Senior Applied AI Engineer - Software Engineering

About the role

Visionist has an exciting new, fully funded opportunity for a Senior Applied AI Engineer - Software Engineering on our largest PRIME contract. Our team of Analysts and Engineers is motivated by the direct impact on the mission, crafting specialized tools for enhanced efficiency and quick iterations for our operations user base. Seeing your tools in real-time action brings immediate gratification.

This premier program encompasses traditional software services including Systems Design and Engineering, Database Administration, Data Science and Knowledge Management, Enterprise Risk Management, Integration and Test, as well as Operations and Systems Support. The program is characterized by innovation and excitement, fostering meaningful engagements, and offering distinctive collaboration opportunities with users, policy makers, and mission leadership, all while maintaining a service mindset.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain production AI-enabled software applications using Python and modern software engineering practices
• Architect and implement LLM-powered workflows, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines, and AI agent capabilities that solve mission problems
• Develop backend services, APIs, and data pipelines supporting AI-enabled applications
• Translate natural language user requests into deterministic analytical workflows through integration with mission data sources, databases, and search platforms
• Collaborate directly with mission stakeholders to understand operational workflows and rapidly prototype customer-focused AI solutions
• Integrate structured and unstructured data from multiple sources into scalable AI applications
• Evaluate emerging AI frameworks, models, and software engineering techniques for mission applicability
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to technical architecture, engineering standards, and software design across the team

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline (additional 4 years of experience may substitute degree)
• 12 years of experience in software development
• Production software development experience using Python
• Experience designing and developing distributed or backend software systems
• Experience building AI-enabled applications using LLMs, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), AI agents, or similar technologies
• Experience developing REST APIs and integrating multiple data sources
• Experience working with SQL, Elasticsearch, or other data storage technologies
• Strong understanding of software architecture, object-oriented design, and software engineering best practices
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Experience collaborating directly with mission customers to understand requirements and deliver operational solutions
• Ability to communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders

Benefits

• 100% employee-owned company
• Competitive 15% retirement contribution (5% 401K match & 10% ESOP)
• 4 weeks paid time off that is never "use or lose", 12 paid holidays, comp time, overtime, and flexible work hours
• 80 hours of paid parental leave with an additional $8,000 supplemental payment upon returning from maternity
• Medical, dental, & vision benefits for both individuals and families (those who waive medical benefits will receive an additional $4,160/year)
• Annual lifestyle bonus of $600 – use it towards gyms/fitness, new tech, or your HSA
• Annual merit increases & performance-based bonuses
• Term life insurance, short-term disability, & long-term disability

Pay

Salary range: $170,000 - $240,000