Software Engineer - AI Integration | DoD Security Clearance

Phoenix Operations Group seeks a Software Engineer in Columbia, Maryland, to build secure AI integrations and agent capabilities for enterprise data platforms. This hybrid position requires approximately 1-2 days onsite per week. U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance are required; an active clearance is not required at the time of hire., * Develop Python backend services, MCP servers, and reusable AI tools.

• Deploy and scale Kubernetes workloads.
• Connect AI agents with APIs, databases, and microservices.
• Implement privacy safeguards, prompt-injection defenses, and output validation.
• Automate testing, troubleshoot issues, and collaborate across engineering teams.

• Related bachelor’s degree plus five years’ relevant experience; related master’s plus three years; or high school diploma/equivalent plus nine years.
• Strong Python development and hands-on Kubernetes experience.
• Production experience integrating LLM APIs or open-source models.
• Understanding of agents, prompt engineering, tool use, and RAG.
• Experience with REST APIs, microservices, Git, Docker, CI/CD, and Linux.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with Java/Spring, AI integration frameworks, vector databases, semantic caching, AI observability, AWS/Azure, NiFi/Kafka, relational/NoSQL databases, or data lakes.

Clearance and Program Requirements

U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain government clearance are required. Active clearance is not required initially; Secret or Top Secret is preferred. Onsite schedules may change. Customer-directed DoD 8140/8570 IAT Level II certification may be required.

Benefits Offered

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance: 100% company-paid premiums.
• Short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance: 100% company paid.
• 401(k): Automatic 10% company contribution; no matching required.
• Paid time off: Four weeks per year.
• Paid holidays: Eleven per year.
• Birthday leave: Your birthday off with pay.
• Referral bonuses: Upfront and annually recurring bonuses.
• Open-source bonuses: Rewards for contributing to our GitHub projects.
• Professional development: Paid training, certifications, and enrichment opportunities.

About Phoenix Operations Group

Phoenix Operations Group delivers advanced engineering services that protect and strengthen our nation’s cyber resources. As a small company, we invest in innovation and employee development to solve challenging customer problems.

Our capabilities span batch and streaming Big Data analytics, cloud infrastructure, multi-INT visualization, and enterprise architecture. We support All-Source, Financial, and CND operational missions and serve as Product Owners for our open-source research initiatives.