Role Description FTI Defense is seeking an AI/ML Software Engineer to design, build, and deploy secure, scalable software and data systems that support mission operations, analytics, and simulation environments. This role is for a hands-on engineer and someone who loves writing code, building systems end-to-end, and solving real-world technical challenges in secure, distributed environments. Responsibilities - Software Design & Development - Design and implement APIs, data pipelines, and simulation runtime logic that connect and enable mission applications. - Develop software using modern programming languages such as Java, Python, C++, or TypeScript/Angular. - Write clean, testable, and maintainable code following secure coding and software engineering best practices. - Build and integrate modular microservices to improve scalability, maintainability, and interoperability. - Cloud & Containerized Environments - Build and deploy containerized, cloud-native services using Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD pipelines (GitLab, Jenkins, or equivalent). - Implement Infrastructure-as-Code and automation scripts to accelerate deployment and configuration management. - Contribute to secure deployments across hybrid or disconnected environments (IL4–IL6, AWS GovCloud, or on-prem). - Systems Integration & Distributed Computing - Develop distributed systems and data integration frameworks using message buses such as Kafka or Redis. - Engineer data flow between analytic, AI, and simulation components to support real-time mission use cases. - Collaborate with system engineers and architects to ensure interoperability across software ecosystems. - Data & Analytics Integration - Build and manage databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, graph DBs) and model complex data relationships. - Develop data services that feed analytics pipelines or integrate AI/ML outputs into runtime systems. - Work with serialization and exchange formats such as JSON, Protobuf, GeoJSON, or KML. - Security, Testing & Sustainment - Write, test, and deploy software within secure or classified environments. - Automate testing and monitoring to ensure performance, reliability, and repeatable deployments. - Support the transition of prototypes to operational systems, focusing on maintainability and observability. Qualifications - Must be a U.S. citizen and be willing to obtain and maintain a security clearance, as needed. - 6-10+ years of professional software engineering experience. - 3+ years of professional experience with DevSecOps, Zero-Trust, or ATO/RMF processes in Department of Defense (DoD/DoW) environments. - Strong full-stack or systems engineering background. - Proficiency in one or more of the following languages: Java, Python, C++, or TypeScript/Angular. - Experience building containerized, cloud-native solutions using Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD pipelines. - Complete understanding of distributed systems and message buses (Kafka, Redis, etc.). - Experience developing or integrating analytics and AI models into production systems. Preferred Qualifications - Experience deploying code in IL4–IL6 or edge/disconnected environments. - Familiarity with databases such as PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or graph databases. - Knowledge of Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform, CloudFormation, or CDK). - Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field. - Active Secret clearance preferred; ability to obtain one is required.