Software Engineer III with Security Clearance

Black Eagle Defense; Fort Meade (MD); On-site; USD 209,000 - 266,000; Full time

Job summary

Black Eagle Defense seeks a Software Engineer III to bridge analysis and development, focusing on LLM-driven Python automation pipelines. You will participate in every stage of the lifecycle from conceptualization to deployment, architecting agentic automations, conducting vulnerability research, and documenting tradecraft.

The role emphasizes integrating AI models, handling unstructured data, and engaging with customers and stakeholders to meet mission requirements.

Qualifications

• 12 years of SWE experience in programs similar in scope and complexity.
• A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field is required.
• 4 additional SWE years may substitute for a bachelor’s degree.

Responsibilities

• Serve as hybrid Analyst/Developer for AI-enabled Python pipelines.
• Contribute through the full lifecycle from concept to deployment.
• Architect agentic Python automations and document tradecraft.
• Conduct vulnerability research and analyze complex data.
• Manage strategic customer outreach and stakeholder engagement.

Skills

Agentic AI workflows

Autonomous planning

Python automation

Vulnerability analysis

Operational tradecraft

Customer outreach

Stakeholder engagement

LLM prompt engineering

AI model integration

Git usage

Jira & Confluence

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Git

Jira

Confluence

APIs & orchestration tools

Job description

Salary Range

$209,000 - $266,000/year.

Duties

As a successful candidate for the Software Engineer III role, you will serve as a hybrid Analyst/Developer utilizing your experience in LLMs and AI-integrated Python pipelines to drive mission-critical initiatives. In this position, you will participate in every stage of the development lifecycle for new tools and plugins, from initial conceptualization through deployment. Your core focus will involve architecting agentic Python automations, conducting vulnerability research, analyzing complex technical data, innovating and documenting operational tradecraft, and managing strategic customer outreach.

Required Skills

• Design and deploy agentic AI workflows utilizing autonomous planning and tool-use to streamline internal operations and improve system efficiency
• Design, develop, and maintain automated workflows using Python
• Conduct targeted vulnerability analysis
• Develop and document advanced operational tradecraft
• Execute on technical customer requests and operational requirements
• Perform strategic customer outreach and stakeholder engagement

Qualifications

Twelve (12) years' experience as a SWE in programs and contracts of similar scope, type, and complexity is required. A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related discipline from an accredited college or university is required. Four (4) years of additional SWE experience on projects with similar software processes may be substituted for a bachelor's degree.

Additional Requirements

• Leverage LLMs to solve complex technical problems with expertise in prompt engineering and model optimization
• Integrate AI models into automated pipelines and production workflows using APIs and orchestration tools
• Demonstrate strong Python development skills across complex applications
• Parse, manipulate, and transform unstructured datasets for analysis
• Apply core networking principles and understand standard network protocols
• Conduct open-source research and analytical investigations
• Apply foundational knowledge of end-to-end SIGINT collection and analysis systems
• Utilize Git for source control and code collaboration
• Leverage Atlassian tools, including Jira and Confluence, for workflow management and documentation

Desired Skills (Nice-to-Have)

• Experience with production CNO capabilities and operations