Software Engineer - Applied AI, Defense Applications

Palantir Technologies; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 145,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Commuter benefits

401k plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Palantir Technologies is hiring engineers for the Defense Applied AI product team to own the end-to-end Agent experience in our software. You will contribute to high‑impact AI products that empower defense and intelligence users to investigate questions, analyze data, and plan actions with reliability and scale.

Join small, cross‑functional teams of engineers focused on delivering fast, secure, and scalable solutions.

Qualifications

• Experience coding in Java, C++, Python, JavaScript or similar languages.
• Strong software engineering skills and experience delivering production applications.
• Strong proficiency in React and TypeScript.
• Engineering background in CS, Math, SE, or Physics.
• Strong written and verbal communication and ability to iterate quickly with teammates.
• Active US Security clearance or eligibility and willingness to obtain a US Security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Design and build AI agents that help defense and intelligence users investigate complex questions, analyze operational data, develop plans, and produce actionable work.
• Relentlessly focus on improving agent experience through data-driven evals across memory, tool and skill design, context management, fine-tuning, and more.
• Actively improve user workflows by collaborating with cross-functional teams, ensuring seamless experiences across product boundaries and a cohesive user experience.
• Build intuitive interfaces that let users direct agents, follow their progress, inspect supporting evidence, review proposed actions, and refine the resulting work.
• Own features from early experimentation through production deployment, working with users, designers, and engineers to turn specific mission needs into reliable, reusable product capabilities.
• Optimizing applications for speed and scalability through performance analysis and with high-scale, complex data.

Skills

Java

C++

Python

JavaScript

React

TypeScript

Security clearance

Education

Engineering background in Computer Science, Mathematics, Software Engineering, Physics or similar field

Job description

A World-Changing Company

Palantir builds the world’s leading software for data-driven decisions and operations. By bringing the right data to the people who need it, our platforms empower our partners to develop lifesaving drugs, forecast supply chain disruptions, locate missing children, and more.

A World-Changing Company

Palantir builds the world’s leading software for data-driven decisions and operations. By bringing the right data to the people who need it, our platforms empower our partners to develop lifesaving drugs, forecast supply chain disruptions, locate missing children, and more.

The Role

Palantir's Defense Applied AI product team builds products that help the modern warfighter leverage AI for their most mission‑critical work. You will help own the entire end‑to‑end Agent experience in our products and work relentlessly to ensure they deliver value for our users, while maintaining a high bar for quality.

Our Product Development organization is made up of small teams of Software Engineers. Each team focuses on a specific aspect of a product and work collaboratively to build cross functional capabilities, streamline user workflows and continuously improve our software’s efficiency and reliability.

We’re hiring engineers who are passionate about solving real-world problems and empowering both developers and end‑users to work optimally. If you’re motivated to develop reliable, performant, and scalable AI products, this role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact on our products and the people who use them.

Core Responsibilities

• Design and build AI agents that help defense and intelligence users investigate complex questions, analyze operational data, develop plans, and produce actionable work
• Relentlessly focus on improving agent experience through data‑driven evals across memory, tool and skill design, context management, fine‑tuning, and more
• Actively improve user workflows by collaborating with cross‑functional teams, ensuring seamless experiences across product boundaries and a cohesive user experience
• Build intuitive interfaces that let users direct agents, follow their progress, inspect supporting evidence, review proposed actions, and refine the resulting work
• Own features from early experimentation through production deployment, working with users, designers, and engineers to turn specific mission needs into reliable, reusable product capabilities
• Optimizing applications for speed and scalability through performance analysis and with high‑scale, complex data

What We Value

• Strong product instincts and attention to the details that make complex software intuitive and useful
• Ability to communicate and collaborate with a variety of individuals, including engineers, users and non‑technical team members
• Experience building applications with LLMs, including tool design, context management, agent workflows, or evaluation
• Willingness to learn and make decisions independently, the ability to ask questions effectively, and the skills to iterate directly with users and own core outcomes
• Curiosity about emerging AI capabilities and sound judgment about where they can solve real user problems

What We Require

• Experience coding in programming languages, such as Java, C++, Python, JavaScript, or similar languages
• Strong software engineering skills and experience delivering production applications
• Strong proficiency in React and Typescript
• Engineering background in Computer Science, Mathematics, Software Engineering, Physics or similar field
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to iterate quickly with teammates, incorporating feedback and holding a high bar for quality
• Active US Security clearance or eligibility and willingness to obtain a US Security clearance

Salary

The salary range for this position is estimated to be $145,000 - $200,000/year. Total compensation for this position may also include Restricted Stock units, sign‑on bonus and other potential future incentives. Further note that total compensation for this position will be determined by each individual's relevant qualifications, work experience, skills, and other factors. This estimate excludes the value of any potential sign‑on bonus; the value of any benefits offered; and the potential future value of any long‑term incentives.

Benefits

• Employees (and their eligible dependents) can enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance as well as voluntary life insurance
• Employees are automatically covered by Palantir’s basic life, AD&D and disability insurance
• Commuter benefits
• Relocation assistance
• Take what you need paid time off, not accrual based
• 2 weeks paid time off built into the end of each year (subject to team and business needs)
• 10 paid holidays throughout the calendar year
• Supportive leave of absence program including time off for military service and medical events
• Paid leave for new parents and subsidized back‑up care for all parents
• Fertility and family building benefits including but not limited to adoption, surrogacy, and preservation
• Stipend to help with expenses that come with a new child
• Employees can enroll in Palantir’s 401k plan

Life at Palantir

We want every Palantirian to achieve their best outcomes, that’s why we celebrate individuals’ strengths, skills, and interests, from your first interview to your longterm growth, rather than rely on traditional career ladders. Paying attention to the needs of our community enables us to optimize our opportunities to grow and helps ensure many pathways to success at Palantir. Promoting health and well‑being across all areas of Palantirians’ lives is just one of the ways we’re investing in our community. Learn more at Life at Palantir and note that our offerings may vary by region.

In keeping consistent with Palantir’s values and culture, we believe employees are “better together” and in‑person work affords the opportunity for more creative outcomes. Therefore, we encourage employees to work from our offices to foster connectivity and innovation. Many teams do offer hybrid options (WFH a day or two a week), allowing our employees to strike the right trade‑off for their personal productivity. Based on business need, there are a few roles that allow for “Remote” work on an exceptional basis. If you are applying for one of these roles, you must work from the state in which you are employed. If the posting is specified as Onsite, you are required to work from an office.

If you want to empower the world's most important institutions, you belong here. Palantir values excellence regardless of background. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer for all, including but not limited to Veterans and those with disabilities. Palantir is committed to making the application and hiring process accessible to everyone and will provide a reasonable accommodation for those living with a disability. If you need an accommodation for the application or hiring process , please reach out and let us know how we can help.

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