Senior AI Software Engineer / AI Engineer

HII is seeking a Senior AI Software Engineer/AI Engineer for a hybrid role in Newport News, VA to design, develop, integrate, and deploy secure, scalable enterprise AI-powered applications. The position partners with data engineers, data scientists, ML engineers, and software engineers to transition AI prototypes and models into production systems.

Responsibilities

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

Required Qualifications

• Education and experience: Bachelor’s Degree and 14 years of relevant exempt experience; Master’s Degree and 12 years of relevant professional experience; or Ph.D. and 9 years of experience.
• Bachelor’s degree equivalencies (for Information Technology related positions only):
  • NNS Apprentice School graduate
  • Navy Nuclear Power School (NNPS) graduate
  • Associate’s Degree or other formal 2 year program plus 2 years of relevant exempt experience, or 4 years of relevant non-exempt experience
  • Military Paygrade E-5 or above military experience
  • High School/GED and 4 years combined of Manufacturing, Shipbuilding, Trades, Military experience or other relevant exempt experience
  • High School/GED and 8 years combined of Manufacturing, Shipbuilding, Trades, Military experience or other relevant non-exempt experience
  • A relevant professional certification may be substituted for a Bachelor’s Degree
• 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, AI, or a related field.
• 2+ years of 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 application 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.

Technology Stack

• Programming & backend: Python, FastAPI, RESTful APIs, microservices, SQL, Java, C#, TypeScript
• Cloud & deployment: Azure, AWS, GCP, Docker, Kubernetes
• AI/ML: LLMs, generative AI, machine learning, Azure OpenAI, Amazon Bedrock, Google Vertex AI, prompt engineering, RAG, embeddings, agentic AI
• AI orchestration & frameworks: LangChain, LangGraph, LlamaIndex, Semantic Kernel
• Operations: MLOps, LLMOps, vector databases, semantic search, ML inference APIs, OpenAI-compatible APIs
• Security & observability: authentication, authorization, application observability, secure API development

Travel, Clearance, and Telework

• Travel: Yes, 10%–25% of the time.
• Clearance: Yes, Final Clearance Required to Start.
• Virtual/Telework: Yes, Occasional or hybrid telework available.
• Citizenship: US citizenship required for this position.

Location and Salary

Location: Newport News, VA (hybrid).
Salary range: USD $144,000 to $190,000 per year.

The anticipated salary range represents estimated base pay. Final compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors, and may vary from the posted range.

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

Accommodation Request

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, email [email protected] with the nature of your request and your contact information. Reasonable accommodations are considered on a case-by-case basis. You may also call 1-844-849-8463 for assistance and press #2 for Newport News Shipbuilding.