Interested in this AI Software Engineer role at Thor Solutions, LLC?
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THOR Solutions is actively seeking a Software Engineer III with a focus on AI and Machine Learning (ML) to support a contract developing an AI tool to automate the comparison process for U.S. Navy engineering drawings or “Damage Control Plates” in Virginia Beach, VA. The software engineer will be part of a team building a computer vision-based image processing pipeline that ingests two versions of the DC plates and identifies differences, and a locally deployed language model that takes output from the first component and generates draft comparison reports.
This position is a short-term position, anticipated to last approximately though the end of December, 2026, with possibility of further work.
Typical Responsibilities:* Design, develop, and integrate a computer vision pipeline capable of ingesting, aligning, and automatically detecting differences between two versions of an engineering drawing.
- Develop and deploy a locally hosted language model to interpret comparison output and generate structured, human-readable draft reports for engineer review.
- Build and maintain a secure, engineer-facing web interface that allows users to review AI-generated findings, annotate results, and approve or correct comparison reports.
- Implement drawing ingestion and normalization routines supporting multiple file formats including PDF, TIFF, CGM, DXF, and JPEG.
- Ensure all software components are deployable on existing on-premise hardware with no cloud infrastructure dependency.
- Produce and maintain technical documentation including design documents, API references, and user guides.
Location: Hybrid work schedule. Three days/week onsite at THOR’s Virginia Beach, VA office location, and the remainder may be performed remotely/work from home.
Travel: Up to 10% travel anticipated to sites in San Diego, CA and Philadelphia, PA.
Typical Physical Activity: Desk/computer work in an office environment. May involve: repetitive motion.
Typical Pay Range: The anticipated pay range for this position in the identified location(s) is $38.46 – 45.67/hour. Actual compensation offered will be based upon individual factors including education, qualifications, and experience.
Existing SECRET Security Clearance Required: This position requires an existing active or interim Secret security clearance prior to hire. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance; therefore, only current U.S. citizens will be considered for this position.
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:* Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a quantitative field of study such as engineering or mathematics (e.g., software engineering, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, information technology, or information systems) from an accredited institution. + In lieu of a relevant degree, other qualifications such as additional years of highly-relevant experience and/or professional certifications may be considered.
- Cybersecurity certification such as CompTIA Security+ or similar.
- At least five (5) years of professional experience in software engineering, including recent experience with AI/ML concepts and development.
- Experience with applying programming concepts in a professional or academic setting.
- Experience with applying modern software development methodologies (e.g. agile, DevOps/DevSecOps) in a professional or academic setting.
- Proficiency with common productivity software including the Microsoft Office suite.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Experience deploying and optimizing large language models for CPU-based inference in resource-constrained environments.
Additional Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:* Familiarity with DoD or Navy IT environments, network security requirements, or working with government-managed infrastructure.
- Agile Developer certification or Certified Scrum Developer certification.
Benefit Offerings: Along with competitive pay, THOR offers a comprehensive benefits package including:
- Paid Time Off (accrued)
- Paid Holidays
- 401(k) with employer match and Traditional/Roth options
- Medical Insurance (3 plan options)
- TRICARE Supplemental Coverage for TRICARE-eligible individuals
- Dental Insurance (2 plan options)
- Vision Insurance Plan (2 plan options)
- Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
- Commuter/Transit Benefits
- Basic Life/AD&D Insurance for employee
- Additional Life Insurance options for employee + family
- Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance
- Pet Benefits
- Legal Plan
- ID Theft Protection Plan
- Employee Assistant Plan and Work-Life Program
- Voluntary Leave Transfer Program
- Tuition Reimbursement Program
- Employee Referral Program
Please be aware that many of our positions require an existing security clearance or the ability to obtain a security clearance. Security clearances may only be granted to U.S. citizens. Applicants to cleared positions who lack clearance eligibility will not be considered.
