Senior AI Applications Engineer

Bitwise; Laurel (MD); On-site; USD 282,000 - 332,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Top salaries

3–5 weeks PTO

11 federal holidays

Snow days

401(k) match 24%

Employer-paid health/dental/vision

Education assistance $5,250

Spot bonuses

Job summary

Bitwise, a leading provider of mission-focused intelligence solutions, seeks a Senior Software Engineer to build AI tools and applications powering customer operations. You will lead AI infrastructure efforts, shape technical standards, and mentor junior developers in a fast-paced environment.

The role emphasizes production-grade tools, cross-team coordination, and a strong focus on reliability, security, and scalability within AWS/Kubernetes ecosystems.

Qualifications

• 12 years of software engineering experience or a B.S. plus 8 years
• Mastery of Python and UI/UX principles
• Significant production software development and maintenance
• Hands-on experience with Large Language Models in code workflows
• Strong familiarity with AWS or other cloud providers
• Kubernetes and Helm expertise
• Argo CD or CI/CD frameworks knowledge
• Docker and containerization experience
• SRE best practices in production environments
• Ability to learn new technologies quickly
• Strong communication and leadership for junior developers
• Experience with LLM UI open-source tools such as OpenWebUI
• Advanced AWS & Kubernetes proficiency
• Experience hosting LLM models in production

Responsibilities

• Develop high-quality AI tools and applications for customer adoption
• Ensure availability, reliability, performance, and security of AI tools
• Modify FOSS to fit customer use cases
• Elicit requirements from customers and craft solutions
• Maintain existing customer-facing infrastructure and services
• Lead AI Tools and Applications initiatives across teams
• Coach junior developers and conduct regular 1:1s
• Act as POC for contract administration
• Define solutions for complex, underspecified systems
• Establish technical policies and governance
• Drive adoption of new technologies and practices
• Implement monitoring, logging, and observability for AI services
• Communicate with stakeholders at multiple levels

Skills

Python

UI/UX

LLMs

AWS

SRE

Leadership

Requirements elicitation

Communication

Education

B.S. in technical discipline

Tools

Kubernetes

Helm

Argo CD

CI/CD

Docker

Job description

Senior Software Engineer - Tools and Applications

An active TS//SCI clearance with polygraph is required for this role

Bitwise is a leading provider of mission-focused intelligence solutions that advance national security for the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense. We're a small and growing company, so you can expect to hop in on the ground floor with us and be a consequential member of the team. You'll be more than a contract performer for us - you'll also be asked for ideas to improve our company and improve your career, and you'll contribute to our team culture. We value growth and community above almost all else, so we gather regularly for game nights, happy hours, tech talks, and plenty more. We think you'll like it here!

Remember, Bitwise is not a cult.

What We Look For

Bitwise hires talented engineers who are driven by purpose and who value a culture of technical excellence, growth, and overall wellness. We deliver new and innovative intelligence solutions to our customers at the very forefront of our country's national security missions. And we do it every single day. Our work matters, and so will you.

We ask that every new hire be able to:

• Contribute meaningful thought leadership - if not right away, over time


• Interact with our customers and earn their confidence in your abilities


• Be detailed, even if that means taking a little more time to get it right


• Contribute their ideas and ideals to improve all aspects of our company


• Allow us to invest in their education so we both grow together

We're seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join our AI infrastructure team and help build the next generation of AI tools and applications powering innovation across the customer organization. In this role, you'll develop and maintain the foundation for customer AI capabilities while supporting a broader ecosystem of AI-enabled applications. Your focus will be on creating high-quality, production-grade tools that enable our customer base to leverage AI seamlessly and efficiently.

You'll navigate a dynamic environment where requirements shift rapidly as mission needs evolve and new technologies emerge. This means you'll continuously grow your skills and learn to transform loosely defined problems into elegant solutions. You'll serve as a technical leader for AI Tools and Applications initiatives, coordinating work across integrated teams and providing coaching and support to junior developers.

In this role, you will:

• Develop high-quality AI tools and applications designed for customer workforce adoption


• Ensure high availability, reliability, performance, and security of AI tools and infrastructure


• Modify Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) to accommodate customer use cases and requirements


• Conduct requirements elicitation with customers and develop solutions to address their evolving needs


• Maintain existing customer-facing infrastructure and applications, ensuring reliable, resilient services


• Serve as a technical lead for AI Tools and Applications initiatives, coordinating work across integrated teams


• Conduct regular one-on-ones and provide coaching, feedback, and support to assigned team members


• Act as the team point of contact (POC) for contract administration functions


• Navigate ambiguity and define solutions for complex, underspecified systems and requirements


• Establish new technical policies, standards, and governance frameworks where gaps exist


• Drive adoption of new technologies and practices across engineering teams


• Implement and oversee monitoring, logging, and observability solutions for AI services


• Communicate effectively with stakeholders at multiple organizational levels

Requirements

• 12 years of experience as a software engineer, OR a B.S. in a technical discipline plus 8 years of experience


• Mastery of Python and expertise in UI/UX principles


• Significant production software development and maintenance experience


• Significant, hands-on experience with Large Language Models (LLMs) as part of code solution workflows


• Strong familiarity with AWS or other cloud service providers


• Solid experience with Kubernetes and Helm


• Working knowledge of Argo CD and/or other CI/CD frameworks


• Experience with Docker and containerization


• Experience supporting production software using Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) best practices


• Demonstrated ability to learn new technologies quickly


• Strong communication skills and willingness to ask clarifying questions


• Demonstrated willingness to lead a team and manage multiple junior developers


• Experience with LLM UI open-source software such as OpenWebUI


• Advanced proficiency with AWS or other cloud service providers


• Advanced proficiency with Kubernetes and Helm


• Advanced proficiency with Argo CD and/or other CI/CD frameworks


• Extensive experience supporting production software using SRE best practices


• Advanced proficiency with Docker and containerization


• Extensive experience with customer requirements elicitation and expertise in community outreach and integration


• Experience with LLM model hosting

Benefits at Bitwise

• Top salaries because we're top performers


• Pick your PTO - Everyone values time and money differently, so we give you the flexibility to choose between 3 and 5 weeks of PTO with a corresponding adjustment to your pay. Your choice, your balance.


• All 11 federal holidays, paid!


• Up to 2 snow days, paid!


• We'll quadruple (4x!) the first 6% you contribute to your 401(k), giving you up to a 24% company match. Contributing less than 6%? Unclaimed matches come right back to you as extra income, giving you a guaranteed 24% that goes to your retirement, to your paycheck, or both. C'mon now!


• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurances. That's a lot. Already covered on health insurance? No problem - we'll trade you this benefit for a boost to your salary instead.


• $5,250 annual education assistance for training, certifications, tuition, and even student loan repayments.


• Spot bonuses for obtained certifications, customer recognition, and just about anything else that makes us go \"Hot damn!\". We hope to say that many times about you.

Salary Range

$282,000 - $332,000

This range includes our flex income and depends upon your annual work hours.

Salary is determined on an individual basis following the interview process and considering various factors such as years of experience, skills, education, and certifications.

Bitwise is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.

Compensation for this position, including all compensation options, will be determined on an individual basis following the interview process.

If you require accommodations at any stage of the application or interview process, please reach out to us.