Sr. Software Engineer

Cardone Ventures; Annapolis (MD); On-site; USD 150,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Cardone Ventures seeks a senior software engineer on the East Coast to design, build, and evolve AI-powered applications used by hundreds of users. You will own substantial parts of the stack, from backend Rust services to Django-based front ends, and you will operate with autonomy.

You will contribute to architecture decisions, work with LLMs, and collaborate with a small elite team to ship production-grade software and drive modernization while maintaining security and reliability.

Qualifications

• 8–12 years of professional software engineering experience.
• 5+ years working on enterprise or production-grade software.
• Strong experience with Django and front end application development systems.
• Strong experience with Rust for backend systems.
• Hands-on experience with LLMs and AI tooling.

Responsibilities

• Build/evolve AI-powered applications using modern frameworks and open-source tools.
• Ship production-grade software with real users, not hobby projects.
• Develop backend systems in Rust and application layers in Django.
• Work with large language models and AI tooling, including OpenAI-based systems.
• Collaborate with leadership and senior engineers to shape technical direction.

Skills

Django

Rust

LLMs / AI tooling

Production-grade software

Tools

OpenAI frameworks

Frontend development systems

Job description

For East Coast candidates: MD or VA

Based on Security Clearance Requirements – Candidates Must Be United States Citizens w/Ability to Clear Security Clearance Protocols (US Residency is Required)

Experience: Django for Frontend Buildouts: 1 year (Preferred); Production Grade Software: 5 years (Required); Rust for Backend Systems: 2 years (Preferred)

About the Role

We are building defense-grade, production-ready AI systems that solve real national security problems at scale. This is not a DevOps role and not a maintenance role. This is a hands-on engineering position for senior builders who want to design, ship, and evolve high-impact software used by hundreds or thousands of users. You will work on a mix of new IRAD initiatives and existing products, contributing directly to architecture decisions, feature development, and modernization efforts. We are assembling a small, elite engineering team and are intentional about who joins it. If you are a senior engineer who thrives in environments where you build new things that make a real world impact, take extreme ownership of your craft and strive for continuous growth, this role is designed for you.

What You’ll Be Working On

• Building/evolving AI-powered applications using modern frameworks and open-source tools
• Designing and shipping production-grade software with real users, not hobby projects
• Developing backend systems in Rust and application layers in Django
• Working with large language models and AI tooling, including OpenAI-based systems
• Contributing to new product development as well as modernizing existing platforms
• Collaborating closely with leadership and other senior engineers to shape technical direction
• Operating as a true individual contributor with autonomy and accountability

What We’re Looking For

• 8 to 12 years of professional software engineering experience
• Minimum of 5 years working on enterprise or production-grade software
• Strong experience with Django and front end application development systems
• Strong experience with Rust for backend systems
• Hands-on experience working with LLMs, AI tooling, or OpenAI-style frameworks
• Demonstrated ability to ship software used by hundreds or thousands of users
• Ability to self-start, propose solutions, and execute with empowerment
• Comfortable owning problems end-to-end, from concept to deployment
• Experience in national security or defense is not required, but interest in the space is expected.

How We Evaluate Candidates

We take the candidate experience seriously while maintaining a high bar.

• Brief cultural and behavioral interview
• Deeper dive into your technical skills through a customized case study evaluation
• Closing out with a brief core values presentation to assess intentionality, alignment, and communication fits within the team

We value thoughtful preparation, clarity of thinking, and ownership more than perfect answers.

Compensation and Equity

Base salary range: $150,000 to $220,000

Exceptional candidates may be considered at higher compensation levels

Bonuses and performance-based incentives

Opportunity to grow with the company toward a targeted IPO timeline

We are transparent about compensation and structure offers thoughtfully for the right people.

Why Join Us

• You’ll work on real products with real impact
• You’ll join a small, senior team with high standards and low bureaucracy
• You’ll have visibility, ownership, and influence from day one
• You’ll help shape systems, not just tickets
• You’ll be part of a company focused on building real value, not inflated narratives
• This is a role for engineers who want to build, not hide.