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Prototyping Engineer Jobs in Washington, DC (NOW HIRING)

Electrical Engineer

Sterling, VA · On-site

$72.12 - $96.15/hr

We work across design, engineering, prototyping, manufacturing, quality, and production readiness to move critical products from concept to fielded reality. We are recruiting builders who want to ...

Electrical Engineer

Sterling, VA · On-site

$150K - $200K/yr

We work across design, engineering, prototyping, manufacturing, quality, and production readiness to move critical products from concept to fielded reality. We are recruiting builders who want to ...

We work across design, engineering, prototyping, manufacturing, quality, and production readiness to move critical products from concept to fielded reality. We are recruiting mechanical engineers who ...

Mechanical Engineer

Sterling, VA · On-site

$150K - $200K/yr

We work across design, engineering, prototyping, manufacturing, quality, and production readiness to move critical products from concept to fielded reality. We are recruiting mechanical engineers who ...

This role balances two key areas: designing and building prototypes that demonstrate new approaches to mission-critical challenges, and providing hands-on systems engineering support to IQT ...

Systems Engineer

Mclean, VA · On-site

$138K - $180K/yr

This role balances two key areas: designing and building prototypes that demonstrate new approaches to mission-critical challenges, and providing hands-on systems engineering support to IQT ...

Showing results 41-60

Prototyping Engineer information

See Washington, DC salary details

$33.3K

$118.3K

$169.1K

How much do prototyping engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 15, 2026, the average yearly pay for prototyping engineer in Washington, DC is $118,282.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $91,798.00 and $146,555.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a prototyping engineer do?

A typical day for a Prototyping Engineer often involves collaborating with design and development teams to translate concepts and sketches into working physical models. You may spend time using CAD software, operating fabrication equipment like 3D printers, and assembling or testing prototypes for functionality. Troubleshooting issues and iterating designs based on test results are frequent tasks. This role requires consistent teamwork with engineers, designers, and sometimes clients to ensure the prototyping process aligns with overall project goals.

What is a prototyping engineer?

A Prototyping Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, and testing prototypes of new products or components. They work with design teams to refine concepts, select materials, and ensure that prototypes meet functional and performance requirements. This role involves using various fabrication techniques, such as 3D printing, CNC machining, and electronics assembly. Prototyping Engineers collaborate with R&D, manufacturing, and quality teams to iterate and improve designs before full-scale production. Their goal is to validate ideas quickly and efficiently, reducing development time and costs.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a prototyping engineer?

To thrive as a Prototyping Engineer, you need strong skills in mechanical or electrical engineering, rapid prototyping, and CAD design, usually supported by a relevant engineering degree. Knowledge of 3D printing, CNC machining, and prototyping software (such as SolidWorks or AutoCAD) is typically essential, along with familiarity with relevant safety standards. Creative problem-solving, collaboration, and effective communication are valuable soft skills in this role. These abilities enable engineers to quickly turn ideas into functional prototypes, ensuring efficient product development and iterative testing.

What are the most commonly searched types of Prototyping Engineer jobs in Washington, DC?

The most popular types of Prototyping Engineer jobs in Washington, DC are:

Infographic showing various Prototyping Engineer job openings in Washington, DC as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 90% Full Time, and 10% Part Time. Highlights an 60% In-person, and 40% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $118,282 per year, or $56.9 per hour.

$225K - $247K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Retirement

Re-posted 4 days ago


Job description

Assured Information Security (AIS) has an opening for a SME AI Engineer with our Mission Services team. In this role you will provide technical advisory support for the design, evaluation, and advancement of AI-enabled applications, tools and workflows. This role is intended for a hands-on technical professional who understands how modern AI systems are built and can help guide teams developing practical solutions using large language models, agentic workflows, orchestration frameworks, and supporting software infrastructure.
*This is an onsite position located in Columbia, MD and requires a TS/SCI w/CI Poly*
What You'll Do:
  • Provide SETA support to government teams developing or assessing AI-enabled applications and tools.
  • Advise on technical approaches for AI application design, prototyping, integration and evaluation.
  • Assess solutions involving LLMs, retrieval-augmented generation, tool use, agentic workflows, orchestration layers, prompt pipelines and evaluation harnesses.
  • Familiarity with modern Al application patterns, including LLM-based applications, RAG, prompt engineering, agentic systems, and Al assisted workflows.
  • Support the review of architecture, development approaches, model usage patterns, and technical risk areas.
  • Advise on Al engineering considerations such as latency, reliability, observability, testability, guardrails, data flow, and system integration.
  • Evaluate and compare modern Al frameworks, agentic libraries, and experimentation harnesses for suitability in mission use cases.
  • Assist with the development of technical guidance, prototypes, engineering recommendations, and briefings for government stakeholders.
  • Support test and evaluation activities for Al tools, including performance assessment, qualitative review, and workflow validation.
  • Collaborate with platform engineers, product leads, mission users, and government leadership to ensure Al efforts remain technically grounded and operationally relevant and provide guidance and technical requirements to product managers
  • Stay current on rapid changes in the Al ecosystem and provide informed recommendations on emerging tools and practices.

Education/Experience/Skillset Required:
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or related field with 18 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree with 15 years of relevant experience.
  • Experience designing, building, integrating, or evaluating Al/ML-enabled applications or software tools.
  • Working knowledge of one or more agentic or orchestration frameworks such as LangChain, LangGraph, Semantic Kernel, AutoGen, CrewAI, Haystack, Llamalndex, or similar ecosystems.
  • Experience with software development fundamentals, APls, data handling, and system integration.
  • Ability to assess technical tradeoffs and communicate them clearly to both engineers and government stakeholders .

What Sets You Apart:
  • Experience with Python, JavaScript/Typescript, or similar languages commonly used in Al application development.
  • Familiarity with vector databases, embeddings, model APls, evaluation frameworks, and agent testing harnesses.
  • Exposure to model hosting, inference pipelines, or cloud-based Al development environments.
  • Understanding of secure Al development practices, data protection, and operational constraints in government settings.
  • Experience supporting defense, cyber, intelligence, or mission application development.
  • Familiarity with human-in-the-loop workflows, Al assurance, and evaluation methodologies .

Clearance Required: TS/SCI w/CI Poly
AA / Disability / Veteran
US Salary Range: $225,000 - $247,000
The salary offered to a selected candidate will be based on several factors including location, skills, and experience. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package which includes employer paid health insurance and a 7% contribution to your 401k, candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation.
AIS is a leading cyber and information security company supporting mission critical operations across the DoD, intelligence community, commerce and beyond. Founded in 2001, AIS is a privately-owned company committed to excellence in all facets. We pride ourselves on offering some of the best benefits seen in the industry. We celebrate the unique backgrounds and experiences of our people and encourage new ideas, innovation, and the autonomy to create the future and career they want with our support.
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