Java Software Engineer (Backend)

Java Software Engineer (backend) Columbia, MD (hybrid) Salary From: $150,000 per year MUST: Experienced Software Engineer to join our team to help build foundational AI integration frameworks. Eligible to obtain secret clearance or above 10+ years professional experience 5+ years of experience Software Engineering, Modern Java Frameworks and Libraries (e.g. Spring, Guava) Bachelors in related field; Strong Java-based AI integration frameworks (e.g., Spring AI, LangChain4j) or Python equivalents (LangChain, LlamaIndex) Demonstrated understanding of modern applied AI concepts such as prompt engineering, function-calling/tool-use, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Experience in designing enterprise APIs Experience in RESTful web services Experience in Microservices architecture Experience in Object Oriented Programming (OOP) paradigms Experience with the agile software lifecycle Experience with configuration management tools (e.g. Git, Nexus, Maven) Comfortable working on a Linux command line Has a proven ability to learn quickly and works well both independently as well as in a team setting Problem solving skills and ability to review information and compile data appropriately as needed Must be able to work in a hybrid environment, spending an average of 1-2 days per week at our Columbia, MD office. Flexibility is essential to adapt to schedule changes as needed. Highly desired: Experience with Vector Databases, semantic caching, and AI observability tools Experience with NiFi, Kafka, AWS Infrastructure, and K8's Experience in cloud based technologies (AWS, Azure) Experience in SQL databases (e.g., Postgres, MySQL), distributed databases, NoSQL databases Scripting experience (particularly Python, given its prominence in the AI ecosystem) is a huge plus Prior experience or familiarity with our Big Data Platform is a plus Understanding of agile software development methodologies and use of standard software development tool suites. (e.g., JIRA, Confluence, Youtrack, Github, etc.) DoD 8140 / 8570 IAT Level II compliance certifications may be required in this position as directed by the customer DUTIES: Hands-on experience or a strong aptitude for integrating commercial LLM APIs (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic) or open-source models into backend applications Take industry best practices, open-source capabilities, and large language models (LLMs), and build a secure framework that allows our other software capabilities to seamlessly leverage AI. Work closely with other talented engineers to create secure, enterprise-grade AI software solutions, including Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, reusable AI skills, strict safety guardrails, and other AI framework capabilities that meet the complex needs of our clients. Design and develop foundational AI frameworks, including internal APIs, middleware, and routing layers that allow other systems to securely utilize AI capabilities Build Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers and a library of reusable 'skills' (function calling/tools) that enable AI models to safely interact with our internal databases, microservices, and external APIs Implement strict enterprise AI guardrails, ensuring data privacy, sensitive data scrubbing, prompt injection defenses, and output validation to meet stringent security requirements Quadrant is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, status as a protected veteran, or status as an individual with a disability. Healthcare benefits are offered to all eligible employees according to compliance mandated by the Affordable Care Act.