Sr. AI Software Developer - 175380

Piper Companies; Gaithersburg (MD); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Zachary Piper Solutions seeks a Senior AI Software Developer to support national air traffic modernization for a government customer in Gaithersburg, MD. The role is full-time and hybrid (3 days onsite, 2 days remote) with a focus on designing, building, and modernizing mission-critical software systems using AI-augmented development practices within an Agile/SAFe environment.

The ideal candidate will have 8+ years of software development (or 6+ with a Master's), strong experience with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 8+ years of software development experience, or 6+ with a Master's.
• Hands-on experience building and supporting microservices-based systems.
• Proficiency in Java, Python, C++, or similar on Linux-based systems.
• Experience with AI/ML-enabled systems or AI-assisted development tools.
• Experience in Agile software development environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead Agile sprint planning to align team priorities and deliverables.
• Mentor development teams, remove roadblocks, drive continuous improvement.
• Design, develop, and maintain microservices-based applications.
• Collaborate with product owners, architects, and engineers in an Agile/SAFe setting.
• Implement automated testing strategies including unit, integration, and end-to-end tests.
• Use AI-assisted tools to improve development velocity and debugging.

Skills

Java

Python

C++

Linux

AI/ML

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering or related

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Kafka

AWS

Job description

Zachary Piper Solutions is currently seeking a Senior AI Software Developer to support air traffic modernization efforts for a government customer based in Gaithersburg, MD. This position is a full-time role that will be hybrid, requiring 3 days onsite and 2 days remote each week.

As a Senior AI Software Developer, you will play a pivotal role in designing, developing, and modernizing mission-critical software systems that directly support national air traffic operations. This role combines traditional software engineering with AI-augmented development practices to improve software quality, accelerate delivery, and enhance system reliability within a highly collaborative Agile/SAFe environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead Agile sprint planning efforts to ensure alignment of team priorities, clear deliverables, and successful project execution.
• Mentor and guide development teams by sharing technical expertise, removing roadblocks, and fostering continuous improvement.
• Design, develop, and maintain microservices-based applications using modern software engineering best practices.
• Collaborate with product owners, architects, systems engineers, and developers within an Agile/SAFe environment.
• Participate in sprint planning, daily standups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives.
• Translate system requirements into scalable, maintainable software solutions.
• Develop clean, maintainable, and testable code while following CI/CD and DevSecOps practices.
• Contribute to system architecture discussions and technical decision-making.
• Integrate software services with databases, messaging systems, and external APIs.
• Support troubleshooting, performance optimization, and system enhancements.
• Work closely with QA, DevOps, and platform engineering teams to ensure reliable software delivery.
• Implement automated testing strategies including unit, integration, contract, and end-to-end testing.
• Utilize AI-assisted development tools to improve development velocity, refactoring, debugging, and test creation.
• Support modernization initiatives for real-time, safety-critical government systems.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience).
• Ability to obtain and maintain a favorable Public Trust investigation
• 8+ years of software development experience, or a Master's degree with 6+ years of relevant experience.
• Hands-on experience building and supporting microservices-based systems.
• Proficiency in at least one modern programming language such as Java, Python, C++, or similar development languages on Linux-based systems.
• Experience or familiarity with AI/ML-enabled systems, intelligent platforms, automation technologies, or AI-assisted development tools.
• Experience working within Agile software development environments.
• Understanding of APIs, distributed systems, and service-oriented architectures.
• Successful completion of all required government background investigations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Git-based version control systems and CI/CD pipelines.
• Familiarity with the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe).
• Experience working with relational and/or NoSQL databases.
• Hands-on experience with Kafka or other event-streaming technologies.
• Cloud experience with AWS, Azure, or GCP (AWS preferred).
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and container orchestration platforms.
• Experience working in DevSecOps environments.
• Experience implementing automated testing frameworks and integrating automated test suites into CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience supporting real-time, mission-critical, or government systems.

Compensation to include:

• Salary Range: $130,000 - $175,000 depending on experience
• Full Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, PTO, Sick Leave if Required by Law

This job opens for applications on 9/29/2026. Applications for this position will be accepted for at least 30 days from the posting date.

Keywords: AI Software Developer, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, AI-Assisted Development, Microservices, Software Engineering, Java, Python, C++, Linux, Agile, SAFe, Scaled Agile Framework, DevSecOps, CI/CD, AWS, Azure, GCP, Docker, Kubernetes, Kafka, Event Streaming, APIs, Distributed Systems, Cloud Computing, Automated Testing, Unit Testing, Integration Testing, End-to-End Testing, Contract Testing, Software Architecture, Systems Engineering, Air Traffic Control, FAA, Aviation Technology, Government Programs, Public Trust Clearance, Real-Time Systems, Mission-Critical Systems, Backend Development, Cloud Native Applications, Software Modernization, DevOps, Technical Leadership, System Design, NoSQL Databases, Relational Databases, Gaithersburg, Maryland