Senior AI Software Engineer / AI Engineer

Work on secure, scalable, enterprise AI applications at Newport News Shipbuilding in a hybrid role.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and deploy enterprise AI-enabled applications, APIs, microservices, and backend services
• Integrate LLMs, generative AI, and machine learning into business workflows
• Convert AI prototypes and models into production solutions that are scalable, secure, and maintainable
• Partner with data engineers, data scientists, ML engineers, and software engineers to deliver end-to-end AI capabilities
• Build cloud-native applications and implement CI/CD, automated testing, monitoring, and deployment practices
• Support application performance, reliability, scalability, and alignment with security standards
• Provide technical leadership through architecture guidance, code reviews, and mentoring
• Assess emerging AI technologies and recommend practical approaches that deliver business value

Requirements

• Education and experience (must have):
  • Bachelor’s Degree and 14 years of relevant exempt experience
  • Master’s Degree and 12 years of relevant professional experience
  • Ph.D. and 9 years of experience
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field
• Professional software engineering experience designing and delivering complex production applications
• Strong proficiency in Python, backend development, RESTful APIs, and microservices
• Experience with software architecture, distributed systems, databases, and enterprise application integration
• Hands-on experience developing or integrating AI/ML-enabled applications or generative AI services
• Experience with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, or GCP), Git, CI/CD, and automated testing
• Strong troubleshooting, problem-solving, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Ability to independently lead complex technical development efforts
• Equivalent substitutions for Bachelor's Degree (for Information Technology Related Positions Only) may be accepted, including:
  • NNS Apprentice School graduate
  • Navy Nuclear Power School (NNPS) graduate
  • Associate’s Degree or other formal 2-year program with 2 years relevant exempt experience, or 4 years relevant non-exempt experience
  • Military paygrade E-5 or above military experience
  • High School/GED with 4 years combined Manufacturing, Shipbuilding, Trades, Military experience or other relevant exempt experience
  • High School/GED with 8 years combined Manufacturing, Shipbuilding, Trades, Military experience or other relevant non-exempt experience
  • A relevant professional certification can substitute for a Bachelor's Degree

Nice to Have

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, AI, or related field
• 2+ years practical experience developing AI/ML or generative AI applications
• Experience integrating LLMs, building retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) solutions, or developing AI-powered workflows
• Familiarity with AI orchestration frameworks such as LangChain, LangGraph, LlamaIndex, or Semantic Kernel
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud-native deployments
• Knowledge of MLOps/LLMOps, AI application evaluation, monitoring, and security
• Experience with enterprise AI platforms such as Azure OpenAI, Amazon Bedrock, or Google Vertex AI
• Demonstrated technical leadership, mentoring, and architecture experience

Technologies

• Programming & APIs: Python, FastAPI, RESTful APIs, SQL, Java, C#, TypeScript
• AI & LLMs: LLMs, generative AI, machine learning, prompt engineering, RAG, embeddings, agentic AI
• Frameworks & tools: LangChain, LangGraph, LlamaIndex, Semantic Kernel
• Cloud & services: Azure, AWS, GCP, Azure OpenAI, Amazon Bedrock, Google Vertex AI
• Platforms & infra: Git, Docker, Kubernetes
• Deployment & operations: CI/CD, automated testing, MLOps, LLMOps, ML inference APIs, LLMOps tooling
• Data & retrieval: vector databases, semantic search
• Security & reliability: authentication, authorization, secure API development, application observability
• Integration formats: OpenAI-compatible APIs

Travel and Clearance

• Travel required: Yes, 10% to 25% of the time
• Clearance required: Yes (Final Clearance required to start)

Telework and Citizenship

• Virtual/Telework opportunity: Yes (occasional or hybrid telework available)
• US citizenship required: Yes

Salary

• $144,000 to $190,000 per year (estimated base pay; final compensation based on experience and qualifications)

Benefits

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

Location and Work Mode

• Newport News, VA
• Hybrid role

Reasonable Accommodation

• For reasonable accommodation during the employment process, email [email protected] with the request details and contact information
• Accommodations are considered on a case-by-case basis
• Phone assistance: 1-844-849-8463 (press #2 for Newport News Shipbuilding)