Senior AI Software Engineer

Credence

Illinois

On-site

USD 155,000 - 200,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Credence is seeking a Senior AI Software Engineer to design, develop, and deploy advanced AI-driven solutions for federal clients. You will collaborate across engineering, data, and cloud teams to deliver scalable, secure AI capabilities and mentor other engineers.

The role emphasizes responsible AI practices, technical leadership, and delivering mission-focused AI systems with strong engineering discipline.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Computer Science, AI/ML, or a related field.
7+ years hands-on software engineering experience delivering AI/ML or LLM-powered solutions.
Experience building generative AI applications and working with LLMs, tool calling, and prompt engineering.
Experience designing agentic AI solutions using listed frameworks and platforms.
Strong understanding of leading AI APIs and platforms (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Bedrock, Vertex AI).
Proficiency in TypeScript and familiarity with Nx, Next.js, Mastra, Vercel AI SDK, Playwright, Jest, Vite.
Python proficiency with libraries such as Pydantic, FastAPI, CrewAI, LangChain, LangGraph, Unstructured.
Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI).
US Citizenship with eligibility for DoD Secret clearance.
Strong communications skills and client-oriented mindset.

Responsibilities

Generative AI & LLM Solution Delivery: design and refine AI-powered capabilities using generative AI and secure API integrations.
Agentic AI System Development: end-to-end lifecycle of agentic AI, including model selection and tool calling.
Senior Software Engineering Leadership: establish patterns, conduct code reviews, and accelerate delivery with responsible AI tooling.
Cross-Functional Technical Collaboration: translate mission needs into AI and automation solutions with stakeholders.
Cloud Enablement & DevSecOps: IaC, CI/CD, containers, and cloud-native services for scalable AI delivery.
Production Monitoring & Optimization: post-deployment tuning for reliability and scalability.
Technical Rigor & Documentation: clean, well-documented code aligned to federal guidelines.
Mentorship & Continuous Improvement: stay current on AI trends and mentor team members.

Skills

7+ years software engineering

AI/ML delivery

Generative AI

LLMs

Agentic AI concepts

Strong communication

CI/CD experience

Team mentorship

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Computer Science/AI/ML

Tools

TypeScript

Next.js

Mastra

Vercel AI SDK

Playwright

Jest

Vite

Python

Pydantic

FastAPI

CrewAI

LangChain

LangGraph

Unstructured

GitLab CI

VS Code

Claude Code

Job description

Overview

Join a team where innovation meets mission. Our AI, cloud, cyber, and modernization solutions save agencies thousands of hours, safeguard national security, and strengthen health and humanitarian missions worldwide. With 1,700+ team members, 1,500+ AI/data experts, and 100+ prime contracts, we deliver at scale and with purpose.

We’ve been recognized as a Top Workplace by the Washington Post for six straight years and named to the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies 13 of the past 14 years. Credence is a welcoming home for those looking to grow and contribute to positive change. We encourage all employees to expand beyond their boundaries, dive into important world-changing Federal challenges.

Position Summary

Credence has an immediate need for a Senior AI Software Engineer to join our growing AI and Automation practice. In this role, you will serve as a senior technical contributor responsible for designing, developing, and deploying advanced AI-driven solutions, including generative AI, LLM-powered applications, and agentic AI systems. You will collaborate with cross-functional engineering, data, cloud, and stakeholder teams to deliver scalable, secure, and mission-focused AI capabilities for federal clients, while helping guide technical direction, strengthen engineering practices, and mentor other engineers.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the duties listed below

Generative AI & LLM Solution Delivery
Lead the design, development, prototyping, and refinement of AI-powered capabilities using generative AI, large language models, retrieval patterns, prompt/context engineering, and secure API integrations.
Agentic AI System Development
Own end-to-end agentic AI development lifecycles, including model selection, agent design, tool/function calling, orchestration, response synthesis, evaluation, and deployment of reliable AI agents.
Senior Software Engineering Leadership
Apply strong software engineering principles to design maintainable, testable, and scalable systems; conduct code reviews, establish technical patterns, and leverage AI-assisted development tools responsibly to accelerate delivery.
Cross-Functional Technical Collaboration
Partner with data engineers, software engineers, data scientists, cloud engineers, and mission stakeholders to translate business and mission needs into operational AI and automation solutions.
Cloud Enablement & DevSecOps Integration
Design and automate deployment workflows using Infrastructure as Code (IaC), CI/CD pipelines, containers, and cloud-native services to support secure, repeatable, and scalable AI delivery.
Production Monitoring & Optimization
Monitor AI systems post-deployment, perform performance tuning, and apply best practices for reliability and scalability.
Technical Rigor & Documentation
Write clean, well-documented code following industry and federal guidelines; support reproducible development.
Technical Mentorship & Continuous Improvement
Stay current on emerging AI/ML trends, agentic frameworks, model capabilities, and engineering practices while mentoring team members and contributing to reusable standards, documentation, and technical design reviews.

What You Bring

Bachelor’s orMaster’s in Computer Science, AI/ML, ora relatedfield.
7+ years of hands-on software engineering experience, including significant experience delivering AI/ML, generative AI, or LLM-powered solutions in production or production-like environments.
Experience building generative AI applications, working with LLMs, implementing tool/function calling, and applying model evaluation, prompt/context engineering, or retrieval-augmented generation approaches.
Experience designing or implementing agentic AI solutions using frameworks or platforms such as Agent2Agent Protocol, Bedrock Agents, Mastra, CrewAI, Strands, AgentCore, LangChain, or LangGraph.
Strong understanding of leading AI APIs and model platforms such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Amazon Bedrock, and Google Vertex AI.
Proficiency in TypeScript and familiarity with key libraries and frameworks such as Nx, Next.js, Mastra, Vercel AI SDK, Playwright, Jest, and Vite.
Pythonproficiencyand familiarity with librariesand frameworks(uv,Pydantic,FastAPI,CrewAI,LangChain,LangGraph, Unstructured).
Demonstrated curiosity and practical experimentation with emerging AI technologies, with a strong focus on responsible innovation and measurable mission impact.
Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines(GitLab CI)
Experience with VS Code and AI extensionssuch asCline and Claude Code.
Strong communicationskills and client-oriented mindset.
U.S. Citizenship with eligibility for DoD Secret clearance.

Preferred

Curious and experimental about the latest innovations in AI with an orientation toward the relentless pursuit of delivering mission impact.
Exposure toadjacent skillsets such asdata engineering, data science, UI/UX, cloud engineering, and platform engineering to understand the entire software ecosystem.
Experience withIaCtoolssuch asTerraform,Open Tofu,AWS CDK,orCloudFormationto deploy cloud native applications.
Knowledge of federal cybersecurity, RMF, FedRAMP, or regulatory frameworks.

Why This Role Matters

Real-World Impact Your work will support defense and health agencies where AI solutions directly contribute to national security and public well-being.
Growth-Oriented Technical Leadership Work with technical leaders, shape agentic AI delivery practices, and mentor team members while continuing to deepen your own expertise in advanced AI engineering.
Culture of EmpowermentYou’llbe part of a team that values innovation, trust, collaboration, and mission success.

Salary Range:

$155,000 - $200,000 annually. Actual compensation will be determined based on the selected candidate's experience, education, certifications, skills, and overall qualifications.