Software Engineer 1 - (Python, AI, REST APIs)
Clearance: TS/SCI - Polygraph required
Position ID: 20-16-064-SWE1
Location: Columbia, Maryland
Description:
We are seeking a Software Engineer I with a focus on AI to support analysts and operators by developing and refining the software that integrates AI capabilities into CNO workflows. In this role, you will integrate diverse data sources and external APIs with MCP tools to enable seamless, scalable system interoperability. You will work under the guidance of senior engineers to ensure AI tools are stable, reliable, and seamlessly integrated into the customer's existing toolset.
• Develop agentic integrations with Python that leverage multiple AI models, APIs, and data sources in production.
• Build tools and agentic workflows within modern frameworks like PydanticIA, Langgraph, and DeepAgents.
• Interact with mission stakeholders to elicit requirements and devise solutions.
• Navigate customer data types to identify and extract relevant information.
• Collaborate with other software engineers to test workflows, identify issues, and recommend pathways for fixes.
Position Required Skills:
• Proficiency in Python, particularly in handling JSON, interacting with REST APIs, and data manipulation.
• Experience leveraging HTTP-based APIs to access data through queries.
• Understanding of AI development concepts, including prompt engineering, context management, structured outputs, and tool/function calling.
• Familiarity with software source control (Git) and the Atlassian tool suite (Jira, Confluence).
• Familiarity with presenting data analysis results to customers.
Nice to Haves
• Experience with agentic workflows and multi-agent orchestration.
• Basic knowledge of end-to-end SIGINT collection and analysis systems.
• Background in cybersecurity or understanding of security operations workflows.
• Gitlab CICD automation.
• Experience with retrieval systems (RAG, vector databases, semantic search).
• Familiarity with production CNO capabilities and operations.
• Practical experience in one or more artificial intelligence domains (e.g., intelligent systems, autonomy, planning, LLMs).
• Familiarity with cloud computing technologies (AWS, Docker, Kubernetes).
SWE1 Qualifications:
A minimum of three (3) years of experience as a SWE, in programs and contracts of similar scope, type, and complexity is required. Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related discipline from an accredited college or university is required. Four (4) years of additional SWE experience on projects with similar software processes may be substituted for a bachelor's degree.
Salary Range: $169k-$207k (Annually)
The range displayed above is a likely salary range for this position. This is not, however, a guarantee of compensation or salary. Rather, salary will be set based on experience, geographic location and possible contractual requirements and could fall outside of this range.
Akina is a Woman Owned, Service Disabled, Veteran Owned, Small Business, looking for talented and ambitious individuals to join our team. We offer a generous compensation package that includes 24 days PTO accrued annually and 11 federal holidays. Our 401k is 100% vested on your start date and the company makes a direct contribution worth 10% of your salary. Akina covers 100% of healthcare costs for employees and 50% toward dependents. We offer educational assistance towards college classes and will cover costs associated with job related training and certifications.
Akina is committed to excellence and creating innovative and flexible solutions for our clients. We are a small company with an open ear to our employees' needs in order to attract and retain quality talent that enables our customer's mission.
We are an equal employment opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
www.akina-inc.com/careers