BigBear.ai and X: @BigBearai. BigBear.ai is an Equal opportunity employer all protected groups, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.