Senior AI Research Engineer & Systems Architect

Aptima Inc.; Woburn (MA); On-site; USD 142,000 - 153,000; Full time

Job summary

Aptima Inc. is seeking an experienced software engineer to advance AI research platforms in a national security context, based in Massachusetts.

You will design and implement advanced software systems, collaborate with scientists, and lead prototype architectures for rapid experimentation. Ideal candidates have 6+ years in software engineering, strong Python skills, and experience with Docker containers, modular systems, and API design, with willingness to travel for demonstrations and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, AI/ML, or related field.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.
• 6+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Strong proficiency in Python and modern software engineering practices.
• Experience building complex research prototypes or experimental systems.
• Familiarity with AI/ML technologies and integrating models into software systems.
• Experience architecting modular software systems and designing APIs or service-based architectures.
• Hands-on experience with containerization (e.g., Docker) or reproducible research environments.
• Ability to work in ambiguous, exploratory environments and translate evolving research ideas into working software.
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate with researchers, engineers, and external partners.
• Willingness to travel to support integration, demonstration, or customer activities.

Responsibilities

• Architect and develop advanced software systems for AI research and prototype work.
• Collaborate with scientists to translate algorithms into functional prototype systems.
• Design flexible research platforms enabling rapid experimentation and evaluation.
• Develop AI-enabled capabilities across domains such as human-AI teaming and agent-based systems.
• Lead design of architectures for complex prototypes, APIs, data pipelines, and evaluation frameworks.
• Mentor junior engineers and collaborate with cross-functional teams.

Skills

Python

Software engineering

AI/ML familiarity

API design

Containerization Docker

Communication

Travel

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science/Engineering/Data Science/AI/ML

Tools

Docker

Cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP)

Job description

Aptima Inc. is seeking an experienced software engineer to advance AI research platforms in a national security context, based in Massachusetts.

You will design and implement advanced software systems, collaborate with scientists, and lead prototype architectures for rapid experimentation. Ideal candidates have 6+ years in software engineering, strong Python skills, and experience with Docker containers, modular systems, and API design, with willingness to travel for demonstrations and