Jr. AI Developer

Job ID: 2026_10_JAID Role/Title: Jr. AI Developer Priority: High – Immediate Hire Hybrid Opportunity - Must be local to the DC/VA/MD area and available to work onsite when needed. Clearance Requirement: Public Trust Clearance - Due to federal clearance requirements for this position, only U.S. citizens are eligible. Candidates with visa sponsorship —now or in the future—are not eligible for this clearance. About ICatalyst iCatalyst, Inc. is a next-generation technology company specializing in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Natural Language Processing (NLP), Machine Learning (ML), and Robotic Process Automation (RPA). Since 2007, we have partnered with federal and commercial clients to deliver innovative, mission-driven solutions that enhance operational efficiency, digital transformation, and business outcomes. Our solutions are built on a foundation of agility, security, and scalability, guided by our CMMI ML 3 Services and Software Development framework and backed by globally recognized certifications in ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management) and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 (Information Security). Core Capabilities We specialize in AI-Driven Digital Transformation, Cloud and Infrastructure Modernization, Data Engineering and Advanced Analytics, Enterprise IT Modernization and Mission-Focused Program and Change Management. Why Join iCatalyst? At iCatalyst, our people are at the center of everything we do. • Award-winning culture of innovation and a friendly workplace • Work on cutting-edge AI and digital transformation projects • Be part of a mission-driven team • Grow your career in a stable, certified, high-performing organization • Comprehensive benefits and wellness packages, 401K with company match, competitive pay Role Overview We are seeking a Jr. AI Developer to join our growing team in support of our federal program. This is an exciting opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies and contribute to impactful, mission-critical initiatives. Key Responsibilities • Support the design, development, testing, and deployment of AI-powered applications using Azure AI services, including: • Azure OpenAI Service • Azure AI Studio • Azure AI Search (vector search) • Cognitive Services (as applicable) • Contribute across the development lifecycle for AI solutions, from prototyping and model development through deployment and production integration, with guidance from senior team members as needed. • Design, develop, and integrate AI-powered capabilities using or in conjunction with low-code/no-code platforms (e.g., Appian, UiPath, Pega) to enable scalable automation and workflow solutions. • Build and implement LLM-based solutions, including: • Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) • Intelligent chatbots/copilots • AI-driven automation tools • Develop scalable backend services and APIs to support AI functionality using technologies such as Python. • Build and maintain data pipelines for ingestion, transformation, and inference using Azure data services (e.g., Blob Storage, Data Lake). • Apply prompt engineering, model evaluation, and optimization techniques to improve the performance, accuracy, and usability of AI solutions. • Integrate AI capabilities into existing enterprise applications, including .NET-based systems where applicable. • Collaborate with cross-functional teams (engineering, product, DevOps, UX) to implement and support AI features in production environments. • Contribute to CI/CD pipelines and deployment workflows using Azure DevOps or similar tools. • Maintain lightweight technical documentation (e.g., architecture overviews, API documentation, key design decisions) to support development and knowledge sharing. • Ensure solutions follow secure coding practices and align with applicable enterprise security guidelines (e.g., NIST and FedRAMP awareness). • Provide support and expertise in assigned domain • Collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver solutions • Ensure adherence to security, compliance, and quality standards • Support continuous improvement and innovation initiatives • Special projects as needed Required Skills • Experience contributing to AI/ML or LLM-based solutions across data ingestion, model development, deployment, and production integration. • Strong programming experience in Python, with a focus on building AI/ML applications. • Experience building LLM-based applications using Azure AI services, such as Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Studio, or Azure AI Search. Familiarity with supporting APIs, orchestration frameworks, and model libraries, such as OpenAI APIs, LangChain, LlamaIndex, or Hugging Face, is a plus. • Experience developing REST APIs and backend services using frameworks such as FastAPI, Flask, or similar. • Experience in data processing and manipulation using tools such as Pandas and NumPy or similar. • Experience integrating AI capabilities into production applications. • Familiarity with cloud-native development practices and CI/CD pipelines. • Fam