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About This Role
Purpose and Impact:
Amentum is seeking a motivated Principal AI Software Engineer to support the exciting Corporate Directory Services mission. Engineer will work closely with mission stakeholders to lead the development of advanced Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) solutions, intelligence mission workflows, and emerging analytic capabilities. This role is responsible for designing, developing, prototyping, and operationalizing AI\-enabled applications that automate complex intelligence processes, discover emergent intelligence value, and accelerate mission outcomes. The candidate will work across multiple technical domains including software engineering, data science, machine learning, and large language model (LLM) integration to deliver innovative capabilities from proof\-of\-concept through operational deployment.
Essential Responsibilities:
Collaborate closely with customers to drive the rapid development, evaluation, and transition of AI/ML\-enabled mission capabilities that enhance operational analysis and intelligence workflows. Leverage emerging technologies, scalable software architectures, and advanced analytics to automate discovery, accelerate insight generation, and deliver production\-ready solutions across diverse mission domains. Shape technical strategy and best practices to ensure effective deployment, sustainment, and evolution of AI\-enabled mission systems
Minimum Requirements (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities):
- Proficient in current AI/ML technologies such as classification, clustering, collaborative filtering, search, and retrieval using techniques such as but not limited to deep neutral networks (DNN), recurrent neural networks (RNN), attention\-based transformers, etc.
- Experience in current large language models (LLM) for representative and generative tasks. equivalent.
- Proficiency with object\-oriented languages (JAVA, Python) and experience with Jupyter Notebooks.
Security Clearance Required:
- TS/SCI Poly
Minimum Years of Experience:
- A Doctoral degree plus 7 years of relevant experience, or
- a Master's degree plus 9 years of relevant experience, or
- a Bachelor's degree plus 11 years of relevant experience, or
- an Associate's degree plus 13 years of relevant experience, or
- a High School diploma/GED plus 15 years of relevant experience
Preferred Qualifications:
- Proficiency in approaches to retrieval augmented generation (RAG), model context protocol (MCP) and other recent technologies supporting agentic AI.
- Foundational knowledge of statistics related to parametric probability distributions, nonparametric probability distributions, Bayesian analysis, and covariance matrices.
- Proficiency in agentic systems that can automatically carry out mission goals with limited supervision.
\#javelin \#ICpoly
*This position is not designated as a safety sensitive position.*
*As part of our commitment to maintaining a safe and compliant work environment, Amentum is a drug\-free workplace and requires all personnel to comply with company drug and alcohol policies as a condition of employment. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of the drug screening process. Please note that this may include pre\-hire screening for marijuana, as well as other federally controlled substances due to Amentum’s role as a federal contractor and trusted partner to the US Government.*
Other Responsibilities:
Safety \- Amentum enforces a safety culture whereby all employees have the responsibility for continuously developing and maintaining a safe work environment. As appropriate, each employee is responsible for completing all training requirements and fulfilling all self\-aid/buddy aid responsibilities, participating in emergency response tasks and serving on safety committees and teams.
Quality \- Quality is the foundation for the management of our business and the keystone to our goal of customer satisfaction. It is our policy to consistently provide services that meet customer expectations. Accordingly, each employee must conform to the Amentum Quality Policy and carry out job activities in compliance with applicable Amentum Quality System documents and customer contracts. Each employee must read and understand his/her Quality Management and Customer Satisfaction responsibilities.
Procedure Compliance \- Each employee must read, understand and implement the general and specific operational, safety, quality and environmental requirements of all plans, procedures and policies pertaining to his/her job. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status.
Compensation Details:
$200000\-255000
The compensation range or hourly rate listed for this position is provided as a good\-faith estimate of what the company intends to offer for this role at the time this posting was issued. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as job responsibilities, education, experience, skills, internal equity, market data, applicable collective bargaining agreements, and relevant laws.