Founded in 2009, THOR Solutions, LLC (THOR) is a rapidly growing Center for Veteran’s Excellence (CVE) verified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) providing mission critical support across the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, federal civilian agencies and commercial maritime industry, worldwide. THOR provides innovative and tailored expertise in multidisciplinary engineering, project and program management, business and financial management, technical support, integrated logistics support, training support, fleet support, corporate operations support, assessments and studies. THOR is privileged to deliver service solutions to the nation’s most complex military, public sector and industry challenges.
THOR is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. THOR considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to legally protected characteristics. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment.
If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation as part the employment selection process, please contact us at [email protected] or (571) 215-0077.
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Salary Context
This $79K-$93K range is in the lower quartile for AI Software Engineer roles in our dataset (median: $192K across 198 roles with salary data).
Role Details
About This Role
AI Software Engineers build the applications and systems that AI models run inside. They own the API layers, data pipelines, frontend integrations, and infrastructure that turn a model into a product users interact with. Every AI company needs engineers who can build the software around the AI.
The challenge is building reliable systems around inherently unreliable components. Models are probabilistic. They'll give different answers to the same question. They hallucinate. They're slow. They're expensive. Your job is to build an application layer that handles all of this gracefully while delivering a product that users trust and enjoy.
Across the 9,079 AI roles we're tracking, AI Software Engineer positions make up 5% of the market. At Thor Solutions, LLC, this role fits into their broader AI and engineering organization.
AI Software Engineer roles are among the most numerous in the AI job market. Every company deploying AI needs software engineers who understand AI integration patterns. The demand is broad, spanning startups to enterprises, across every industry adopting AI capabilities.
What the Work Looks Like
A typical week includes: building API endpoints that serve model inference with caching and fallback logic, designing the data pipeline that feeds context to a RAG system, implementing streaming responses in the frontend, debugging a race condition in the async inference pipeline, and optimizing database queries for the vector search layer. It's full-stack engineering with AI at the center.
AI Software Engineer roles are among the most numerous in the AI job market. Every company deploying AI needs software engineers who understand AI integration patterns. The demand is broad, spanning startups to enterprises, across every industry adopting AI capabilities.
Skills in Demand for This Role
Full-stack engineering skills with AI integration experience. Python and TypeScript are the most common requirements. You'll need to understand API design, database architecture, and how to build reliable systems around probabilistic outputs. Experience with streaming, async processing, and caching patterns is increasingly important as real-time AI applications proliferate.
Knowledge of vector databases, embedding APIs, and LLM integration patterns (function calling, structured outputs, retry logic) differentiates AI software engineers from general software engineers. Understanding cost optimization (caching strategies, model routing, batched inference) is valuable since inference costs can dominate application economics.
Strong postings describe the product you'll be building, the AI integration patterns you'll work with, and the scale requirements. Look for companies that have existing AI features and need engineers to improve and expand them, not companies that are 'planning to add AI' someday.
Compensation Benchmarks
AI Software Engineer roles pay a median of $220,000 based on 1,601 positions with disclosed compensation. Mid-level AI roles across all categories have a median of $193,200. This role's midpoint ($86K) sits 61% below the category median. Disclosed range: $79K to $93K.
Across all AI roles, the market median is $213,000. Top-quartile compensation starts at $263,911. The 90th percentile reaches $318,400. For comparison, the highest-paying categories include AI Safety ($256,000) and Research Engineer ($252,000). By seniority level: Entry: $111,000; Mid: $193,200; Senior: $229,300; Director: $272,300; VP: $235,830.
Thor Solutions, LLC AI Hiring
Thor Solutions, LLC has 1 open AI role right now. They're hiring across AI Software Engineer. Based in Virginia Beach, VA, US. Compensation range: $93K - $93K.
Location Context
Across all AI roles, 6% (531 positions) offer remote work, while 8,478 require on-site attendance. Top AI hiring metros: New York (3,078 roles, $221,000 median); San Francisco (2,646 roles, $261,000 median); Los Angeles (1,486 roles, $210,000 median).
