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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Lead AI Software Developer - **Company:** Zachary Piper - **Location:** Gaithersburg, MD, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $140,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Java (Programming Language), Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Agile Methodology, Artificial Intelligence, Amazon Web Services, Systems Engineering, Automation of Tests, Microsoft Azure, C++ (Programming Language), Cloud Computing, Software Quality, Computer Programming, Databases, Continuous Integration, Software Debugging, Linux, DevOps, Distributed Systems, Python (Programming Language), Machine Learning, Enterprise Messaging Systems, NoSQL, Performance Tuning, Scrum Methodology, Software Tools, Reverse Engineering, Scaled Agile Framework, Software Systems, SQL Databases, Software Testing Automation Framework, Data Streaming, Systems Integration, Git, Containerization, Kubernetes, Information Technology, Apache Kafka, Codebase, Video Streaming, Claude, Code Restructuring, Software Version Control, Devsecops, Docker, Legacy Systems, Web Api, Programming Languages, Microservices - **Published:** November 3, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.clearancejobs.com/jobs/9285056/lead-ai-software-developer ## About the Role * Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience) * 4+ years of relevant experience or a Master's Degree and 2+ years of relevant experience * Hands-on experience building and supporting microservices-based systems * Proficiency in at least one modern programming language (e.g., Java, Python, C++, or similar on a Linux-based system) * Effectively leverage AI-assisted engineering tools to understand unfamiliar codebases, analyze system behavior, develop implementation strategies, accelerate development, and improve software quality. * Experience or exposure to AI/ML-enabled systems (Claude-Code), automation, or intelligent platforms. * Ability to analyze and understand large, complex software systems with many interacting components. * Analyze existing software interfaces and data flows to implement new capabilities within a complex distributed system. * Experience enhancing and maintaining existing software systems while preserving operational stability. * Ability to abstract complex implementation details into higher-level architectural concepts and communicate those concepts effectively. * Experience working in Agile environments * Understanding of APIs and distributed system concepts * Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust, * Experience with large-scale distributed systems * Experience working with safety-critical or high-availability software * Experience reverse-engineering existing software designs * Experience integrating with legacy systems * Experience reading and understanding large existing codebases * Experience with Git-based version control and CI/CD pipelines * Familiarity with Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) * Experience working with relational and/or NoSQL databases * Hands-on experience with Kafka or other event-streaming technologies * Cloud experience (AWS, Azure, or GCP) * Containerization and orchestration experience (Docker, Kubernetes) * Experience working in DevSecOps environments * Experience with test automation frameworks and integration of automated test suites into CI/CD pipelines ## Description Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Lead AI Software Developer to join a federal program located in Gaithersburg, MD on a hybrid basis. The Lead AI Software Developer will design and implement software solutions independently while working closely with systems engineering, product delivery, and DevSecOps teams., * Participate in sprint planning, daily standups, reviews, and retrospectives * Collaborate with systems engineering and program teams to translate requirements into working software solutions * Develop clean, maintainable, and testable code following CI/CD and DevSecOps practices * Contribute to system design discussions and technical decision-making * Integrate services with databases, messaging systems, and external APIs * Support troubleshooting, performance tuning, and continuous improvement * Work closely with QA, DevOps, and platform teams to ensure reliable delivery * Implement modern automated testing strategies, including unit, integration, contract, and end-to-end testing * Use AI-assisted development tools to accelerate coding, refactoring, debugging, and test creation, Key Words; ai, developer, software, federal, cleared, government, faa, artificial intelligence, api, agile, safe, microservices, java, puthon, c, programming, ml, machine learning, claude, sql, database, kafka, reverse engineering