Senior Applied AI Engineer - Software Engineering

Visionist, Inc.; Columbia, Northern (MD, KY); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee-owned culture

Competitive retirement plan (ESOP)

Paid time off and holidays

Parental leave

Medical, dental, vision benefits

Job summary

Visionist, Inc. is seeking a Senior Applied AI Engineer - Software Engineering to join our fully funded opportunity on a large PRIME contract.

You will design, develop, and maintain production AI-enabled software applications using Python, architectures, and modern software engineering practices, collaborating with analysts, engineers, and mission stakeholders. You will architect LLM-powered workflows, RAG pipelines, and AI agent capabilities; build backend services and data pipelines; translate

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline or equivalent experience (12+ yrs in software development)
• Production software development experience using Python
• Experience designing and developing distributed or backend software systems
• Experience building AI-enabled applications using LLMs, RAG, AI agents, or similar tech
• Experience developing REST APIs and integrating multiple data sources
• Experience with SQL, Elasticsearch, or other data storage technologies
• Strong understanding of software architecture, object-oriented design, and best practices
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Experience collaborating with mission customers to understand requirements
• Ability to communicate technical concepts to technical and non-technical stakeholders

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain production AI-enabled software applications using Python and modern software engineering practices
• Architect and implement LLM-powered workflows, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines, and AI agent capabilities
• Develop backend services, APIs, and data pipelines supporting AI-enabled applications
• Translate natural language user requests into deterministic analytical workflows through integration with mission data sources, databases, and search platforms
• Collaborate directly with mission stakeholders to understand operational workflows and rapidly prototype customer-focused AI solutions
• Integrate structured and unstructured data from multiple sources into scalable AI applications
• Evaluate emerging AI frameworks, models, and software engineering techniques for mission applicability
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to technical architecture, engineering standards, and software design across the team

Skills

Python

REST APIs

Distributed systems

Backend software

AI/ML

LLMs

RAG

Data pipelines

SQL/Elasticsearch

Software architecture

Stakeholder communication

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline

Tools

Elasticsearch

SQL

Job description

Active Top Secret (TS/SCI) clearance with polygraph is required.

Visionist has an exciting new, fully FUNDED opportunity for a Senior Applied AI Engineer - Software Engineering on our largest PRIME contract. Our team of Analysts and Engineers is motivated by the direct impact on the mission, crafting specialized tools for enhanced efficiency and quick iterations for our operations user base. Seeing your tools in real-time action brings immediate gratification. This premier program encompasses traditional software services including Systems Design and Engineering, Database Administration, Data Science and Knowledge Management, Enterprise Risk Management, Integration and Test, as well as Operations and Systems Support. The program is characterized by innovation and excitement, fostering meaningful engagements, and offering distinctive collaboration opportunities with users, policy makers, and mission leadership, all while maintaining a service mindset. If you thrive in a collaborative work environment and enjoy utilizing a diverse tech stack, then this opportunity is tailor-made for you!

For over 15 years, Visionist has been solving the Intelligence Community's toughest software and analysis challenges. As a 100% employee-owned company, we prioritize our people—your job security is assured. We embed small engineering teams with analysts to rapidly identify and solve mission capability gaps playing a critical role in defending our nation’s cyber infrastructure & providing expertise in malware analysis, attribution, mapping adversarial infrastructure, pen testing, and operational planning. Our open-door leadership team fosters a supportive culture, where internal growth and promotion opportunities are the norm. Don’t just take our word for it—check out our 4.8-star review on Glassdoor. Join a company that feels like a family with regular happy hours, baseball games, activity clubs and more. Check us out at www.visionistinc.com.

Your contributions are...

• Design, develop, and maintain production AI-enabled software applications using Python and modern software engineering practices
• Architect and implement LLM-powered workflows, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines, and AI agent capabilities that solve mission problems
• Develop backend services, APIs, and data pipelines supporting AI-enabled applications
• Translate natural language user requests into deterministic analytical workflows through integration with mission data sources, databases, and search platforms
• Collaborate directly with mission stakeholders to understand operational workflows and rapidly prototype customer-focused AI solutions
• Integrate structured and unstructured data from multiple sources into scalable AI applications
• Evaluate emerging AI frameworks, models, and software engineering techniques for mission applicability
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to technical architecture, engineering standards, and software design across the team

Requirements for your new career...

• Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline. (Additional 4 years of experience may substitute degree)
• 12 years of experience in software development
• Production software development experience using Python
• Experience designing and developing distributed or backend software systems
• Experience building AI-enabled applications using LLMs, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), AI agents, or similar technologies
• Experience developing REST APIs and integrating multiple data sources
• Experience working with SQL, Elasticsearch, or other data storage technologies
• Strong understanding of software architecture, object-oriented design, and software engineering best practices
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Experience collaborating directly with mission customers to understand requirements and deliver operational solutions
• Ability to communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders

Benefits of becoming a Visionist:

• We are a 100% employee-owned company, so our employees see the benefit of their contributions and have a stake in our overall success!
• Competitive 15% retirement contribution! (5% 401K match & 10% ESOP)
• 4 weeks paid time off that is never \"use or lose\", 12 paid holidays, comp time, overtime, AND flexible work hours
• 80 hours of paid parental leave with an additional $8,000 supplemental payment upon returning from maternity
• Medical, dental, & vision benefits for both individuals and families (those who waive medical benefits will receive an additional $4,160/year)
• Annual lifestyle bonus of $600 - use it towards gyms/fitness, new tech, or your HSA!
• Annual merit increases & performance-based bonuses
• Term life insurance, short-term disability, & long-term disability

Salary range: $170,000 - $240,000

Disclaimer: Salary for this position, along with additional compensation options, will be determined on an individual basis following the interview process, considering various factors such as years of experience, skills, education/certifications, contract specifications, market conditions, etc.

U.S citizenship required (green card holders and permanent residents are not eligible). Applicants selected will be required to obtain / maintain a government security clearance.

Visionist, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity / Protected Veterans / Individuals with Disabilities employer.