AI Engineer

Overview:

**AI Engineer - required onsite (hybrid) in Fairfax, VA

Overview**

ILS Inc. is seeking an AI Engineer to design and implement next-generation AI solutions using large language models (LLMs), agentic workflows, and Model Context Protocol (MCP)-based integrations. The ideal candidate has hands-on experience building AI-powered applications (not just training models) and understands how to orchestrate tools, APIs, and data sources into reliable systems.

MUST BE LOCAL TO DC METRO AREA (hybrid support - 2 days in ILS HQ office, located in Fairfax, VA 22033

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities

• Design and build agentic AI systems that can reason, plan, and execute tasks using LLMs.
• Implement integrations using Model Context Protocol (MCP) to connect AI agents with tools, APIs, and enterprise systems.
• Develop and maintain LLM-powered applications (e.g., copilots, chat systems, automation tools).
• Build prompt pipelines, tool-calling workflows, and multi-step reasoning systems.
• Develop backend services using Java (Spring Boot) and/or Python to expose AI capabilities via APIs.
• Leverage Spring AI or similar frameworks to integrate LLMs into enterprise applications.
• Implement RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) pipelines using vector databases.
• Integrate AI solutions with cloud-native services such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.
• Deploy AI services and ensure scalability, reliability, and performance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in an Agile/Scrum environment.
• Monitor and optimize AI systems for latency, cost, and output quality.

Qualifications:

Required skill sets - Extensive experience with:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, or related field.
• 5-9 years of professional experience in software engineering, AI engineering, or applied ML roles.
• Hands-on experience with LLM APIs.
• Experience building agent-based workflows.
• + Understanding of prompt engineering, tool usage, and structured outputs.
• Familiarity with RAG architectures and vector databases.
• Experience with Model Context Protocol (MCP) or similar integration standards.
• Experience working with at least one cloud platform and exposure to others:
• + AWS (Lambda, Bedrock, SageMaker, S3)
  • Azure (Azure OpenAI, Functions, Cognitive Services)
  • Google Cloud (Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform, Vertex AI, Cloud Functions, BigQuery)

Preferred Skills

• Strong programming skills in Python and/or Java.
• Experience building backend services using Spring Boot (REST APIs, microservices).
• Exposure to Spring AI or similar frameworks for integrating LLMs into Java applications.
• Experience with Docker and containerized deployments.
• Basic frontend experience (React, Angular) for AI-driven applications.
• Experience working in regulated environments (government, finance, healthcare).