Lead Software Engineer in Silver Spring, Maryland at FM Talent Source

FM Talent Source is an enterprise that provides business and workforce solutions to help organizations nationwide overcome business challenges. Our clients include federal, state and local government agencies, Fortune 500 Companies, and non-profit organizations. Founded in 2004, we have a strong history of providing recruitment strategies and utilizing effective project and quality management methodologies to ensure our clients success.

We are seeking one Lead AI Software Engineer for a full-time contract opportunity with FM Talent Source for one of our valued clients.

This role is ideal for a senior technologist who is passionate about building scalable, secure, and user-centric AI-enabled solutions to address complex government mission challenges.

You will lead the design, development, and deployment of full-stack web applications on AWS, integrating workflow orchestration, relational data systems, advanced analytics, and intuitive, accessible user interfaces. Working with cross-functional teams—including software engineers, data scientists, product managers, and mission stakeholders—you will deliver high-impact solutions that combine modern engineering practices with Artificial Intelligence capabilities.

This role emphasizes hands-on leadership, strong engineering fundamentals, and modern software development practices—including the use of Generative AI–assisted coding tools to accelerate development, improve quality, and enhance delivery velocity.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the architecture, design, and implementation of AI-enabled full-stack web applications deployed on AWS.
• Develop and maintain end-to-end solutions spanning frontend (ReactJS), backend services (Java/Python), APIs, workflow orchestration, and relational database layers.
• Design and implement accessible, user-friendly web interfaces, ensuring compliance with Section 508 and usability standards.
• Architect and manage RDBMS-based data models (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL, Aurora) supporting transactional and analytical use cases.
• Build and integrate workflow and process automation capabilities to support business and mission operations.
• Develop data visualization and analytics features to enable decision-making through dashboards, charts, and interactive UI components.
• Lead implementation of AI-enabled features such as intelligent search, chatbots, document processing, or agent-driven workflows.
• Utilize Generative AI–assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code) for code generation, debugging, testing, refactoring, and documentation while ensuring code quality and security.
• Operate within a SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) environment, contributing to agile release trains, sprint planning, backlog refinement, and cross-team coordination.
• Implement and enforce DevSecOps practices, leveraging application security tools (e.g., SAST, DAST, SCA) to identify, analyze, and remediate software vulnerabilities throughout the development lifecycle.
• Design and maintain CI/CD pipelines with integrated security scanning, automated testing, and compliance checks.
• Mentor engineering teams, conduct code reviews, and establish best practices in software design, security, and cloud-native development.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to prototype, iterate, and deliver scalable and secure solutions aligned to mission requirements.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Must be able to OBTAIN and MAINTAIN a Federal or DoD "PUBLIC TRUST"; candidates must obtain approved adjudication of their PUBLIC TRUST prior to onboarding. Candidates with an ACTIVE PUBLIC TRUST or SUITABILITY are preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or a related technical field, or Additional FOUR (4) years equivalent experience in Lieu of degree.
• Minimum SIX (6) years of professional experience in software engineering, including experience in a senior or lead role.
• Expert-level proficiency in Java or Python for backend development.
• Strong hands-on experience with ReactJS for modern frontend application development.
• Demonstrated experience building and deploying full-stack web applications in AWS cloud environments.
• Experience implementing solutions involving workflow orchestration, relational databases (RDBMS), and data visualization.
• Experience designing and developing accessible web user interfaces, including familiarity with accessibility standards and testing tools.
• Experience designing and integrating RESTful APIs, microservices architectures, and distributed systems.
• Hands-on experience with Generative AI–aided coding and software development tools to improve productivity, code quality, and delivery efficiency.
• Experience working within a SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) environment.
• Experience using application security and DevSecOps tools to identify, analyze, and remediate vulnerabilities across the software development lifecycle (e.g., SAST, DAST, SCA, container and dependency scanning).
• Experience implementing CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, version control, and secure coding practices.
• Strong leadership, communication, and collaboration skills, with the ability to lead technical teams and engage stakeholders effectively.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:

• Experience developing AI/ML applications, such as Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), chatbots, semantic search, or agentic workflows.
• Familiarity with AI frameworks such as LangChain, Haystack, Semantic Kernel, or similar.
• Experience with AWS services such as Lambda, ECS/Fargate, API Gateway, Step Functions, S3, and Glue.
• Experience with modern data architectures, including lakehouse, federated query engines, or analytics platforms.
• Experience with data visualization tools and libraries (e.g., D3.js, Plotly, Tableau, QuickSight).
• Familiarity with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, AWS CDK, CloudFormation).
• Knowledge of federal security and compliance standards (FISMA, FedRAMP, NIST 800-53).
• SAFe certification or additional Agile certifications.
• Experience mentoring teams and driving adoption of secure, AI-enabled, cloud-native development practices.

Compensation Range: The salary range provided is determined by market value, internal equity, and the candidate's experience and qualifications. Offers will be extended within this range, though not all candidates will receive an offer at the upper limit.