Full-Time

AI Engineer

Captivation

Captivation

11-50 employees

Software engineering for mission-focused teams

Compensation Overview

$130k - $270k/yr

+ 401k contribution

No H1B Sponsorship

Annapolis Junction, MD, USA

Hybrid

Hybrid role requiring on-site presence in Annapolis Junction, MD.

US Citizenship, US Top Secret Clearance Required

Category
AI & Machine Learning (1)
Required Skills
MLOps
Machine Learning
AWS
Data Analysis
Requirements
  • Must currently hold a Top Secret/SCI U.S. Government security clearance with a favorable Polygraph, therefore all candidates must be a U.S. citizen
  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
  • Master’s degree can be substituted for two (2) years experience
Responsibilities
  • Design and Development: Lead the design and development of AI-driven solutions from conception to deployment, ensuring seamless integration with the existing software architecture. This includes prototyping new models, writing production-quality code, and maintaining existing AI systems.
  • Collaboration and Communication: Serve as a key technical liaison, collaborating with cross-functional teams including system engineers, software developers, and domain experts. Effectively present and articulate recommended AI approaches, discussing the tradeoffs and implications of different implementations with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Data Analysis and Modeling: Conduct Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) on diverse datasets (both structured and unstructured) to inform the data model, identify data quality issues, and determine optimal input formats for AI models.
  • Model Building and Evaluation: Develop, train, and evaluate a variety of machine learning models, ensuring they meet performance and reliability requirements. Implement robust testing and validation strategies to ensure models are accurate and unbiased.
  • Continuous Improvement: Stay current with the latest advancements in AI and machine learning, continuously seeking opportunities to apply new technologies and methodologies to improve existing systems and solve complex problems.
  • Cloud Platforms: Have experience with the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing platform and machine learning operations (MLOps) tools for deploying and managing machine learning models at scale.

Captivation builds digital software for mission makers by delivering engineering services across a wide range of disciplines. The work is collaborative, with teams that move quickly like a small business and take pride in what they develop. The company emphasizes transparency, a flat organizational structure, and a developer-focused culture, which enables engineers to work directly and iteratively with clients. Compared with larger firms, Captivation differentiates itself through its focus on timely delivery, practical problem solving, and actively pursuing challenging projects for the Intelligence Community, using modern software technologies. The goal is to produce solutions that clients value, on time, while growing the team and empowering its engineers to take ownership of their work.

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Columbia, Maryland

Founded

2014

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • DoD cyber defense spending growth expands addressable market for CYBERCOM and DISA.
  • Salt Lake City expansion diversifies talent pool beyond Maryland headquarters.
  • Custom software developer NAICS certification unlocks targeted federal contracting opportunities.

What critics are saying

  • Booz Allen Hamilton and incumbents dominate IC contracts, squeezing $1M-revenue firms.
  • Talent exodus to Palantir and scaled competitors threatens 29-person team delivery.
  • JADC2 AI/ML mandate requires platform scale Captivation cannot match internally.

What makes Captivation unique

  • GSA Schedule 47QRCA25DS201 contract enables direct federal procurement without competitive bidding.
  • Developer-oriented culture with flattened structure attracts mission-driven engineering talent.
  • Specialized expertise in DSP, ML/AI, and streaming analytics for intelligence missions.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account

Unlimited Paid Time Off

401(k) Retirement Plan