Benefits Overview:
Our health and welfare benefits are designed to support you and your priorities. Offerings include:
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
- Paid time off and holidays
- Retirement benefits (including 401(k) matching)
- Educational reimbursement
- Parental leave
- Employee stock purchase plan
- Tax\-saving options
- Disability and life insurance
- Pet insurance
*Note: Benefits may vary based on employment type, location, and applicable agreements. Positions governed by a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the McNamara\-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA), or other employment contracts may include different provisions/benefits.*
Original Posting:
07/15/2026 \- Until Filled
Amentum anticipates this job requisition will remain open for at least three days, with a closing date no earlier than three days after the original posting. This timeline may change based on business needs.
Amentum is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our hiring practices provide equal opportunity for employment without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), age, ancestry, United States military or veteran status, color, religion, creed, marital or domestic partner status, medical condition, genetic information, national origin, citizenship status, low\-income status, or mental or physical disability so long as the essential functions of the job can be performed with or without reasonable accommodation, or any other protected category under federal, state, or local law. Learn more about your rights under Federal laws and supplemental language at Labor Laws Posters.
Salary Context
This $200K-$255K range is above the 75th percentile for AI Software Engineer roles in our dataset (median: $183K across 194 roles with salary data).
Role Details
About This Role
AI Software Engineers build the applications and systems that AI models run inside. They own the API layers, data pipelines, frontend integrations, and infrastructure that turn a model into a product users interact with. Every AI company needs engineers who can build the software around the AI.
The challenge is building reliable systems around inherently unreliable components. Models are probabilistic. They'll give different answers to the same question. They hallucinate. They're slow. They're expensive. Your job is to build an application layer that handles all of this gracefully while delivering a product that users trust and enjoy.
Across the 3,708 AI roles we're tracking, AI Software Engineer positions make up 7% of the market. At Amentum, this role fits into their broader AI and engineering organization.
AI Software Engineer roles are among the most numerous in the AI job market. Every company deploying AI needs software engineers who understand AI integration patterns. The demand is broad, spanning startups to enterprises, across every industry adopting AI capabilities.
What the Work Looks Like
A typical week includes: building API endpoints that serve model inference with caching and fallback logic, designing the data pipeline that feeds context to a RAG system, implementing streaming responses in the frontend, debugging a race condition in the async inference pipeline, and optimizing database queries for the vector search layer. It's full-stack engineering with AI at the center.
AI Software Engineer roles are among the most numerous in the AI job market. Every company deploying AI needs software engineers who understand AI integration patterns. The demand is broad, spanning startups to enterprises, across every industry adopting AI capabilities.
Skills Required
Full-stack engineering skills with AI integration experience. Python and TypeScript are the most common requirements. You'll need to understand API design, database architecture, and how to build reliable systems around probabilistic outputs. Experience with streaming, async processing, and caching patterns is increasingly important as real-time AI applications proliferate.
Knowledge of vector databases, embedding APIs, and LLM integration patterns (function calling, structured outputs, retry logic) differentiates AI software engineers from general software engineers. Understanding cost optimization (caching strategies, model routing, batched inference) is valuable since inference costs can dominate application economics.
Strong postings describe the product you'll be building, the AI integration patterns you'll work with, and the scale requirements. Look for companies that have existing AI features and need engineers to improve and expand them, not companies that are 'planning to add AI' someday.
Compensation Benchmarks
AI Software Engineer roles pay a median of $219,250 based on 424 positions with disclosed compensation. Senior-level AI roles across all categories have a median of $230,000. Disclosed range: $200K to $255K.
Across all AI roles, the market median is $217,500. Top-quartile compensation starts at $272,100. The 90th percentile reaches $325,000. For comparison, the highest-paying categories include AI Safety ($300,000) and Research Engineer ($280,000). By seniority level: Entry: $120,000; Mid: $200,000; Senior: $230,000; Director: $272,150; VP: $250,000.
Amentum AI Hiring
Amentum has 6 open AI roles right now. They're hiring across AI/ML Engineer, AI Software Engineer. Positions span Camp H M Smith, HI, US, Linthicum, MD, US, Fort Meade, MD, US. Compensation range: $160K - $255K.
