Forward Deployed AI Engineer

Company Overview

At Pytho, we’re on a mission to ensure warfighters are prepared for every challenge they face. We are committed to assembling a world-class team of exceptional problem solvers, combining expert engineering talent with deep experience in National Security.

Our mission is Force Readiness. Our first product empowers military planners with AI-native software for critical workflows. It’s time for AI-powered warfighters — operating with adaptive, intelligent, and expert technology designed for the pace and complexity of modern conflict.

The Opportunity

We’re building our Forward Deployed AI Engineering Team! This is an incredible opportunity to join a startup at the earliest stage that will reward you with unparalleled experience building for a mission that matters. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a dynamic and hands-on environment, loves solving complex problems, and is excited to advance the state-of-the-art in defense technology.

Key Responsibilities

• AI/ML Development: Design, develop, and deploy state-of-the-art AI/ML models to solve real-world problems.

• Research & Experimentation: Stay at the forefront of AI innovation by experimenting with emerging tools, techniques, and frameworks.

• Engineering Excellence: Build robust, scalable, and efficient systems that integrate AI models into production environments.

• Technical Leadership: Set standards for engineering best practices.

What You Bring

Required

• A strong technical foundation with expertise in AI/ML, data science, and software engineering.

• Hands-on experience with popular AI frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face) and programming languages (Python, C++, or Java).

• Demonstrated expertise architecting, deploying, and operating Kubernetes clusters in secure on‑prem environments and U.S. Government clouds (AWS GovCloud, Azure GCC).

• Familiarity with cloud platforms and tools (AWS, GCP, Azure) and deployment pipelines.

• A proven track record of building and deploying machine learning models in production.

• Exceptional problem-solving skills and a curious mindset with a drive to continuously learn and improve.

• The ability to balance long-term strategic thinking with short-term tactical execution.

• Strong communication and collaboration skills to thrive in a startup environment.

• Willingness to travel up to 30% to drive growth through in-person engagements with DoD partners.

• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Preferred

• Active DoD Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility

• Experience with offline-capable and edge-deployable ML systems

• Experience with containerization and orchestration tools

• Exposure to geospatial data and reasoning systems

• Background in defense, national security, or other mission-critical domains

Benefits

• Competitive salary and equity to share in our success

• The opportunity to shape and scale a cutting-edge defense tech company from the ground up

• Full health benefits

• 401(k)

• Offices in Washington DC and San Francisco with travel opportunities to key partner sites