Senior Cyber AI Engineer & Systems Architect

Bytoa; Columbia (MD); On-site; USD 225,000 - 255,000; Full time

Job summary

Bytoa seeks a Senior Applied AI Engineer who doesn't just implement AI solutions, but pioneers them in cyber operations. You’ll design production-grade AI systems, lead exploration into unproven territory, and mentor engineers in a high-stakes environment.

This role requires 12+ years of software experience with deep Python, expertise across AI architectures, and a track record of deploying AI in production. A TS/SCI with polygraph is required.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of software engineering experience with deep Python expertise.
• Extensive hands-on experience building and deploying AI-powered applications in production.
• Expert-level understanding of modern AI architectures (agents, RAG, chains, function calling).
• Proven track record of integrating multiple AI services and handling their failure modes.
• Strong experience with MCP servers or similar model serving infrastructure.
• Advanced prompt engineering skills with demonstrable results.
• Experience building resilient distributed systems and handling async workflows.
• Deep understanding of AI model capabilities and limitations across providers.
• Ability to rapidly prototype while maintaining production-quality standards.
• Track record of solving novel technical problems without existing solutions.
• Excellent debugging skills for non-deterministic AI behaviors.

Responsibilities

• Architect and implement production-grade AI systems for cyber operations, handling scale and reliability.
• Lead technical exploration into novel AI applications, charting paths through unproven territory.
• Design and build sophisticated agent orchestration systems that coordinate multiple AI models and tools.
• Create robust MCP server implementations that become foundational infrastructure for the team.
• Develop advanced prompt engineering strategies and reusable patterns for complex cyber scenarios.
• Build fault-tolerant API integration layers that gracefully handle model failures and edge cases.
• Mentor junior engineers while maintaining high personal code output.
• Make architectural decisions that balance innovation with operational reliability.
• Drive technical discussions about AI capabilities, limitations, and strategic applications.
• Create proof-of-concepts that demonstrate previously impossible capabilities.
• Establish best practices for AI development within the unique constraints of cyber operations.

Skills

Python

AI architectures

Production systems

Prompt engineering

Distributed systems

Async workflows

Model serving

Education

Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline

Tools

MCP servers

Job description

Bytoa seeks a Senior Applied AI Engineer who doesn't just implement AI solutions, but pioneers them in cyber operations. You’ll design production-grade AI systems, lead exploration into unproven territory, and mentor engineers in a high-stakes environment.

This role requires 12+ years of software experience with deep Python, expertise across AI architectures, and a track record of deploying AI in production. A TS/SCI with polygraph is required.