Senior Software Engineer – AI Infrastructure

Laurel, MD

Senior Software Engineer – AI Infrastructure

An active TS//SCI clearance with polygraph is required for this role

👋🏼 Hey!

Bitwise is a leading provider of mission-focused intelligence solutions that advance national security for the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense. We're a small and growing company, so you can expect to hop in on the ground floor with us and be a consequential member of the team. You'll be more than a contract performer for us — you'll also be asked for ideas to improve our company and improve your career, and you'll contribute to our team culture. We value growth and community above almost all else, so we gather regularly for game nights, happy hours, tech talks, and plenty more. We think you'll like it here!

Remember, Bitwise is not a cult. 🖖🏼

🎯 What We Look For

Bitwise hires talented engineers who are driven by purpose and who value a culture of technical excellence, growth, and overall wellness. We deliver new and innovative intelligence solutions to our customers at the very forefront of our country's national security missions. And we do it every single day. Our work matters, and so will you.

We ask that every new hire be able to:

Contribute meaningful thought leadership — if not right away, over time
Interact with our customers and earn their confidence in your abilities
Be detailed, even if that means taking a little more time to get it right
Contribute their ideas and ideals to improve all aspects of our company
Allow us to invest in their education so we both grow together
Know and live our core values every single day

💡 About this Role

We're looking for a Senior Software Engineer to help build the next generation of AI infrastructure — the kind that powers real innovation at scale and actually matters. You'll join an integrated AI platform team as a technical lead, taking ownership of critical platform components including scalable inference services, retrieval augmented generation (RAG) pipelines, and autonomous agent frameworks.

This isn't a purely heads-down engineering role. You'll blend hands-on technical work with genuine leadership — running one-on-ones, coaching teammates, setting technical direction, and serving as a point of contact for contract administration functions. You'll be the person who walks into ambiguity and walks out with a plan. You'll establish governance where none exists, drive adoption of new tools and practices, and communicate clearly with stakeholders across organizational levels.

If you're the kind of engineer who gets energized by solving hard, underspecified problems and who also finds meaning in helping a team grow — this is your role.

In this role, you will:

Design, implement, and optimize infrastructure for AI model inference at scale
Lead the development and maintenance of production AI services and applications, including RAG systems, autonomous agents, and emerging technologies
Serve as technical lead for AI infrastructure initiatives, coordinating work across integrated teams
Conduct regular one-on-ones and provide coaching, feedback, and support for assigned team members
Act as the team point of contact for contract administration functions
Navigate ambiguity and define solutions for complex, underspecified systems and requirements
Establish new technical policies, standards, and governance frameworks where gaps exist
Drive adoption of new technologies and practices across engineering teams
Implement and oversee monitoring, logging, and observability solutions for AI services
Ensure high availability, reliability, performance, and security of AI platform components
Communicate effectively with stakeholders at multiple organizational levels

📋 Requirements

12 years of experience in software engineering, or 16 years in lieu of a B.S. in a technical discipline
Extensive experience designing, building, and operating large-scale production systems
Deep expertise in systems integration across diverse technologies and platforms
Hands-on experience with cloud engineering in AWS
Advanced proficiency with Kubernetes administration and deployment patterns
Strong Python programming skills
Experience implementing and scaling observability solutions (APM, OpenTelemetry, Grafana, Prometheus)
Proven ability to lead technical initiatives and influence organizational change
Experience developing technical policies and governance frameworks
Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and leadership skills
Ability to balance hands-on engineering with leadership and coordination responsibilities
Active TS//SCI clearance with polygraph

🌟 Preferred Skills

Experience with AI inference serving technologies such as vLLM or LiteLLM
Previous experience with agentic frameworks such as LangChain
Knowledge of vector databases and embedding systems
Experience with high-performance computing or distributed systems
Track record of successfully driving technical and cultural change within engineering organizations

🏝️ Benefits at Bitwise

Top salaries because we're top performers
Pick your PTO — Everyone values time and money differently, so we give you the flexibility to choose between 3 and 5 weeks of PTO with a corresponding adjustment to your pay. Your choice, your balance.
All 11 federal holidays, paid!
Up to 2 snow days, paid!
We'll quadruple (4x!) the first 6% you contribute to your 401(k), giving you up to a 24% company match. Contributing less than 6%? Unclaimed matches come right back to you as extra income, giving you a guaranteed 24% that goes to your retirement, to your paycheck, or both. C'mon now! 🚀
100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurances. That's a lot. Already covered on health insurance? No problem — we'll trade you this benefit for a boost to your salary instead.
$5,250 annual education assistance for training, certifications, tuition, and even student loan repayments.
Spot bonuses for obtained certifications, customer recognition, and just about anything else that makes us go "Hot damn!". We hope to say that many times about you. 🔥

💰 Salary Range

$282,000 – $332,000

This range includes our flex income and depends upon your annual work hours.

Salary is determined on an individual basis following the interview process and considering various factors such as years of experience, skills, education, and certifications.

🛎️ What to Expect After Applying

You'll get an email from us right away to acknowledge your application. After that, we'll:

Send over additional company materials for you to review
Schedule a video call to talk about you, our company, and your place in it
Craft a delightful offer package for you and record a video walkthrough
Work closely with you through onboarding. We'll keep it joyful and easy.

ℹ️ Disclaimers

Bitwise is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.

Compensation for this position, including all compensation options, will be determined on an individual basis following the interview process.

If you require accommodations at any stage of the application or interview process, please reach out to us.

Last updated: 6/1/26