Software Engineer; Hybrid

Enlighten is a cutting‑edge technology company that is dedicated to developing innovative software solutions for our clients. We are currently seeking a talented and experienced Software Engineer to join our team to help build foundational AI integration frameworks.

As a Software Engineer focused on AI Integration, you will be responsible for designing, developing, and implementing the "paved road" for AI at our company. This role is not focused on training foundational AI models from scratch but on taking industry best practices, open‑source capabilities, and large language models (LLMs) to build a secure framework that allows our other software capabilities to seamlessly leverage AI.

You will work closely with other talented engineers to create secure, enterprise‑grade AI software solutions, including Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, reusable AI skills, strict safety guardrails, and other AI framework capabilities that meet the complex needs of our clients.

You will have the opportunity to work with modern tools and technologies at the intersection of complex backend engineering and applied AI, and will be encouraged to stay up‑to‑date with the latest developments in the field. You will be part of a dynamic and collaborative team that is committed to delivering high‑quality, secure software solutions.

• Must have strong working knowledge and experience developing Java‑based software capabilities.
• Design and develop foundational AI frameworks, including internal APIs, middleware, and routing layers that allow other systems to securely utilize AI capabilities.
• Build Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers and a library of reusable "skills" (function calling/tools) that enable AI models to safely interact with our internal databases, microservices, and external APIs.
• Implement strict enterprise AI guardrails, ensuring data privacy, sensitive data scrubbing, prompt injection defenses, and output validation to meet stringent security requirements.
• Should have an inquisitive nature, responsiveness, and excellent testing skills (including an interest in automated testing pipelines for non‑deterministic AI outputs).
• Must also possess strong troubleshooting skills and the ability to work under pressure with multiple deadlines.
• Will work in a fast‑paced, small‑business environment with our talented team.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Security Clearance – A U.S. Government Security Clearance is not required on the first day, but will be processed for one; U.S. citizenship required. Candidates with a current Secret level clearance are also considered.
• 2+ years of experience in Software Engineering, modern Java frameworks and libraries (e.g., Spring, Guava) and a bachelor’s degree in a related field; or 0 years of relevant experience with a master’s degree in a related field; or a high school diploma or equivalent and 6 years of relevant experience.
• Applied AI
  
  Experience:
  
  Hands‑on experience or a strong aptitude for integrating commercial LLM APIs (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic) or open‑source models into backend applications.
• Demonstrated understanding of modern applied AI concepts such as prompt engineering, function calling/tool use, and Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG).
• Experience in RESTful web services.
• Experience in microservices architecture.
• Experience in object‑oriented programming (OOP) paradigms.
• Experience with the agile software lifecycle.
• Experience with configuration management tools (e.g., Git, Nexus, Maven).
• Comfortable working on a Linux command line.
• Has a proven ability to learn quickly and works well both independently as well as in a team setting.
• Problem‑solving skills and ability to review information and compile data appropriately as needed.
• Must be able to work in a hybrid environment, spending an average of 1–2 days per week at our Columbia, MD office. Flexibility is essential to adapt to schedule changes as needed.

• Familiarity with Java‑based AI integration frameworks (e.g., Spring AI, LangChain4j) or Python equivalents (Lang Chain, Llama Index).
• Experience with vector databases, semantic caching, and AI observability tools.
• Experience with…