Senior Software Engineer (AI/ML)

About the role

The Senior Software Engineer (AI/ML) will support the partnership between 540 and Google in enhancing mission-critical capabilities for a global data processing platform. This platform uses Machine Learning, cloud, and containerized technologies to process high-volume, time-series data.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop machine learning models and applications for deployment to cloud-native services
• Collaborate with data engineers and data scientists to productionize machine learning models and data pipelines
• Collaborate with a cross-functional team of architects, engineers, and scientists to design and deploy Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) at scale
• Integrate AI/ML capabilities into production systems (e.g., model inference APIs, decision-support features, anomaly detection workflows)
• Design and optimize data models and persistence layers to support both transactional and analytical workloads
• Enable intelligent application behavior by delivering AI and ML features to user-facing applications
• Contribute to technical design documentation and system architecture artifacts
• Lead or participate in code reviews, testing, and troubleshooting to ensure high-quality software
• Drive system reliability through robust testing
• Improve system performance, scalability, and reliability as the platform evolves

Requirements

• 8+ years of professional software development experience
• Experience developing microservices in containerized environments
• Experience with, or a strong conceptual understanding of, LLM-based applications, RAG pipelines, and AI-driven decision systems
• Experience with Python
• Experience working with relational databases and data warehouses
• Experience integrating AI/ML capabilities into applications (e.g., working with model inference APIs, ML pipelines, or data-driven features)
• Ability to produce technical design documentation (system diagrams, architecture artifacts)
• Familiarity with MLOps concepts (model deployment, monitoring, versioning)
• Ability to design with future scalability and platform evolution in mind
• Demonstrated ownership and ability to drive work from concept to production
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to navigate ambiguity
• Excellent communication skills, including working directly with stakeholders or clients

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related field (preferred)

Skills

• Experience with Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or similar cloud environments
• Experience designing and consuming RESTful APIs
• Experience with API gateways and API management platforms, such as Google Apigee
• Familiarity with API authentication and authorization (PKI, OAuth2, JWT, LDAP, SAML, etc.)
• Experience working on U.S. Federal Government programs, particularly DoW environments
• Google Cloud Professional-level certifications

Benefits

• Flexible PTO + all Federal holidays off
• Health, dental and vision insurance plans
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• 401k with employer match
• Company-sponsored life insurance, short- and long-term disability
• Professional development (training, certifications, conferences)
• Paid cloud developer accounts
• Referral bonuses
• HQ office perks (parking / metro reimbursement, nitro coffee & lunches)
• Annual social events (540 Week, hackathon, charity golf tournament, etc.)
• Access to 540's Washington Capitals & Nationals tickets

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)

540's policy is to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.