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Software Engineer I - Inference with Security Clearance

Black Eagle DefenseFort Meade, MD🇺🇸United StatesPosted 18 Aug 2026

Why This Role Stands Out

This hybrid role offers an exceptional opportunity to shape the future of AI infrastructure, working with cutting-edge LLMs and enjoying competitive compensation between $124,000 and $181,000 annually. If you are a skilled Software Engineer eager to continuously develop your expertise in a dynamic, impactful environment with a leading defense technology company, this position is perfect for you. Apply today to contribute to critical AI advancements!

Quick Overview

Salary
$124k - $181k/yr
Work Type
Hybrid
Schedule
Employee
Level
Mid Senior

Job Description

Job Description SALARY RANGE $124,000 - $181,000/year. DUTIES As a successful candidate for the Software Engineer I - Inference role, you will join our AI infrastructure team to build and maintain the foundation for customer AI capabilities while supporting a broader ecosystem of AI-enabled applications. Your primary focus will be ensuring seamless access to the highest quality large language models (LLMs) throughout the inference software stack. Operating in a dynamic environment where requirements shift as mission needs evolve and new technologies emerge, you will continuously sharpen your skills and turn loosely defined problems into impactful, working solutions.

Required Skills SKILLS

  • Procure, configure, and test new inference models to prepare them for seamless release to the user base
  • Develop in-house services and techniques to guarantee continuous, high-quality inference performance
  • Partner with model vendor teams to establish reliable integration pipelines for closed-source models
  • Collaborate with teammates on surge efforts to address high-priority, short-term customer inference demands
  • Engage with cross-functional teams to build resilient service infrastructure and integrate LLM-powered tools for end-user needs QUALIFICATIONS Three (3) years' experience as a SWE in programs and contracts of similar scope, type, and complexity is required.

A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related discipline from an accredited college or university is required. Four (4) years of additional SWE experience on projects with similar software processes may be substituted for a bachelor's degree.

Additional Requirements:

  • Develop with Python and other modern programming languages
  • Utilize Argo CD or other modern CI/CD frameworks
  • Deploy and manage containerized applications using Kubernetes and Helm
  • Operate within AWS or other major cloud service provider environments
  • Demonstrate a proven ability to rapidly learn and adopt emerging technologies
  • Communicate clearly and collaborate proactively to address technical and mission needs

Desired Skills NICE-TO-HAVES

  • Leverage vLLM, LiteLLM, or similar inference-serving frameworks
  • Apply modern LLM hosting frameworks and deployment practices
  • Support production software using Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) best practices
  • Utilize Elastic, Grafana, Prometheus, or other observability frameworks
  • Package and manage applications using Docker and containerization
  • Implement traffic shaping and quality-of-service engineering strategies
  • Demonstrate strong interest and foundational knowledge in hosting AI capabilities

Skills

Docker
AWS
Grafana
Helm
Kubernetes
LLM
Prometheus
Python

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