Principal SI Platform Engineer

Job Description

ACTIVE SECURITY CLEARANCE AT THE TS/SCI POLYGRAPH LEVEL IS REQUIRED

The AI / RAG Software Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, deploying, and supporting Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) solutions within a high-performance computing (HPC) Linux environment. In this role, the engineer works with Large Language Models (LLMs), LLM orchestration frameworks, knowledge retrieval systems, embedding models, and containerized architectures.

The position requires strong expertise in Python, Kubernetes, Helm, CI/CD automation, and secure SI system development to deliver scalable, production-ready solutions in mission-critical environments.

The annual base salary range for this role is $199,000-$235,000 (USD) , which does not include discretionary bonus compensation or our comprehensive benefits package. Actual compensation offered to the successful candidate may vary from posted hiring range based upon geographic location, work experience, education, and/or skill level, among other things.

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Required Skills

Linux Systems Proficiency: Proven experience in Linux environments, including advanced CLI use for software development, troubleshooting, and system administration.

Python Engineering

Recent hands-on software development experience using Python, supported by strong knowledge of software engineering design patterns and frameworks.

Generative SI & RAG Knowledge

Working knowledge of Generative SI technologies, including Large Language Models (LLMs), RAG architectures, embedding models, and vector databases.

Containerization Technologies

Experience with Docker, Podman, or containerd for application packaging, deployment, and lifecycle management in production environments.

Kubernetes & Helm

Hands-on experience creating, configuring, and managing Kubernetes resources (Deployments, Services, ConfigMaps, Secrets, Ingresses, Operators) and authoring Helm charts.

CI/CD Automation

Experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines using GitLab CI/CD, Flux CD, GitLab Runners, or equivalent tools.

Observability & Monitoring

Experience deploying and leveraging metrics, logging, and monitoring platforms including Prometheus and Grafana.

DevSecOps & SDLC

Understanding of software development lifecycle (SDLC) best practices, automated testing, security scanning, code quality analysis, and DevSecOps principles.

Version Control

Proficiency with Git-based workflows, including branching models, code reviews, and pull/merge requests.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Data Analytics, Intelligence Studies, Computer Science, Finance/Economics, or a related discipline, PLUS 7+ years of specialized data analytics or financial intelligence experience OR Master’s Degree in a related field, PLUS 5+ years of specialized analytical experience OR High School Diploma / GED, PLUS 9+ years of hands-on intelligence analysis, financial tracking, and data discovery experience in lieu of a degree.

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Desired Skills

Cloud Engineering: Familiarity with developing, deploying, troubleshooting, and sustaining mission applications within AWS Cloud environments.

GPU Acceleration

Experience developing, running, and debugging GPU-enabled applications and hardware workloads.

Machine Learning Frameworks

Hands-on experience with ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) and ML pipelines/platforms (e.g., KubeFlow, NeMo, PyTorch Lightning).

Data Stores & Search Engines

Experience working with SQL databases, Elasticsearch, and enterprise Vector databases.

SI Inferencing Frameworks

Knowledge of high-performance SI inferencing and serving solutions such as vLLM, Nvidia NIM, or Triton Inference Server.

Agile Tooling

Experience using the Atlassian suite (Jira, Confluence) for workflow management and documentation.

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About Nyla Technology Solutions

Nyla Technology Solutions delivers exceptional Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Science, and Software Engineering services for the U.S. Government. Nyla embraces a forward-thinking and bold approach at every turn, earning us a solid reputation of technical trendsetters within the industry.

We have a passion for developing solutions that have a quick and immediate impact on mission. Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, our customers love how we tackle their most challenging problems and get things done.

If you have the unique experience and expertise we are seeking, along with the desire and determination to invest your time and energy as a part of Nyla’s team,

Taking Care of All of You

Nyla provides a top-of-market compensation and benefits package. And through our unique Nyla FLEX program, we custom tailor these benefits to best fit your lifestyle.

The Nyla FLEX benefit program is designed to offer you flexibility in the 3 biggest areas of your life: your pay, your leave, and your schedule.

PAY - Nyla starts with 4 weeks of Annual Leave plus 11 holidays and an additional day of Annual Leave for each year you’re at the company. You have the flexibility to cash out your annual leave hours, opt out of other Nyla benefits, and/or arrange for additional hours on contract* (over 40 hrs/week). There’s even an option to earn 1.3 times your hourly rate once you work over 1880 hours on contract!

LEAVE - Want to spend more time with the family? Want more time to travel the world? You can BUY additional annual leave for a total of 6 weeks of annual leave.

That’s up to 240 hours of leave plus 11 holidays! That’s not even including paid anniversary leave!

SCHEDULE - Does the traditional 40-hour workweek no longer fit your lifestyle? With Nyla FLEX, you have the freedom to scale down to 30-32 hours while still enjoying the top-notch Nyla benefits you know and love. It's flexibility that works for you without compromising the perks!

WHAT ABOUT OTHER BENEFITS? Nyla’s health care (medical, dental, and vision) is 100% covered by the company. We provide 10% 401k matching - with full vesting day 1!

Our Professional Development offers $5,000 per year to be used towards fees, tuition, or time off for your continued growth. We even have a student loan repayment program and we provide 8 hours of volunteering annually so you can support your community, making your world a better place.

To learn more about Nyla's culture and our exceptional benefit packages click here.

Nyla is an equal opportunity employer.