Defense Innovation Research Engineer

PatchPlus Consulting, through its technology division PatchPlus Technologies, is hiring a Defense Innovation Research Software Engineer to support Department of War research, development, prototyping, and capability development. The role develops, integrates, tests, and deploys secure software solutions for mission-focused defense technologies, using AI-assisted development tools and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain software applications supporting DoW research, development, and prototyping efforts
• Identify, evaluate, integrate, and employ frontier AI tools and techniques—including secure self-hosted/local AI coding assistants, agentic workflows, and open-weights models —to support user stories, coding, testing, debugging, documentation, and development efficiency
• Review, sandbox, and validate AI-generated code and other outputs for correctness, security, and maintainability, using tools consistent with project requirements and data-handling restrictions, and security protocols
• Apply context engineering and specification-driven development to structure codebases and prompts for optimal AI agent reasoning, maximizing output accuracy while minimizing technical debt
• Develop APIs, backend services, web applications, data pipelines, and cloud-based solutions
• Apply secure coding practices and perform software integration, debugging, troubleshooting, performance tuning, and testing
• Collaborate with engineers, researchers, and military subject matter experts to develop mission-focused capabilities
• Participate in Agile development activities, technical documentation, and configuration management throughout the software development lifecycle
• Contribute to proof-of-concept efforts, prototype demonstrations, and technology transition activities

Requirements:

• U.S. citizenship
• the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance
• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field
• Software development experience appropriate to the position level: junior-level candidates may demonstrate experience through internships, academic projects, or relevant personal projects; mid-level candidates should have approximately 4–6 years of relevant professional experience
• Proficiency in one or more modern programming languages, such as Python, Java, JavaScript/TypeScript, C++, C#, or Go
• Hands-on experience developing software applications, APIs, or backend services
• Experience using AI tools to support software development, including code generation, debugging, testing, or documentation
• Familiarity with frontier AI tools and techniques—including AI coding assistants, large language models, and agentic development workflows—and the ability to review and validate AI-generated outputs for correctness, security, and maintainability
• Understanding of software engineering fundamentals, including software design, secure coding practices, debugging, and testing
• Familiarity with relational or NoSQL databases, such as SQL-based databases or MongoDB
• Experience using Git or a comparable version-control system and familiarity with collaborative development workflows
• Familiarity with cloud platforms, containerization, and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) concepts
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills, with a willingness to learn new tools and technologies
• Active Secret or Top Secret security clearance
• Experience supporting DoD, Intelligence Community, or other federal government software development programs
• Experience applying advanced AI-assisted development techniques, such as configuring coding agents, integrating AI tools into development workflows, or providing project-specific context to improve AI-generated outputs
• Experience with Azure DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, or DevOps/DevSecOps practices
• Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, and container technologies such as Docker or Kubernetes
• Experience with software architecture and design, particularly for mid-level candidates
• Experience with one or more relevant technical areas, such as AI/ML applications, autonomy, cyber operations, mission systems, data analytics, command and control, or digital engineering
• Familiarity with SBIR/STTR programs, OTA projects, rapid prototyping, experimentation, or defense technology transition
• Experience working in classified or sensitive government environments