Technical AI Requirements Systems Engineer – Mid/Senior
About the job
- Must currently hold a Top Secret/SCI U.S. Government security clearance with a favorable polygraph; U.S. citizenship is required.
- A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university is required. A master's degree may substitute for two years of experience.
- At least five years of experience performing in a Lead System Engineer role for a software development team.
- Familiarity with software development using Java or JavaScript frameworks, RESTful microservices, and cloud-based architecture and deployment on Amazon Web Services.
- Ability to work directly with customers to elicit, analyze, and document detailed functional requirements and convert them into technical specifications.
- Ability to translate high-level requirements into actionable Jira user stories and epics for development teams.
- Experience conducting functional testing of application features.
- Ability to serve as a key technical liaison and collaborate with system engineers, software developers, and domain experts.
- Ability to present and explain recommended AI approaches and discuss implementation tradeoffs and implications with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Awareness of modern AI and machine learning advancements and ability to identify practical opportunities to apply emerging capabilities to enterprise applications.
- Support the program and assist with overseeing the planning, design, and implementation of a mission-critical system.
- Work directly with customers, systems engineers, developers, and AI solution stakeholders to ensure mission-driven software capabilities are accurately defined, built, tested, and delivered.
- Engage tactically with the development team, collaborate with stakeholders, and actively participate in Agile delivery throughout the development lifecycle.
- Perform hands-on technical execution, low-level requirements definition, and functional validation of new features for an enterprise application integrating AI-enabled capabilities.
- Experience designing or refining technical artifacts specifically for AI integration.
- Ability to evaluate AI architectures, assess model performance, and identify system-level integration tradeoffs.
- Coordinate the design and development of AI-driven solutions from conception to deployment, ensuring seamless integration with the existing software architecture.
- Stay current with AI and machine learning advancements and seek opportunities to apply new technologies and methodologies to improve existing systems and solve complex problems.
About the company
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
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Greenhouse showed 72 openings in October 2026, signaling sustained program demand.
- Recent roles target AI/ML, Rust, cloud, and 508 accessibility modernization.
- Federal award history and active hiring suggest sticky relationships with cleared government customers.
What critics are saying
- Captivation's dependence on classified Annapolis Junction programs creates single-contract revenue shock risk.
- TS/SCI polygraph hiring shrinks the talent pool and slows scaling across 72 openings.
- A 2025-2026 contract loss could force rapid headcount cuts and damage clearance trust.
What makes Captivation unique
- Captivation serves TS/SCI-cleared mission software for DoD, USCYBERCOM, and DISA.
- Its 72-job 2026 slate spans DSP, AI, Kubernetes, and geospatial reporting tools.
- Direct-hire, developer-owned culture with 20% 401k and six weeks PTO differentiates recruiting.
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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