Career Path
Common paths into AI Software Engineer roles include Software Engineer, Full-Stack Developer, Backend Engineer.
From here, career progression typically leads toward Staff Engineer, AI Architect, Engineering Manager.
If you're a software engineer, you're already 80% there. Learn the AI integration patterns: RAG, streaming inference, function calling, structured outputs. Build a project that demonstrates you can wrap an AI model in a production-quality application with proper error handling, caching, and user experience. That's the portfolio piece that gets you hired.
What to Expect in Interviews
Technical screens look like standard software engineering interviews with an AI twist. Expect system design questions about building reliable applications around probabilistic models: handling streaming responses, implementing retry logic for API failures, and designing caching strategies for LLM outputs. Coding rounds test standard algorithms plus practical integration patterns like async processing and rate limiting.
When evaluating opportunities: Strong postings describe the product you'll be building, the AI integration patterns you'll work with, and the scale requirements. Look for companies that have existing AI features and need engineers to improve and expand them, not companies that are 'planning to add AI' someday.
AI Hiring Overview
The AI job market has 9,079 open positions tracked in our dataset. By seniority: 106 entry-level, 4,384 mid-level, 3,343 senior, and 1,246 leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level). Remote roles make up 6% of the market (531 positions). The remaining 8,478 roles require on-site or hybrid attendance.
The market median for AI roles is $213,000. Top-quartile compensation starts at $263,911. The 90th percentile reaches $318,400. Highest-paying categories: AI Safety ($256,000 median, 66 roles); Research Engineer ($252,000 median, 457 roles); AI Engineering Manager ($251,622 median, 55 roles).
AI Software Engineer roles are among the most numerous in the AI job market. Every company deploying AI needs software engineers who understand AI integration patterns. The demand is broad, spanning startups to enterprises, across every industry adopting AI capabilities.
The AI Job Market Today
The AI job market spans 9,079 open positions across 16 role categories. The largest categories by volume: AI/ML Engineer (6,862), AI Product Manager (453), AI Software Engineer (451). These three account for the majority of open positions, though smaller categories often have higher per-role compensation because of specialized skill requirements.
The seniority mix tells a story about where AI teams are in their maturity. Entry-level roles (106) are outnumbered by mid-level (4,384) and senior (3,343) positions, reflecting that most companies are past the 'build a team from scratch' phase and need experienced engineers who can ship production systems. Leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level) total 1,246 positions, representing the bottleneck between technical execution and organizational strategy.
Remote work availability sits at 6% of all AI roles (531 positions), with 8,478 requiring on-site or hybrid attendance. The remote share has stabilized after the post-pandemic correction. Senior and specialized roles (Research Scientist, ML Architect) are more likely to be remote-eligible than entry-level positions, partly because experienced hires have more negotiating power and partly because these roles require less hands-on mentorship.
AI compensation is structured in clear tiers. The market median sits at $213,000. Top-quartile roles start at $263,911, and the 90th percentile reaches $318,400. These figures include base salary with disclosed compensation. Total compensation (including equity, bonuses, and sign-on) runs 20-40% higher at companies that offer those components.
Category matters for compensation. AI Safety roles lead at $256,000 median, while Prompt Engineer roles sit at $141,440. The spread between highest and lowest-paying categories reflects the premium on specialized technical skills versus broader analytical roles.
The most in-demand skills across all AI postings: Python (1,649 postings), Aws (898 postings), Azure (723 postings), Rag (671 postings), Gcp (536 postings), Pytorch (434 postings), Claude (410 postings), Kubernetes (406 postings). Python dominates, appearing in the vast majority of role descriptions regardless of category. Cloud platform experience (AWS, GCP, Azure) is the second most common requirement. The newer entrants to the top skills list (RAG, vector databases, LLM APIs) reflect the shift from traditional ML toward generative AI applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
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