R&D Software Engineer — AI/ML Mission Solutions

Rackner is seeking an R&D Software Engineer — AI/ML Mission Solutions to help build, prototype, validate, and improve AI/data-driven software capabilities for defense-relevant use cases.

This is a hands-on R&D engineering role for someone who enjoys solving complex software, data, AI/ML, algorithmic, simulation, or pipeline problems. You will work with Rackner’s internal R&D team to turn ambiguous ideas, operational needs, and user feedback into working technical capabilities.

The strongest candidates can explain what they personally built, how the system worked, what broke, how they validated the output, and what impact the work had.

This is not a traditional sales role and not a platform-only engineering role. Kubernetes, Terraform, cloud, CI/CD, and DevSecOps experience are helpful, but the main focus is software engineering, AI/data systems, algorithmic problem-solving, validation, and R&D execution.

• →Design, prototype, test, and refine AI/data-driven software capabilities for mission-focused use cases
• →Create software supporting data workflows, AI/ML experimentation, model integration, simulation, algorithmic processing, and applied R&D prototypes
• →Develop and enhance data pipelines, schema transformations, JSON workflows, APIs, backend services, and integration layers
• →Contribute to AI/ML processes including inference, evaluation, deployment, monitoring, and model-serving patterns
• →Ensure output quality through testing, data validation, evaluation techniques, debugging, monitoring, and failure analysis
• →Diagnose and resolve complex issues across software, data, model, and integration layers
• →Collaborate with engineers and technical leadership to assess tradeoffs, identify constraints, and strengthen solution design
• →Participate in technical demos, R&D events, mission-user discussions, and iterative feedback cycles as needed
• →Convert stakeholder or mission feedback into actionable technical steps
• →Clearly convey technical concepts to engineering teams, program stakeholders, customers, and mission users

• U.S. citizenship required due to federal contract requirements
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance
• Strong software engineering background with hands-on experience building, testing, debugging, and improving modern systems
• Proficiency in Python, C++, Java, Go, SQL, or a similar language used for backend, data, AI/ML, or algorithmic work
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems involving data workflows, algorithms, AI/ML systems, simulations, pipelines, integrations, or applied R&D
• Ability to clearly explain system architecture, data flow, tradeoffs, validation methods, failure modes, and individual contributions
• Familiarity with real-world data workflows, including data sources, APIs, schemas, transformations, databases, files, events, and logs
• Comfortable working in fast-paced environments with evolving requirements
• Willingness to travel approximately 15% for R&D events, demos, collaboration sessions, or customer and mission engagements

• Active Secret clearance or higher
• DoD, Air Force, Platform One, Big Bang, mission planning, C2, ISR, autonomy, or defense technology experience
• AI/ML systems, applied AI workflows, model integration, model evaluation, model deployment, model serving, model registry, or model monitoring
• MLOps tools or workflows such as MLflow, SageMaker, Databricks, Kubeflow, Airflow, Dagster, Prefect, or similar tools
• Data pipelines, ETL/ELT workflows, schema transformations, JSON transformations, dbt pipelines, or messy data integration workflows
• Data validation, data quality checks, pipeline monitoring, failure handling, debugging, or observability for data/model workflows
• Algorithms, optimization, simulation, scientific computing, applied mathematics, physics-informed software, computer vision, autonomy, or robotics
• Python, C++, SQL, PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn, FastAPI, Postgres, or related software/data/AI tooling
• Technical demos, pilots, field exercises, workshops, briefings, or customer / mission-user discussions
• Cloud, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, CI/CD, DevSecOps, ATO, or secure delivery experience

Rackner is a software consultancy focused on building mission-critical systems for the U.S. government. Our teams work across cloud platforms, DevSecOps, AI/ML, distributed systems, and modern software engineering initiatives supporting federal agencies and national security missions.

Rackner engineers and technical teams collaborate closely with leadership, program teams, and mission stakeholders to design, demonstrate, and improve software systems that address complex operational challenges.

Rackner is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other protected characteristics.