Software Engineer I - Inference

SALARY RANGE $124,000 - $181,000/year.

DUTIES As a successful candidate for the Software Engineer I – Inference role, you will join our AI infrastructure team to build and maintain the foundation for customer AI capabilities while supporting a broader ecosystem of AI-enabled applications. Your primary focus will be ensuring seamless access to the highest quality large language models (LLMs) throughout the inference software stack. Operating in a dynamic environment where requirements shift as mission needs evolve and new technologies emerge, you will continuously sharpen your skills and turn loosely defined problems into impactful, working solutions.

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Required Skills

SKILLS

Procure, configure, and test new inference models to prepare them for seamless release to the user base

Develop in-house services and techniques to guarantee continuous, high-quality inference performance

Partner with model vendor teams to establish reliable integration pipelines for closed-source models

Collaborate with teammates on surge efforts to address high-priority, short-term customer inference demands

Engage with cross-functional teams to build resilient service infrastructure and integrate LLM-powered tools for end-user needs

QUALIFICATIONS Three (3) years' experience as a SWE in programs and contracts of similar scope, type, and complexity is required. A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a 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.

Additional Requirements:
Develop with Python and other modern programming languages

Utilize Argo CD or other modern CI/CD frameworks

Deploy and manage containerized applications using Kubernetes and Helm

Operate within AWS or other major cloud service provider environments

Demonstrate a proven ability to rapidly learn and adopt emerging technologies

Communicate clearly and collaborate proactively to address technical and mission needs

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Desired Skills

NICE-TO-HAVES

Leverage vLLM, LiteLLM, or similar inference-serving frameworks

Apply modern LLM hosting frameworks and deployment practices

Support production software using Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) best practices

Utilize Elastic, Grafana, Prometheus, or other observability frameworks

Package and manage applications using Docker and containerization

Implement traffic shaping and quality-of-service engineering strategies

Demonstrate strong interest and foundational knowledge in hosting AI capabilities

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About Black Eagle Defense

Black Eagle Defense is a Maryland-based small business that provides Information Technology, Cybersecurity, and related Consulting Services to the private and public sectors. Our team is composed of highly trained professionals with a commitment to continued learning, versatility, and adaptability within the ever-evolving technological landscape.

We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer.