Lead AI/ML Software Engineer

Raft

Lead AI/ML Software Engineer for Raft, evolving the AI Mission System architecture and executing engineering initiatives. Driving platform quality and mentorship within cross-functional teams.

Posted 5/27/2026full-timeRemote • Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Virginia, Washington • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $180,000 - $230,000 per yearWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

CloudDistributed SystemsKubernetes

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Drive architectural decisions across the [R]AIMS platform, evaluating tradeoffs across performance, scalability, security, and maintainability and building alignment across engineering and product stakeholders
Lead major technical epics from conception through delivery, decomposing ambiguous problems into executable plans and keeping cross-functional teams moving with clarity and momentum
Simplify and rationalize distributed system architecture as the platform scales, reducing incidental complexity and improving operational reliability without sacrificing capability
Optimize platform performance across both edge and cloud deployment targets, identifying and resolving bottlenecks in data-intensive, latency-sensitive operational environments
Establish strong engineering foundations and reusable technical patterns that improve developer productivity and code quality across the team
Mentor engineers at multiple levels, conducting design reviews, providing substantive code feedback, and actively elevating technical execution across the platform
Partner with AI/ML engineers on model integration, inference optimization, and the operational deployment of agentic workflows within [R]AIMS
Engage directly with customers and program stakeholders at operationally demanding environments across the Department of Defense, representing Raft’s technical capabilities with credibility and clarity

Requirements

What you’ll need

6+ years of hands-on experience building and shipping production software systems across the full stack (frontend, backend, infrastructure, and ML)
Deep software engineering fundamentals with demonstrated ability to design, build, and evolve complex systems that perform reliably at scale
Exceptional technical communication skills; able to lead through influence across engineering, product, and leadership stakeholders without requiring direct authority
Proven experience designing and evolving distributed systems, including service decomposition, inter-service communication patterns, fault tolerance, and observability
Strong hands-on experience with Kubernetes and cloud-native platform architecture in production environments
Experience building data-intensive or AI-enabled production systems with real operational users and real performance constraints
Demonstrated technical leadership over large, cross-functional engineering initiatives with clear ownership and accountability for outcomes
Strong system design and architecture decision-making ability, with a track record of making the right call under incomplete information
Some experience or exposure to training, fine-tuning, or deploying machine learning models in production contexts
Ability to obtain Security+ certification within the first 90 days of employment
S. citizenship required; ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI clearance.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Highly competitive salary
Fully covered healthcare, dental, and vision coverage
401(k) and company match
Take as you need PTO + 11 paid holidays
Education & training benefits
Generous Referral Bonuses
And More!

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

software engineeringdistributed systemsservice decompositioninter-service communicationfault toleranceobservabilityKubernetescloud-native architecturemachine learningdata-intensive systems

Soft Skills

technical communicationleadershipinfluencementoringproblem-solvingclaritycollaborationaccountabilitydecision-makingcustomer engagement

Certifications

Security+ certificationTop Secret/SCI clearance