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Senior Llm Developer Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

Senior LLMOps Engineer

Mclean, VA · On-site

$145K - $185K/yr

The Senior LLMOps Engineer will play a critical role in operationalizing generative AI capabilities ... Architect and maintain scalable LLM and RAG pipelines, including model hosting, inference ...

The Senior LLMOps Engineer will play a critical role in operationalizing generative AI capabilities ... Architect and maintain scalable LLM and RAG pipelines, including model hosting, inference ...

Senior LLMOps Engineer

Mclean, VA · On-site

$145K - $185K/yr

We are looking for an experienced Senior LLMOps Engineer to design, implement, and maintain ... Architect and maintain scalable LLM and RAG pipelines, including model hosting, inference ...

Senior AI Developer

Mclean, VA · Hybrid

$55 - $72.75/hr

Overview We are seeking a dynamic, forward-thinking Senior AI Software Engineer (GenAI, Agents ... Develop end-to-end AI solutions including LLM-powered applications, predictive ML models, multi ...

Senior Software Developer

Springfield, VA · On-site

$155K - $180K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Vision insurance Senior Software Developer Location: Springfield, VA Clearance Required: Active Top ... AI & Data: Direct experience building LLM-enabled workflows, RAG systems, RESTful APIs, and ...

New

Showing results 21-40

Senior Llm Developer information

What is a senior LLM developer?

Senior LLM Developers are experienced software engineers who specialize in building, fine-tuning, and deploying large language models (LLMs) such as GPT, BERT, or similar AI models. They work on advanced natural language processing (NLP) tasks, optimize model performance, and often lead teams in developing AI-driven applications. Their responsibilities include data pipeline development, model training, performance evaluation, and integrating LLMs into products. They are proficient in programming languages like Python, familiar with machine learning frameworks, and stay updated with the latest research in AI and NLP.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior LLM developer?

To thrive as a Senior LLM Developer, you need deep expertise in natural language processing, machine learning, and advanced programming skills, typically supported by a relevant degree and experience with large language models. Proficiency with frameworks like PyTorch or TensorFlow, cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure), and version control systems, as well as familiarity with model fine-tuning and deployment, are essential. Strong problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills help in leading teams and translating complex requirements into innovative solutions. These skills are crucial for building, optimizing, and maintaining robust language models that meet organizational objectives and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving field.

What are some common challenges senior LLM developers face when deploying large language models in production environments?

Senior LLM Developers often encounter challenges such as optimizing model performance for latency and scalability while maintaining accuracy. Managing resource-intensive inference and ensuring robust monitoring to detect issues like model drift or biased outputs are also key concerns. Additionally, integrating LLMs with existing systems and coordinating with cross-functional teams, such as MLOps engineers and product managers, is essential for successful deployment. Staying updated with rapidly evolving frameworks and compliance requirements adds to the complexity of the role.

What is the difference between Senior Llm Developer vs Machine Learning Engineer?

AspectSenior Llm DeveloperMachine Learning Engineer
CredentialsAdvanced degrees in CS, NLP, or AI; experience with LLMsDegrees in CS, Data Science, or related fields; experience with ML frameworks
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, AI startups, tech companies focusing on NLPTech companies, startups, industries applying ML solutions
Industry UsagePrimarily in NLP, AI research, and language model developmentBroader across AI applications, including vision, speech, and data analysis

While both roles require strong AI and ML knowledge, Senior Llm Developers specialize in language models and NLP, whereas Machine Learning Engineers work across various AI domains. The roles often overlap but differ in focus and application areas.

What are the most commonly searched types of Llm Developer jobs in Washington?

The most popular types of Llm Developer jobs in Washington are:

What job categories do people searching Senior Llm Developer jobs in Washington look for?

The top searched job categories for Senior Llm Developer jobs in Washington are:

What cities in Washington are hiring for Senior Llm Developer jobs?

Cities in Washington with the most Senior Llm Developer job openings:

Infographic showing various Senior Llm Developer job openings in Washington as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 77% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 14% Contract. Highlights an 80% Physical, 6% Hybrid, and 14% Remote job distribution.

