Senior Software Engineer (Hybrid)

Senior Software Engineer (Hybrid) - 28172 Location: Columbia, MD, Maryland, United States Enlighten, honored as a Top Workplace from USA Today, is a leader in big data solution development and deployment, with expertise in cloud‑based services, software and systems engineering, cyber capabilities, and data science. Enlighten provides continued innovation and proactivity in meeting our customers’ greatest challenges. We recognize that the most effective environment for your projects doesn’t always look the same. Our hybrid work approach ensures that you can make lasting relationships with your team and collaborate in‑person to get the job done – while having the flexibility to work from home when needed to achieve focused results. Why Enlighten? At Enlighten, our team’s unwavering work ethic, top talent and celebration of innovative ideas have helped us thrive. We know that our employees are essential to our company’s success, so we seek to take care of you as much as you take care of us. 100% paid employee premium for healthcare, vision and dental plans. 10% 401k benefit. Generous PTO + 10 paid holidays. Education/training allowances. Anticipated Salary Range: $165,033.00–$240,000.00. The salary range for this role is intended as a good faith estimate based on the role’s location, expectations, and responsibilities. When extending an offer, Enlighten takes a variety of factors into consideration which include, but are not limited to, the role’s function, internal equity and a candidate’s education or training, work experience, certifications and key skills. Occasionally positions/roles may include additional non‑recurrent compensation and will be addressed by the recruiter during the interview process. Job Description Enlighten is a cutting‑edge technology company that is dedicated to developing innovative software solutions for our clients. We are currently seeking a talented and experienced Software Engineer to join our team to help build foundational AI integration frameworks. As a Software Engineer focused on AI Integration, you will be responsible for designing, developing, and implementing the “paved road” for AI at our company. Note: This role is not focused on training foundational AI models from scratch. Instead, you will take industry best practices, open‑source capabilities, and large language models (LLMs), and build a secure framework that allows our other software capabilities to seamlessly leverage AI. You will work closely with other talented engineers to create secure, enterprise‑grade AI software solutions, including Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, reusable AI skills, strict safety guardrails, and other AI framework capabilities that meet the complex needs of our clients. In this role, you will have the opportunity to work with modern tools and technologies at the intersection of complex backend engineering and applied AI, and you will be encouraged to stay up‑to‑date with the latest developments in the field. You will be part of a dynamic and collaborative team that is committed to delivering high‑quality, secure software solutions. If you are a self‑motivated, creative, and detail‑oriented software engineer who is passionate about treating AI as a complex software integration problem, we would love to hear from you. Must have a strong working knowledge and experience developing Java based software capabilities. Design and develop foundational AI frameworks, including internal APIs, middleware, and routing layers that allow other systems to securely utilize AI capabilities. Build Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers and a library of reusable “skills” (function calling/tools) that enable AI models to safely interact with our internal databases, microservices, and external APIs. Implement strict enterprise AI guardrails, ensuring data privacy, sensitive data scrubbing, prompt injection defenses, and output validation to meet stringent security requirements. Should have an inquisitive nature, responsiveness, and excellent testing skills (including an interest in automated testing pipelines for non‑deterministic AI outputs). Must also possess strong troubleshooting skills and the ability to work under pressure with multiple deadlines. Will work in a fast‑paced, small business environment with our talented team. Seamlessly transition between hands‑on execution and team guidance, treating mentorship and team leadership as inherent components of senior‑level impact. Other duties as assigned. Minimum Qualifications Security Clearance – a current U.S. Government Security clearance is not required on day 1, but will be processed for one; U.S. citizenship required. Candidates with current Secret or TS level clearance are also considered. Must have at least 15 years of experience in Software Engineering, Modern Java Frameworks and Libraries (e.g., Spring, Guava) with a Bachelor’s degree in related field; 13 years relevant experience with Master’s in related field; or High School Diploma or equivalent and 19 years relevant experience. Applied AI Experience – hands‑on experience or a strong aptitude for integrating commercial LLM APIs (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic) or open‑source models into backend applications. Demonstrated understanding of modern applied AI concepts such as prompt engineering, function‑calling/tool‑use, and Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG). Demonstrated experience serving as a tech lead, mentor, or manager for engineering teams. Experience in RESTful web services. Experience in Microservices architecture. Experience in Object‑Oriented Programming (OOP) paradigms. Experience with the agile software lifecycle. Experience with configuration management tools (e.g., Git, Nexus, Maven). Comfortable working on a Linux command line. Has a proven ability to learn quickly and works well both independently as well as in a team setting. Problem‑solving skills and ability to review information and compile data appropriately as needed. Must be able to work in a hybrid environment, spending an average of 1‑2 days per week at our Columbia, MD office. Flexibility is essential to adapt to schedule changes as needed. Preferred Requirements Familiarity with Java‑based AI integration frameworks (e.g., Spring AI, LangChain4j) or Python equivalents (LangChain, LlamaIndex). Experience with Vector Databases, semantic caching, and AI observability tools. Experience with NiFi, Kafka, AWS Infrastructure, and K8s. Experience in cloud‑based technologies (AWS, Azure). Experience in SQL databases (e.g., Postgres, MySQL), distributed databases, NoSQL databases. Scripting experience (particularly Python, given its prominence in the AI ecosystem) is a huge plus. Prior experience or familiarity with our Big Data Platform is a plus. Understanding of agile software development methodologies and use of standard software development tool suites (e.g., JIRA, Confluence, Youtrack, GitHub, etc.). DoD 8140 / 8570 IAT LevelII compliance certifications may be required in this position as directed by the customer. We have many more additional great benefits/perks that you can find on our website at #J-18808-Ljbffr