Software Engineer, Intelligent Systems

About the role

The Virginia Tech National Security Institute (VTNSI) is a national leader in advancing security and resilience through innovative and applied research. VTNSI brings together exceptional interdisciplinary faculty, unique research infrastructure, and deep partnerships with industry and government sponsors to execute impactful research and development.

Responsibilities

• Software development tasks across 2-3 programs primarily focused on artificial intelligence
• Learn about the underlying technical concepts of assigned programs (through both independent learning as well as through program mentors)
• Participation in weekly program meetings and periodic sponsor meetings (requiring oral and/or written updates)
• Thorough test, evaluation, and documentation of developed software (As desired)
• Opportunities to participate in research paper writing and business development proposal writing

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related STEM discipline to the position summary
• Strong communication skills
• Proficiency in software development and familiarity with best coding practices in one or more of the following programming languages: C++, Python
• Familiarity with Continuous Integration/Continuous Development (CI/CD) processes for code development, test and evaluation
• Familiarity with version control tools (e.g., Git)
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to work as a member of a development team in executing sponsored projects

Qualifications

• A U.S. citizen
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to document and define test cases for developed software
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• U.S. Security Clearance at the Secret level or higher
• Proficiency in Linux and Docker
• Familiarity with GPU-based code development (e.g., CUDA)
• Familiarity with AI/ML development concepts such as RL, RAG, MCP, Agentic AI, multi-modal learning, etc.
• Familiarity with AI/ML development tools such as PyTorch, Keras, Tensorflow, LangChain, etc.
• Proficiency in developing web and/or non-web based graphical user interfaces (GUIs) utilizing frameworks such as React, Vue, Qt, etc.

Pay

Starting at $90,000; commensurate with experience

Schedule

40 hours per week