Senior LLMOps Engineer

Steampunk

Mclean, VA • On-site

$145K - $185K/yr

Other

Posted 13 days ago


Job description

Overview
We are looking for an experienced Senior LLMOps Engineer to design, implement, and maintain production-grade large-language-model (LLM) pipelines, deployment architectures, and monitoring systems across enterprise environments. The Senior LLMOps Engineer will play a critical role in operationalizing generative AI capabilities, ensuring that LLM-based applications are scalable, secure, reliable, and compliant with emerging AI risk and governance frameworks. This role spans the spectrum of model deployment, orchestration, evaluation, and optimization.
Contributions
  • Architect and maintain scalable LLM and RAG pipelines, including model hosting, inference optimization, retrieval layers, and context management frameworks.
  • Lead the design and implementation of secure GenAI infrastructure across cloud environments, ensuring reliability, performance, and cost efficiency.
  • Build and manage automated evaluation systems that assess LLM output quality, safety, latency, and adherence to AI governance requirements.
  • Develop CI/CD workflows tailored for LLM- and GenAI-based applications, including dataset versioning, model lineage, and automated testing of prompt and model behaviors.
  • Collaborate with AI Product Engineers and Data Scientists to productionize LLM-based prototypes into enterprise-grade, maintainable systems.
  • Integrate vector databases, model gateways, content filters, and guardrail frameworks into end-to-end LLM solutions.
  • Implement observability and monitoring solutions that track performance metrics, hallucination rates, cost profiles, and user interaction patterns.
  • Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis for issues related to LLM deployment, inference performance, or pipeline reliability.
  • Stay current with emerging LLM architectures, inference optimizations, fine-tuning techniques, and relevant MLSecOps patterns.
  • Ensure compliance with data privacy, ethical AI, and AI-governance frameworks throughout pipeline design and operations.
  • Mentor junior engineers and contribute to Steampunk's AI engineering best practices, tooling, and reusable infrastructure patterns.
  • You will contribute to the growth of our AI & Data Exploitation Practice!

Qualifications
  • Ability to hold a position of public trust with the U.S. government.
  • Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Data Engineering, or a related field.
  • 5+ years of experience in software engineering, data engineering, MLOps, or cloud engineering, with 2+ years focusing specifically on LLM or GenAI operations.
  • Strong experience deploying models using frameworks such as Hugging Face Transformers, vLLM, TensorRT-LLM, or similar.
  • Proficiency in Python and operational tooling such as FastAPI, PyTorch, LangChain, LlamaIndex, and vector databases (FAISS, Milvus, Pinecone, or similar).
  • Advanced knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) including model hosting, distributed compute, and secure networking patterns.
  • Hands-on experience building CI/CD pipelines, automated testing frameworks, and environment provisioning for AI/ML workloads.
  • Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, CloudFormation).
  • Familiarity with MLSecOps, AI governance, model hardening, prompt injection defenses, and content safety monitoring.
  • Strong understanding of logging, observability, and performance profiling for high-throughput LLM inference systems.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain trade-offs and architectural decisions to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Demonstrated ability to balance long-term platform thinking with hands-on operations and rapid problem solving.
  • Experience working in agile teams and using modern project management tools.

Preferred:
  • Experience building and maintaining classical ML pipelines, including feature engineering, model training, and automated retraining workflows.
  • Familiarity with ML experiment tracking and model versioning tools such as MLflow or Weights & Biases.
  • Familiarity with batch and streaming data pipeline orchestration (Airflow or similar) supporting model training workflows.
  • Experience supporting the full ML lifecycle, from data ingestion through model deployment, for classification, regression, or recommendation systems.

About steampunk
Steampunk relies on several factors to determine salary, including but not limited to geographic location, contractual requirements, education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience. The projected compensation range for this position is $145,000 to $185,000. The estimate displayed represents a typical annual salary range for this position. Annual salary is just one aspect of Steampunk's total compensation package for employees. Learn more about additional Steampunk benefits here.
Identity Statement
As part of the application process, you are expected to be on camera during interviews and assessments. We reserve the right to take your picture to verify your identity and prevent fraud.
Steampunk is a Change Agent in the Federal contracting industry, bringing new thinking to clients in the Homeland, Federal Civilian, Health and DoD sectors. Through our Human-Centered delivery methodology, we are fundamentally changing the expectations our Federal clients have for true shared accountability in solving their toughest mission challenges. As an employee owned company, we focus on investing in our employees to enable them to do the greatest work of their careers - and rewarding them for outstanding contributions to our growth. If you want to learn more about our story, visit http://www.steampunk.com.