Software Engineer 3 - (Python, ElasticSearch, Kibana)

Columbia, Maryland

Software Engineer 3 - (Python, ElasticSearch, Kibana)

Clearance: TS/SCI - Polygraph required
Position ID: 20-16-040-SWE3
Location: Columbia, Maryland

Description:

Join a team building the next generation of AI-powered decision support for operators and analysts in Computer Network Operations (CNO). Our platform combines an AI Copilot and a Deep Research Agent that queries disparate data sources and surfaces synthesized, actionable answers in a single interface - cutting through the noise so operators can focus on mission-critical decisions instead of manual data wrangling.You will be joining a team of ~8-12 developers that are focused on delivering a custom UI, MCP Server, and Agent for the CNO workforce. This is a high-visibility program at the intersection of applied AI and mission-critical operations, where your code directly impacts analysts making time-sensitive decisions. You will work closely with operators, analysts, and other software engineers to integrate AI technologies. We are looking for a SWE3 interested in growing into a leadership role on this team to help deliver the next best thing to CNO.

Design and maintain Python services for the AI Copilot and Deep Research Agent, including MCP Server and agent orchestration.
Build data pipelines and integrations across operational data sources.
Develop search and observability tooling using ElasticSearch, Kibana, and Grafana.
Mentor junior developers via code reviews, pairing, and technical guidance.
Lead technical design discussions and architectural decisions.

Position Required Skills:

Advanced proficiency in Python, building production-grade services and APIs.
Experience with ElasticSearch, Kibana, and/or Grafana.
Team leadership, tech lead, or mentorship experience.
Experience with relational databases (RDS or similar).
Strong communication skills, technical and non-technical audiences.
Experience with or interest in emerging AI technologies.

Nice to Haves

Experience with AI agent frameworks, LLMs, or RAG systems.
Familiarity with MCP (Model Context Protocol) or similar tool-orchestration frameworks.
Experience with production CNO capabilities and operations.
Experience leading a team of developers.

SWE3 Qualifications:

YOE Requirement: 12 yrs., B.S. in a technical discipline or 4 additional yrs. in place of B.S.

Salary Range: $232k-$283k (Annually)

The range displayed above is a likely salary range for this position. This is not, however, a guarantee of compensation or salary. Rather, salary will be set based on experience, geographic location and possible contractual requirements and could fall outside of this range.

Akina is a Woman Owned, Service Disabled, Veteran Owned, Small Business, looking for talented and ambitious individuals to join our team. We offer a generous compensation package that includes 24 days PTO accrued annually and 11 federal holidays. Our 401k is 100% vested on your start date and the company makes a direct contribution worth 10% of your salary. Akina covers 100% of healthcare costs for employees and 50% toward dependents. We offer educational assistance towards college classes and will cover costs associated with job related training and certifications.

Akina is committed to excellence and creating innovative and flexible solutions for our clients. We are a small company with an open ear to our employees' needs in order to attract and retain quality talent that enables our customer's mission.

We are an equal employment opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.