AI Engineer - HYBRID

Piper Companies; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 145,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full Benefits Package

Paid Time Off

Holidays

Medical

Dental

Vision

401K

Sick leave

Job summary

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking an AI Engineer to design, develop, and deploy AI-driven applications for mission-critical needs. This hybrid position offers 3 days onsite and 2 days from home, with work locations in Reston, Washington DC or Annapolis Junction.

The mid-level role focuses on building full-stack AI-enabled software, collaborating across teams, and delivering secure, scalable solutions for national security missions.

Qualifications

• 9+ years of experience in CS/DS/SE/AI Engineering or related field.
• Experience developing AI-enabled applications using generative frameworks such as LangChain, Haystack, or similar technologies.
• Strong proficiency in prompt engineering and AI application development.
• Experience with agentic AI solutions, MCP, tool development, and A2A communication.
• Strong experience with modern web apps using React.js, Next.js, and TypeScript.
• Backend services and RESTful APIs using Python or Node.js.
• Strong PostgreSQL experience (modeling, SQL, migrations, performance).
• Docker experience including builds, imaging, and troubleshooting; OpenShift experience.
• Experience deploying in OpenShift environments and production support.
• Bachelor's degree substitute rules: degree substitutes years of experience; TS/SCI is required.

Responsibilities

• Design, prototype, and deliver AI-enabled solutions using modern generative AI frameworks.
• Develop and maintain full-stack apps using Next.js, TypeScript, FastAPI, Python, PostgreSQL, and OpenSearch.
• Build and support backend services, REST APIs, AI integrations, and data validation with Pydantic and Zod.
• Deploy, configure, troubleshoot, and maintain containerized apps using Docker and OpenShift.
• Collaborate with customers, product owners, developers, operations, and security teams to define requirements and deliver reliable software.

Skills

Generative AI frameworks

LangChain

Haystack

LlamaIndex

LangSmith

Langfuse

Prompt engineering

Prompt management

Agentic AI

React.js

Next.js

TypeScript

Python

Node.js

REST APIs

PostgreSQL

SQL development

Docker

OpenShift

Kubernetes

OpenSearch

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Data Science, or a related field

Tools

Docker

OpenShift

Kubernetes

PostgreSQL

SQL

FastAPI

React.js

Job description

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking an AI Engineer to support a company focused on developing AI-enabled, mission-critical applications for the Intelligence Community. This position is HYBRID (3 days onsite, 2 days work from home) at Reston, Washington DC or Annapolis Junction.

The Mid-Level AI Engineer will design, develop, and deploy advanced AI-driven applications and full-stack solutions that support operational mission requirements. Join a team delivering innovative AI capabilities that directly enhance critical national security missions.

Responsibilities for the AI Engineer include:

• Design, prototype, and deliver AI-enabled solutions utilizing modern generative AI frameworks and agentic AI architectures.
• Develop and maintain full-stack applications using Next.js, TypeScript, FastAPI, Python, PostgreSQL, and OpenSearch.
• Build and support backend services, REST APIs, AI integrations, and data validation using Pydantic and Zod.
• Deploy, configure, troubleshoot, and maintain containerized applications using Docker and OpenShift.
• Collaborate with customers, product owners, developers, operations teams, and security teams to define requirements, resolve production issues, review designs, and deliver reliable software solutions.

Required Qualifications for the AI Engineer include:

• 9+ years of experience in Computer Science, Data Science, Software Engineering, AI Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Experience developing AI-enabled applications using generative AI frameworks such as LangChain, Haystack, LlamaIndex, or similar technologies.
• Strong proficiency in prompt engineering, prompt management, and AI application development.
• Experience developing agentic AI solutions, including MCP, tool development, context engineering, and agent-to-agent (A2A) communication.
• Strong experience developing modern web applications using React.js, Next.js, and TypeScript.
• Experience developing backend services and RESTful APIs using Python or Node.js.
• Strong experience with PostgreSQL, including relational data modeling, SQL development, schema migrations, indexing, and query optimization.
• Experience with Docker, including Dockerfile creation, image management, and container troubleshooting.
• Experience deploying and supporting applications within OpenShift environments.
• Experience with software testing, code reviews, technical documentation, and production support.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to translate customer requirements into technical solutions.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Data Science, or a related field. A bachelor's degree may substitute for 4 years of experience and a master's degree may substitute for 6 years of experience.
• Active TS/SCI Clearance with CI Polygraph.

Desired Qualifications for the AI Engineer include:

• Experience with AWS cloud services.
• Experience using AI observability platforms such as Langfuse or LangSmith.
• Experience developing with AI coding harnesses such as Codex.
• Experience with Next.js AI SDK and FastMCP.
• Experience supporting software development efforts within Department of Defense environments.
• Strong knowledge of Linux systems and Kubernetes concepts.
• Experience improving application security, accessibility, performance, and reliability.
• Experience working within Agile software development environments.
• Experience collaborating closely with product, operations, and security teams throughout the software development lifecycle.

Compensation for the Mid-Level AI Engineer includes:

Salary Range: $145,000 - $190,000 + depending on experience

Full Benefits Package: PTO, Paid Holidays, Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, Sick leave as required by law

#LI-KD1 #LI-HYBRID

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