AI Software Engineer

This applied AI software engineering role converts AI models and prototypes into secure, scalable, and maintainable production applications.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain CI/CD pipelines for ML applications.
• Automate infrastructure provisioning and configuration using modern DevOps tools.
• Implement containerization and orchestration for ML workloads.
• Support system reliability, security, and compliance in ML Ops environments.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve deployment and monitoring processes.
• Design, develop, deploy, and maintain AI-enabled applications and AI backend services.
• Build REST APIs and integrate LLMs, AI models, and enterprise data systems.
• Work closely with data scientists and ML engineers to enable scalable, secure, and efficient operations across the ML lifecycle.
• Develop operating systems-level software and may design embedded systems software.
• Set operational specifications and help formulate and analyze software requirements.
• Test and validate software as part of the development lifecycle.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree and 5 years of relevant exempt experience.
• Master’s Degree and 3 years of relevant professional experience.
• Ph.D. and 0 years of experience.
• One of the following equivalencies may be used (for Information Technology Related Positions Only): NNS Apprentice School graduate.
• One of the following equivalencies may be used (for Information Technology Related Positions Only): Navy Nuclear Power School (NNPS) graduate.
• One of the following equivalencies may be used (for Information Technology Related Positions Only): Associate’s Degree or other formal 2 year program plus 2 years relevant exempt experience, or 4 years relevant non-exempt experience.
• One of the following equivalencies may be used (for Information Technology Related Positions Only): Military Paygrade E-5 or above military experience.
• One of the following equivalencies may be used (for Information Technology Related Positions Only): High School/GED plus 4 years combined Manufacturing, Shipbuilding, Trades, Military experience or other relevant exempt experience.
• One of the following equivalencies may be used (for Information Technology Related Positions Only): High School/GED plus 8 years combined Manufacturing, Shipbuilding, Trades, Military experience or other relevant non-exempt experience.
• One of the following equivalencies may be used (for Information Technology Related Positions Only): A relevant professional certification can be substituted for a Bachelor’s Degree.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• Strong Python programming and REST API development skills.
• Experience with software architecture, cloud development, Git, and automated testing.
• Familiarity with AI/ML concepts and practical integration of LLMs or AI services.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and collaboration skills.

Technologies

• Python
• REST APIs
• Git
• MLflow
• Kubeflow
• Airflow
• Spark
• Hadoop
• Bash
• Jenkins
• GitLab CI
• Azure DevOps
• Docker
• Kubernetes
• AWS
• Azure
• GCP
• Terraform
• Ansible
• Prometheus
• Grafana
• ELK stack
• FastAPI
• Flask

Nice to Have

• Experience supporting ML Ops workflows and machine learning deployments.
• Familiarity with ML Ops tools including MLflow, Kubeflow, and Airflow.
• Knowledge of security best practices for ML and cloud environments.
• Experience with large-scale data processing systems such as Spark and Hadoop.
• Strong scripting skills using Python and Bash.
• Ability to collaborate in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment.
• Strong proficiency with CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, GitLab CI, and Azure DevOps.
• Hands-on experience with containerization and orchestration using Docker and Kubernetes.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms including AWS, Azure, and GCP.
• Knowledge of infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform and Ansible.
• Experience with monitoring and logging tools including Prometheus, Grafana, and the ELK stack.
• Solid understanding of version control systems (Git).
• Technical skills highly preferred: Python for backend and application development.
• Technical skills highly preferred: API development with REST APIs and frameworks such as FastAPI and Flask.
• Technical skills highly preferred: software architecture for scalable, modular, maintainable application design.
• Technical skills highly preferred: cloud development with Azure, AWS, or comparable platforms.
• Technical skills highly preferred: applied AI including LLM integration, generative AI APIs, and RAG implementations.
• Technical skills highly preferred: DevOps including Git, CI/CD, automated testing, and containerization.

Benefits

• Medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision plan choices
• On-site health centers
• Tele-medicine
• Wellness resources
• Employee assistance programs
• Savings plan options (401K)
• Financial education and planning tools
• Life insurance
• Tuition reimbursement
• Employee discounts
• Early childhood and post-secondary education scholarships

Job Details

• Location: Newport News, VA (onsite)
• Salary range: USD 104,000 - 131,000 per year
• Team: T56 AI and Digital Innovation
• Entity: Newport News Shipbuilding
• Req ID: 50608
• US Citizenship required: Yes
• Employment type: Full-Time
• Shift: 1st
• Relocation assistance: No relocation assistance available
• Telework: No - Not eligible for telework
• Travel requirements: No
• Clearance required: No - Clearance Not Required to Start