Software Engineer - Applied AI/ML

In a world of possibilities, pursue one with endless opportunities. Imagine Next! At Parsons, you can imagine a career where you thrive, work with exceptional people, and be yourself. Guided by our leadership vision of valuing people, embracing agility, and fostering growth, we cultivate an innovative culture that empowers you to achieve your full potential. Unleash your talent and redefine what’s possible. Job Description: Parsons is seeking a talented Software Engineer with a passion for applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to real-world cybersecurity challenges. In this role, you will help integrate AI-enabled capabilities into analyst workflows and mission systems to accelerate cyber data triage, improve decision support, and enhance operational effectiveness. This role is ideal for a technically strong engineer who understands how to stand up, assess, and guide modern AI platforms in secure government settings, with familiarity in cloud and enterprise ecosystems such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS). What You’ll Be Doing: Develop full stack applications and services that leverage large language models (LLMs), retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), agentic workflows, and other emerging AI capabilities. Designing, developing, and deploying AI/ML models and tools for data mining, predictive modeling, and knowledge discovery Integrate AI/ML-enabled capabilities into a secure, cloud-based data architecture, ensuring interoperability with existing systems via standardized APIs Implement and monitor model performance, data/concept drift, and key metrics in real time; support model retraining and fine-tuning as new data becomes available Collaborate with data engineers, software developers, and stakeholders to define requirements, validate outputs, and support mission deliverables Ensure all AI/ML workflows comply with DoW cybersecurity, data privacy, and access control requirements, including operation within isolated cloud environments. Assist in knowledge transfer and training activities, including the development of tutorials and best practices for AI/ML usage. Educate stakeholders on AI platform concepts, emerging patterns, and implementation best practices in government environments. Assessing data patterns in systems and network misconfiguration. Working with a team of Cyber Analysts to support quick turn requests for vulnerability information by continually improving LLMs Conduct analyses of alternatives (AoAs) to compare internally developed approaches against commercial, open-source, and industry-standard techniques. Develop and execute experiments to assess model performance using appropriate evaluation metrics and representative datasets. What Required Skills You'll Bring: Active TS/SCI with Poly Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Information Systems, or related field and 10+ years of relevant experience. With additional years of experience able to count in lieu of a degree, and vice versa. Familiarity with machine learning concepts, including model training, evaluation, tuning, and performance measurement. Ability to assess model effectiveness using quantitative metrics and communicate tradeoffs. Depth of experience with prompt engineering. Proficiency in Python and experience developing RESTful APIs and backend services. Experience supporting AI/ML, data, cloud, or platform engineering efforts in government, defense, or enterprise environments. Understanding of modern AI concepts, including LLMs, embeddings, RAG, vector search, and agentic workflows. Demonstrated familiarity with Microsoft and/or AWS platform ecosystems Proficiency using command-line interfaces such as Windows PowerShell/Command Prompt for routine development, troubleshooting, scripting, and automation tasks Working knowledge of cloud architecture, containers, APIs, data services, identity/access management, and secure system integration. Ability to understand how AI applications depend on underlying platform components such as model hosting, pipelines, storage, orchestration, and monitoring. Must have demonstrated experience in database management, including designing and maintaining relational databases, writing and optimizing SQL queries, implementing backup and recovery procedures, and applying database security and performance best practices. Must have demonstrated experience with configuration management, including defining and maintaining configuration baselines, using configuration management tools e.g.,Ansible, Puppet, Chef, Terraform to manage infrastructure and application settings Passionate about AI and platform modernization. Ability to rapidly prototype solutions, iterate based on user feedback, and operate effectively in ambiguous problem spaces. Able to translate complex technical issues into actionable guidance for mixed technical and non-technical audiences. Mission-oriented, collaborative, and proactive. Security Clearance Requirement: An active Top Secret SCI w/Polygraph security clearance is required for this position. This position is part of our Federal Solutions team. The Federal Solutions segment delivers resources to our US government customers that ensure the success of missions around the globe. Our intelligent employees drive the state of the art as they provide services and solutions in the areas of defense, security, intelligence, infrastructure, and environmental. We promote a culture of excellence and close-knit teams that take pride in delivering, protecting, and sustaining our nation's most critical assets, from Earth to cyberspace. Throughout the company, our people are anticipating what’s next to deliver the solutions our customers need now. Salary Range: $176,900.00 - $332,400.00 We value our employees and want our employees to take care of their overall wellbeing, which is why we offer best-in-class benefits such as medical, dental, vision, paid time off, 401(k), life insurance, flexible work schedules, and holidays to fit your busy lifestyle! Parsons is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other protected status. We truly invest and care about our employee’s wellbeing and provide endless growth opportunities as the sky is the limit, so aim for the stars! Imagine next and join the Parsons quest—APPLY TODAY! Parsons is aware of fraudulent recruitment practices. To learn more about recruitment fraud and how to report it, please refer to Founded in 1944, Parsons Corporation, a digitally enabled solutions provider, is focused on creating the future of the defense, intelligence, and critical infrastructure markets. From Earth to outer space, we deliver tomorrow’s solutions today. Equipped with the capabilities required to take on any defense, intelligence, or critical infrastructure challenge, our agile, innovative, and disruptive approach enables us to deliver solutions at the speed of relevance. Our people are our greatest asset. We strive to be an employer of choice that engages employees in the community and creates rewarding career paths to cultivate a resilient workforce that is ready for the future. For more about Parsons, visit parsons.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.