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Defense & Space, Government Contracting, Research & Development, IT Services

AI/ML Software Engineer

Durham, North Carolina, United StatesRemoteFull Time$140,000–$220,000 /yrPosted 17 days ago

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Role summary

Frontier Technology Inc. (FTI) is seeking an AI/ML Software Engineer to design, build, and deploy secure, scalable software and data systems for mission operations, analytics, and simulation environments. The role involves hands-on coding and end-to-end system development in secure, distributed settings, supporting the Department of Defense (DoD/DoW) and Intelligence Community (IC). Responsibilities include API and data pipeline design, microservices development, cloud-native deployment with Docker and Kubernetes, distributed systems engineering with message buses like Kafka, database management, and integrating AI/ML models into production systems. A strong background in full-stack or systems engineering, with proficiency in languages like Java, Python, or C++, is required, along with experience in DevSecOps and secure environments.

Overview
Frontier Technology Inc. (FTI) 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.
FTI delivers mission-focused solutions to the Department of Defense (DoD/DoW) and Intelligence Community (IC) through advanced engineering, digital transformation, and program execution expertise. We help our customers solve complex challenges by integrating people, process, and technology.
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.

Education/Qualifications
Minimum Requirements:

  • Must be a U.S. citizen and be willing to obtain and maintain a secruity 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.

For this role, the compensation range is $140k-$220k.

  • Note: Starting pay will be based on a number of factors and commensurate with the candidate’s residence location, qualifications & experience.
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