Software Engineer (Hybrid) - 29301

Mission Technologies, a division of HII; Columbia (MD); Hybrid; USD 137,510 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare premium for employee

10% 401k benefit

PTO + 10 paid holidays

Education/training allowances

Job summary

Enlighten is a cutting-edge technology company focused on AI integration frameworks and data platforms. We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to help build the agentic platform for our Data Lake tool, JCRSD, with Python, Kubernetes, and AI safety guardrails.

You will design, develop, and deploy scalable backend components, collaborate across teams, and contribute to secure, compliant production systems while mentoring teammates in a fast-paced hybrid environment in Columbia, MD.

Qualifications

• 9+ years of software engineering experience with Python backend focus.
• Kubernetes deployment and management experience.
• Experience integrating LLM APIs or open-source models into production backend applications.
• API design and microservices architecture experience.
• Hybrid work; 1-2 days per week at Columbia, MD office.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop Python-based components for core agentic platform.
• Deploy and scale applications in Kubernetes environments.
• Build MCP servers and reusable AI skills for safe interactions.
• Collaborate to expose Java-based APIs to AI agents.
• Implement enterprise AI guardrails for privacy and security.
• Maintain testing pipelines for non-deterministic AI outputs.
• Lead and mentor engineers; balance hands-on work with leadership.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Python backend development

AI integration

Linux CLI

Mentorship / leadership

API design

Microservices

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Master's degree in related field

Tools

Kubernetes

Git

CI/CD pipelines

Docker

RESTful APIs

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.

We recognize that the most effective environment for your projects doesn’t always look the same. 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.

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: $137,510.00 - $195,000.00. The salary range for this role is intended as a good faith estimate based on the role's location, expectations, and responsibilities. When extending an offer, Enlighten takes a variety of factors into consideration which include, but are not limited to, the role's function, internal equity and a candidate's education or training, work experience, certifications and key skills. Occasionally positions/roles may include additional non‑recurrent compensation and will be addressed by the recruiter during the interview process.

Job Description

Enlighten is a cutting‑edge technology company that is dedicated to developing innovative software solutions for our clients. We are currently seeking a talented and experienced Senior 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.

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.
• Seamlessly transition between hands‑on execution and team guidance, treating mentorship and team leadership as inherent components of senior‑level impact.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Clearance Requirement: Must obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Security Clearance, but not required on day one; U.S. Citizenship required.
• 9 years of experience in Software Engineering, with a strong focus on Python backend development and a Bachelors in related field; 7 years relevant experience with Masters in related field; or High School Diploma or equivalent and 13 years relevant experience.
• Kubernetes Proficiency: Demonstrated, hands‑on experience deploying and managing containerized workloads in Kubernetes (K8s).
• 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.
• Demonstrated experience serving as a tech lead, mentor, or manager for engineering teams.
• 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.