Sr. AI Software Developer

Zachary Piper Solutions is currently seeking a Senior AI Software Developer to support air traffic modernization efforts for a government customer based in Gaithersburg, MD . This position is a full-time role that will be hybrid , requiring 3 days onsite and 2 days remote each week. As a Senior AI Software Developer, you will play a pivotal role in designing, developing, and modernizing mission-critical software systems that directly support national air traffic operations. This role combines traditional software engineering with AI-augmented development practices to improve software quality, accelerate delivery, and enhance system reliability within a highly collaborative Agile/SAFe environment. Key Responsibilities: Lead Agile sprint planning efforts to ensure alignment of team priorities, clear deliverables, and successful project execution. Mentor and guide development teams by sharing technical expertise, removing roadblocks, and fostering continuous improvement. Design, develop, and maintain microservices-based applications using modern software engineering best practices. Collaborate with product owners, architects, systems engineers, and developers within an Agile/SAFe environment. Participate in sprint planning, daily standups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives. Translate system requirements into scalable, maintainable software solutions. Develop clean, maintainable, and testable code while following CI/CD and DevSecOps practices. Contribute to system architecture discussions and technical decision-making. Integrate software services with databases, messaging systems, and external APIs. Support troubleshooting, performance optimization, and system enhancements. Work closely with QA, DevOps, and platform engineering teams to ensure reliable software delivery. Implement automated testing strategies including unit, integration, contract, and end-to-end testing. Utilize AI-assisted development tools to improve development velocity, refactoring, debugging, and test creation. Support modernization initiatives for real-time, safety-critical government systems. Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience). Ability to obtain and maintain a favorable Public Trust investigation 8+ years of software development experience, or a Master's degree with 6+ years of relevant experience. Hands-on experience building and supporting microservices-based systems. Proficiency in at least one modern programming language such as Java, Python, C++, or similar development languages on Linux-based systems. Experience or familiarity with AI/ML-enabled systems, intelligent platforms, automation technologies, or AI-assisted development tools. Experience working within Agile software development environments. Understanding of APIs, distributed systems, and service-oriented architectures. Successful completion of all required government background investigations. Preferred Qualifications: Experience with Git-based version control systems and CI/CD pipelines. Familiarity with the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). Experience working with relational and/or NoSQL databases. Hands-on experience with Kafka or other event-streaming technologies. Cloud experience with AWS, Azure, or GCP (AWS preferred). Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and container orchestration platforms. Experience working in DevSecOps environments. Experience implementing automated testing frameworks and integrating automated test suites into CI/CD pipelines. Experience supporting real-time, mission-critical, or government systems. Compensation to include: Salary Range: $130,000 - $175,000 depending on experience Full Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, PTO, Sick Leave if Required by Law This job opens for applications on 9/29/2026. Applications for this position will be accepted for at least 30 days from the posting date. Keywords: AI Software Developer, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, AI-Assisted Development, Microservices, Software Engineering, Java, Python, C++, Linux, Agile, SAFe, Scaled Agile Framework, DevSecOps, CI/CD, AWS, Azure, GCP, Docker, Kubernetes, Kafka, Event Streaming, APIs, Distributed Systems, Cloud Computing, Automated Testing, Unit Testing, Integration Testing, End-to-End Testing, Contract Testing, Software Architecture, Systems Engineering, Air Traffic Control, FAA, Aviation Technology, Government Programs, Public Trust Clearance, Real-Time Systems, Mission-Critical Systems, Backend Development, Cloud Native Applications, Software Modernization, DevOps, Technical Leadership, System Design, NoSQL Databases, Relational Databases, Gaithersburg, Maryland #J-18808-Ljbffr Zachary Piper Solutions