Sr. AI Engineer, Special Programs

About the role

This position focuses on building and deploying mission-critical AI solutions for U.S. federal agencies. You will own the integration of frontier AI models into secure government environments alongside research, product, infrastructure, and legal teams. The role demands strict adherence to safety and ethical standards while delivering high-impact technical solutions. You will define product requirements and build software specifically tailored for federal and enterprise use cases. Creating robust evaluation frameworks will be essential to benchmark model performance against strict customer requirements. System prompt tuning and model fine-tuning will be core responsibilities to ensure secure and reliable deployment. You will review system logs and outputs to guarantee auditability and operational reliability in all solutions.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Integrate AI frontier models, such as the Grok family, with government data systems and platforms to enable secure operations.
• Define product requirements and build software tailored for federal and enterprise use cases, ensuring alignment with mission objectives.
• Create evaluation frameworks to benchmark model performance and ensure compliance with stringent customer requirements and regulatory standards.
• Tune system prompts and perform fine-tuning to improve model output for secure deployment in controlled government environments.
• Review system logs and outputs to ensure auditability, reliability, and traceability of all AI-driven processes and decisions.
• Develop internal tools to automate workflows in secure environments, enhancing efficiency and reducing manual intervention.
• Coordinate with agency stakeholders to prototype and iterate on technical solutions, incorporating feedback for continuous improvement.
• Write and ship production-grade code with a focus on speed, reliability, and direct impact on mission success.
• Implement infrastructure-as-code practices to manage secure and scalable environments for AI model deployment.
• Collaborate across cross-functional teams to identify opportunities for AI augmentation and optimization of existing government systems.

Requirements

• Hold a Bachelor degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Engineering, or Data Science from an accredited institution.
• Possess a minimum of 5 years of professional software engineering experience, specifically in building APIs, scalable systems, or AI/ML applications.
• Maintain an active Top-Secret or Top-Secret SCI clearance to meet the highest levels of security eligibility.
• Demonstrate U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status to comply with ITAR regulations and export control laws.
• Show a proven track record of delivering complex software projects in high-stakes, high-security environments.
• Exhibit strong problem-solving skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic setting.
• Commit to adhering to strict safety, ethical, and compliance standards for all AI-related activities and deployments.
• Display the capability to work effectively with government stakeholders and follow established federal acquisition frameworks.

Nice to have

• Bring 6+ years of software engineering experience in high-security or high-reliability environments to ensure robust solution delivery.
• Contribute prior experience working with the DoD, federal agencies, or government contractors to navigate complex procurement and compliance landscapes.
• Demonstrate proficiency in Python or TypeScript to develop and maintain scalable backend services and AI applications.
• Leverage experience with infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform or Pulumi to automate secure environment provisioning.
• Apply strong knowledge of HTTP protocols and secure API architecture to design resilient communication layers.
• Utilize background in deploying machine learning models to cloud-based or secure government environments for seamless integration.
• Manage massive datasets and optimize system performance for high-throughput workloads to meet demanding operational needs.
• Maintain experience in SDK development or writing technical documentation to support government developers and internal teams.

Practical notes

• Salary range is set between $220,000 and $350,000 per year, reflecting the scope and impact of the role.
• Compensation includes potential stock options, long-term cash awards, discretionary bonuses, and participation in an Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
• Comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, vision coverage, a 401(k) plan, life insurance, disability insurance, and paid parental leave.
• Employees receive 3 weeks of vacation along with 10+ paid holidays annually to support work-life balance.
• Willingness to work extended hours and weekends is required to meet project deadlines and respond to critical needs.
• Travel may be required for up to 20% of the time to visit government sites and collaborate with agency teams on-site.
• Applicants must be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, or asylees to comply with U.S. export regulations and ITAR requirements.