Location Context
Across all AI roles, 14% (508 positions) offer remote work, while 3,180 require on-site attendance. Top AI hiring metros: New York (1,045 roles, $220,000 median); San Francisco (810 roles, $277,088 median); Los Angeles (397 roles, $215,000 median).
Career Path
Common paths into AI Software Engineer roles include Software Engineer, Full-Stack Developer, Backend Engineer.
From here, career progression typically leads toward Staff Engineer, AI Architect, Engineering Manager.
If you're a software engineer, you're already 80% there. Learn the AI integration patterns: RAG, streaming inference, function calling, structured outputs. Build a project that demonstrates you can wrap an AI model in a production-quality application with proper error handling, caching, and user experience. That's the portfolio piece that gets you hired.
What to Expect in Interviews
Technical screens look like standard software engineering interviews with an AI twist. Expect system design questions about building reliable applications around probabilistic models: handling streaming responses, implementing retry logic for API failures, and designing caching strategies for LLM outputs. Coding rounds test standard algorithms plus practical integration patterns like async processing and rate limiting.
When evaluating opportunities: Strong postings describe the product you'll be building, the AI integration patterns you'll work with, and the scale requirements. Look for companies that have existing AI features and need engineers to improve and expand them, not companies that are 'planning to add AI' someday.
AI Hiring Overview
The AI job market has 3,708 open positions tracked in our dataset. By seniority: 102 entry-level, 1,705 mid-level, 1,469 senior, and 432 leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level). Remote roles make up 14% of the market (508 positions). The remaining 3,180 roles require on-site or hybrid attendance.
The market median for AI roles is $217,500. Top-quartile compensation starts at $272,100. The 90th percentile reaches $325,000. Highest-paying categories: AI Safety ($300,000 median, 21 roles); Research Engineer ($280,000 median, 147 roles); AI Architect ($254,798 median, 67 roles).
AI Software Engineer roles are among the most numerous in the AI job market. Every company deploying AI needs software engineers who understand AI integration patterns. The demand is broad, spanning startups to enterprises, across every industry adopting AI capabilities.
The AI Job Market Today
The AI job market spans 3,708 open positions across 16 role categories. The largest categories by volume: AI/ML Engineer (2,605), Data Scientist (310), AI Software Engineer (259). These three account for the majority of open positions, though smaller categories often have higher per-role compensation because of specialized skill requirements.
The seniority mix tells a story about where AI teams are in their maturity. Entry-level roles (102) are outnumbered by mid-level (1,705) and senior (1,469) positions, reflecting that most companies are past the 'build a team from scratch' phase and need experienced engineers who can ship production systems. Leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level) total 432 positions, representing the bottleneck between technical execution and organizational strategy.
Remote work availability sits at 14% of all AI roles (508 positions), with 3,180 requiring on-site or hybrid attendance. The remote share has stabilized after the post-pandemic correction. Senior and specialized roles (Research Scientist, ML Architect) are more likely to be remote-eligible than entry-level positions, partly because experienced hires have more negotiating power and partly because these roles require less hands-on mentorship.
AI compensation is structured in clear tiers. The market median sits at $217,500. Top-quartile roles start at $272,100, and the 90th percentile reaches $325,000. These figures include base salary with disclosed compensation. Total compensation (including equity, bonuses, and sign-on) runs 20-40% higher at companies that offer those components.
Category matters for compensation. AI Safety roles lead at $300,000 median, while Prompt Engineer roles sit at $140,000. The spread between highest and lowest-paying categories reflects the premium on specialized technical skills versus broader analytical roles.
The most in-demand skills across all AI postings: Python (1,890 postings), Aws (1,103 postings), Azure (877 postings), Rag (855 postings), Gcp (631 postings), Prompt Engineering (560 postings), Pytorch (545 postings), Claude (498 postings). Python dominates, appearing in the vast majority of role descriptions regardless of category. Cloud platform experience (AWS, GCP, Azure) is the second most common requirement. The newer entrants to the top skills list (RAG, vector databases, LLM APIs) reflect the shift from traditional ML toward generative AI applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
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