Software Engineer (AI Focus)

This is a U.S. based position. All of the programs we support require U.S. citizenship to be eligible for employment. All work must be conducted within the continental U.S.

Who we are:

Raft (https://TeamRaft.com) is a customer-obsessed non-traditional small business with a purposeful focus on Distributed Data Systems, Platforms at Scale, and Complex Application Development, with headquarters in McLean, VA. Our range of clients includes innovative federal and public agencies leveraging design thinking, cutting-edge tech stack, and cloud-native ecosystem. We build digital solutions that impact the lives of millions of Americans.

About the role:

We are looking for a Software Engineer (AI Focus) with strong front-end skills and a passion for building transformative user experiences powered by AI. You will play a critical role in developing intuitive and powerful interfaces that enable warfighters and analysts to harness the power of large language models (LLMs) in operational environments.

In this role, you will help shape user-facing applications that blend cutting-edge AI models  with secure, performant full-stack systems. You’ll be working at the edge of software and mission—building the next generation of intelligent tools for distributed command-and-control.

This position is based in Hawaii, supporting a real-world defense use case where design, speed, and impact matter.

What You’ll Do

• Lead full-stack feature development from ideation to production in close coordination with product managers, AI researchers, and mission stakeholders
• Conduct user research and workflow analysis to identify inefficiencies and translate business requirements into AI-enabled technical solutions
• Build modern front-end applications using ReactJS, Tailwind, and component libraries integrated with LLM-based services (Claude, OpenAI, open-source models)
• Design and build backend APIs and microservices for scalable deployment and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)
• Work with ML engineers to shape model prompts, feedback loops, and in-app integration based on user workflow requirements
• Support disconnected/air-gapped deployment patterns and ensure secure, testable, and maintainable code
• Collaborate with end users, developers, designers, and DevSecOps engineers to continuously improve AI-enabled workflow solutions

What You Bring

• 3+ years of experience as a full stack engineer building modern web applications
• Strong proficiency in ReactJS and JavaScript/TypeScript ecosystem
• Experience building and consuming RESTful or GraphQL APIs
• Understanding of AI/ML concepts and experience integrating AI services into applications
• Strong communication skills with ability to conduct user interviews and translate business requirements into technical solutions
• A user-centered mindset with attention to accessibility, responsiveness, and clean design
• Familiarity with state management, routing, component-driven development
• Understanding of secure coding practices in sensitive or regulated environments
• Comfort working in fast-paced, iterative development cycles and on cross-functional teams

What we are looking for:

• Experience working with AI/ML frameworks and libraries (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Hugging Face, OpenAI APIs)
• Knowledge of prompt engineering and LLM integration patterns
• Experience with Python for AI/ML workflows and data processing
• Experience with workflow analysis and process optimization methodologies
• Understanding of automation tools and workflow orchestration platforms
• Experience with cloud-native AI services (AWS Bedrock, Azure OpenAI, Google AI Platform)
• Ability to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in existing workflows through user research and data analysis
• Knowledge of database design and optimization for AI-enabled applications
• Obtain Security+ certification within the first 90 days of employment with Raft

Highly preferred:

• Experience with process mapping, user journey analysis, and workflow optimization
• Knowledge of RAG (Retrieval-Augment