JUNIOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPER

IGNITE; Dayton (OH); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Ignite seeks a Junior Software Developer to support AI-enabled applications and MCP services in Dayton, on-site. You will work with senior engineers to integrate large language models with internal data sources, simulations, and automated workflows.

The candidate should have a solid Python foundation, experience with APIs/JSON, and Git, and be eager to learn emerging AI technologies. This is an on-site role in Dayton with mission-focused impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, Mathematics, Physics, or a related technical field.
• Experience developing software in Python through coursework, internships, personal projects, or professional work.
• Familiarity with object-oriented programming, APIs, JSON, and asynchronous programming.
• Basic understanding of large language models, prompt engineering, tool calling, or agentic application patterns.
• Experience using Git or another version-control system.
• Ability to communicate technical information and work effectively as part of a development team.
• U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain Python-based applications, services, and automation tools.
• Build and integrate MCP servers, tools, resources, and client applications.
• Support agentic workflows that use large language models to select tools, perform multi-step tasks, and process results.
• Integrate applications with OpenAI-compatible APIs and locally hosted language models.
• Create configuration-driven tools and workflows with minimal hard-coded behavior.
• Develop REST APIs and backend services for AI-enabled applications.
• Write unit tests, troubleshoot software issues, and maintain technical documentation.
• Use Git-based development processes, code reviews, and continuous integration.
• Assist with containerizing and deploying applications in offline or restricted environments.

Skills

Python programming

Git version control

APIs and JSON

Asynchronous programming

Object-oriented programming

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field

Tools

OpenAI SDK

Pydantic

FastAPI

HTTPX

Uvicorn

Docker

Job description

Job Description

Igniters operate in the world’s most demanding environment. Igniters are self-motivated, mission-driven, and relentless in solving the Warfighters’ hardest problems. We move fast, think differently, and execute with precision to tackle high-stakes challenges across AI/ML, space and missile defense intelligence, EMSO, advanced analytics, and programmatic domains. As an employee-owned SDVOSB headquartered in Huntsville, AL, our team delivers mission-critical impact for the Army, Air Force, Space Force, MDA, NASA, DIA, and FBI.

Ignite exists to outpace the threat and deliver results that matter in the moments that count. We are seeking a Junior Software Developer to support the development of AI-enabled applications, agentic workflows, Model Context Protocol (MCP) services, and reusable software tools. The developer will work with senior engineers to integrate large language models with internal applications, data sources, simulations, and automated workflows. This position will be on-site in Dayton, Ohio.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain Python-based applications, services, and automation tools.
• Build and integrate MCP servers, tools, resources, and client applications.
• Support agentic workflows that use large language models to select tools, perform multi-step tasks, and process results.
• Integrate applications with OpenAI-compatible APIs and locally hosted language models.
• Create configuration-driven tools and workflows with minimal hard-coded behavior.
• Develop REST APIs and backend services for AI-enabled applications.
• Write unit tests, troubleshoot software issues, and maintain technical documentation.
• Use Git-based development processes, code reviews, and continuous integration.
• Assist with containerizing and deploying applications in offline or restricted environments.

Job Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, Mathematics, Physics, or a related technical field.
• Experience developing software in Python through coursework, internships, personal projects, or professional work.
• Familiarity with object-oriented programming, APIs, JSON, and asynchronous programming.
• Basic understanding of large language models, prompt engineering, tool calling, or agentic application patterns.
• Experience using Git or another version-control system.
• Ability to communicate technical information and work effectively as part of a development team.
• U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.

Desired Experience

• Model Context Protocol, FastMCP, or the official MCP Python SDK
• OpenAI SDK or other OpenAI-compatible APIs
• LangGraph, LangChain, Agno, Semantic Kernel, or similar agent frameworks
• FastAPI, Pydantic, HTTPX, asyncio, and Uvicorn
• Pytest and automated software testing
• Docker and containerized development
• Retrieval-augmented generation, embeddings, or vector databases
• Local or offline large language model deployment
• Linux development environments and basic command-line tools

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is curious, motivated, and comfortable learning unfamiliar technologies. They should enjoy building practical software, experimenting with emerging AI capabilities, and turning prototypes into reliable, maintainable tools. Direct professional experience with every technology listed above is not expected.