Software Engineer (Hybrid) - 29300

Mission Technologies, a division of HII; Columbia (MD); Hybrid; USD 115,199 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full healthcare coverage

401k with 10% match

Generous PTO & holidays

Education/training allowances

Job summary

Enlighten is a cutting-edge technology company seeking a Software Engineer to join our team. You will help build the agentic platform for our Data Lake tool, with a focus on Python-based components and container orchestration in Kubernetes.

You will implement Model Context Protocol servers, reusable AI skills, safety guardrails, and integrate with internal APIs. Hybrid work supports collaboration at our Columbia, MD office.

Qualifications

• Security clearance – U.S. Citizenship required; ability to obtain/maintain clearance.
• 5+ years in software engineering with Python backend focus; degree in a related field.
• Kubernetes proficiency with containerized workloads.
• Applied AI experience with LLM APIs or open-source models.
• Knowledge of prompt engineering, agents, function-calling, and RAG.
• Experience designing RESTful APIs and microservices.
• Experience with Git, CI/CD pipelines, Docker.
• Comfortable on Linux command line; hybrid work 1–2 days/week in Columbia, MD.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop Python-based components for the core agentic platform.
• Deploy, manage, and scale applications within Kubernetes environments.
• Build MCP servers and a library of reusable skills for AI agents.
• Collaborate with teams to expose Java-based APIs to AI agents.
• Implement enterprise AI guardrails for data privacy and security.
• Maintain testing pipelines for non-deterministic AI outputs.
• Troubleshoot and work under pressure with multiple deadlines.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Python backend

Kubernetes

AI integration

REST APIs

Docker

CI/CD

Linux CLI

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree

Masters degree

High School Diploma

Tools

Git

CI/CD pipelines

Docker

Job description

Enlighten, honored as a Top Workplace from USA Today, is a leader in big data solution development and deployment, with expertise in cloud-based services, software and systems engineering, cyber capabilities, and data science. Enlighten provides continued innovation and proactivity in meeting our customers’ greatest challenges.

Our hybrid work approach ensures that you can make lasting relationships with your team and collaborate in‑person to get the job done—while having the flexibility to work from home when needed to achieve focused results.

Why Enlighten?

Benefits

• 100% paid employee premium for healthcare, vision and dental plans.
• 10% 401k benefit.
• Generous PTO + 10 paid holidays.
• Education/training allowances.

Anticipated Salary Range: $115,199.00 - $145,000.00. This range is a good‑faith estimate based on location, expectations, and responsibilities. When extending an offer, Enlighten takes a variety of factors into consideration including but not limited to the role’s function, internal equity and a candidate’s education or training, work experience, certifications and key skills. Occasionally positions may include additional non‑recurrent compensation, which will be addressed by the recruiter during the interview process.

Job Description

Enlighten is a cutting‑edge technology company dedicated to developing innovative software solutions for our clients. We are currently seeking a talented and experienced Software Engineer to join our team to help build foundational AI integration frameworks and agentic platforms.

As a Software Engineer focused on AI Integration, you will be responsible for designing, developing, and implementing the agentic platform for our proprietary Data Lake tool, JCRSD. This role is primarily focused on Python‑based components and requires strong container orchestration skills to ensure seamless deployment.

This role is not focused on training foundational AI models from scratch. Instead, you will take industry best practices, open‑source capabilities, and large language models (LLMs) and build a secure, scalable framework that allows our platform to seamlessly leverage AI. You will build Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, reusable AI skills, strict safety guardrails, and coordinate with disparate internal teams to expose their APIs to our autonomous agents. If you are a self‑motivated, creative software engineer who loves Python, Kubernetes, and treating AI as a complex software integration problem, we would love to hear from you.

Mid‑Senior Level

Essential Job Responsibilities

• Design and develop Python‑based components for our core agentic platform.
• Deploy, manage, and scale applications within Kubernetes (K8s) environments efficiently right out of the gate.
• Build Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers and a library of reusable "skills" (function calling/tools) that enable AI agents to safely interact with internal databases, microservices, and external APIs.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to help them expose their Java‑based APIs to our AI agents.
• Implement strict enterprise AI guardrails, ensuring data privacy, sensitive data scrubbing, prompt‑injection defenses, and output validation to meet stringent security requirements.
• Maintain an inquisitive nature, responsiveness, and excellent testing skills (including automated testing pipelines for non‑deterministic AI outputs).
• Possess strong troubleshooting skills and the ability to work under pressure with multiple deadlines in a fast‑paced, small‑business environment.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Security Clearance – Must obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Security Clearance, but not required on day one; U.S. Citizenship required. Candidates with current Secret or TS level clearance are also considered.
• At least 5 years of experience in Software Engineering, with a strong focus on Python backend development and a Bachelors in a related field; 3 years relevant experience with a Masters in a related field; or High School Diploma or equivalent and 9 years relevant experience.
• Kubernetes Proficiency – Demonstrated, hands‑on experience deploying and managing containerized workloads in Kubernetes.
• Applied AI Experience – Hands‑on experience integrating commercial LLM APIs (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic) or open‑source models into production backend applications.
• AI Concepts – Demonstrated understanding of modern applied AI concepts such as prompt engineering, agents, function‑calling/tool‑use, and Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG).
• Experience in designing enterprise APIs, RESTful web services, and Microservices architecture.
• Experience with configuration management tools (e.g., Git, CI/CD pipelines, Docker).
• Comfortable working on a Linux command line.
• Must be able to work in a hybrid environment, spending an average of 1‑2 days per week at our Columbia, MD office. Flexibility is essential to adapt to schedule changes as needed.

Preferred Requirements

• Current Clearances – Active Secret or Top Secret clearances are a strong plus.
• Java Interoperability (Plus) – Familiarity with Java frameworks (e.g., Spring) or Java‑based software capabilities to assist disparate teams in connecting their components to the agent platform.
• Familiarity with Python‑based AI integration frameworks (LangChain, LlamaIndex, CrewAI, AutoGen).
• Experience with Vector Databases, semantic caching, and AI observability tools.
• Experience with NiFi, Kafka, and cloud‑based infrastructure (AWS, Azure).
• Experience in SQL databases (e.g., Postgres, MySQL), distributed databases, or NoSQL databases.
• Prior experience or familiarity with Big Data Platforms or Data Lake architectures.
• DoD 8140 / 8570 IAT Level II compliance certifications may be required in this position as directed by the customer.

We have many more additional great benefits/perks that you can find on our website at www.enlighten.com.