> AI agents: this is one page of Nextmove’s FDE site, in Markdown. Nextmove is a job board and free career service for forward deployed engineers (FDEs). Each posting is classified from its text, not its title: the kind of work, how much of it is production code, pre-sales weight, time at customer sites, travel, remote arrangement, level and posted base pay. The site also publishes the aggregates: median pay by level, metro, company and kind of work, and which companies started hiring FDEs each week. Every page under https://nextmove.md/fde is served this way; the index of pages is https://nextmove.md/llms.txt. # Senior AI Software Engineer Canonical URL: https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/55eab9f133b0cbaa Credence Management Solutions posts a senior FDE role to build what the customer runs in Mclean, VA, at $155,000–$200,000 base, below the senior FDE median of $190,000 across 1,864 postings with pay. A senior technical contributor will design, build, and deploy production-oriented generative AI and agentic AI solutions for federal clients. Read from the employer’s posting on November 8, 2026. - [Credence Management Solutions](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/credence-management-solutions) First seen Oct 24, 2026 · open on Workable as of Nov 8, 2026 **$155,000–$200,000** Mclean, VA Full-time A senior technical contributor will design, build, and deploy production-oriented generative AI and agentic AI solutions for federal clients. - [See roles that fit me](https://nextmove.md/sign-up?from=%2Ffde%2Fjobs%2F55eab9f133b0cbaa&placement=top) - [View posting at Credence Management Solutions](https://apply.workable.com/j/A92C58FC67/apply) Free. Upload your resume once, see why each FDE role fits, and get introduced only when you say so. ## At a glance ### Posted base pay $155K–$200K Below the median Midpoint $178K · median $190K This job $155K to $200K. Senior FDE postings, 1,864 postings: the middle 50% of posted pay is $160K to $220K, median $190K. ### The work Builds what the customer runs Balance **Mostly building** Project stages 1. Pre-sales (not covered) 2. Proof of concept 3. Implementation 4. Operations - **Coding**: Writes production code - **Builds for**: External customers - **Level**: Senior - **Role**: Technical lead ### What they ask for Experience - **7+ years** hands-on software engineering, including significant experience delivering AI/ML, generative AI, or LLM-powered solutions in production or production-like environments Background - **Software engineering** ### Do you meet what the posting states? The posting asks for 7+ years. How many do you have? The posting reads as a senior role. What level are you at now? The job is in Mclean, VA. Could you work there? Which of these have you used in production? Answer each one. Nothing is saved or sent. [What postings ask for, by background →](https://nextmove.md/fde/paths) ## Conditions - **Location**: Mclean, VA - **Employment type**: Full-time - **Pay**: ## More like this [Legion Intelligence](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/legion-intelligence) ### [Forward Deployed Engineer (D.C Area)](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/8c1e0164683d1629) Washington, DC 3mo ago $160,000–$200,000 [Thomson Reuters](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/thomson-reuters) ### [Senior Software Engineer - AI, CoCounsel FDE](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/4062210d6364bfec) Frisco, TX · New York, NY · +7 more Hybrid New · 2d ago $118,400–$253,000 [Steampunk, Inc.](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/steampunk-inc) ### [AI Developer](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/31f8413c6db3a57d) Mclean, VA 2w ago $140,000–$190,000 - [Other jobs at Credence Management Solutions (1)](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/credence-management-solutions) ## The job description from Credence Management Solutions ### Description ### Overview Join a team where innovation meets mission. Our AI, cloud, cyber, and modernization solutions save agencies thousands of hours, safeguard national security, and strengthen health and humanitarian missions worldwide. With 1,700+ team members, 1,500+ AI/data experts, and 100+ prime contracts, we deliver at scale and with purpose. We’ve been recognized as a Top Workplace by the Washington Post for six straight years and named to the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies 13 of the past 14 years. Credence is a welcoming home for those looking to grow and contribute to positive change. We encourage all employees to expand beyond their boundaries, dive into important world-changing Federal challenges. ### Position Summary Credence has an immediate need for **a Senior AI Software Engineer** to join our growing AI and Automation practice. In this role, you will serve as a senior technical contributor responsible for designing, developing, and deploying advanced AI-driven solutions, including generative AI, LLM-powered applications, and agentic AI systems. You will collaborate with cross-functional engineering, data, cloud, and stakeholder teams to deliver scalable, secure, and mission-focused AI capabilities for federal clients, while helping guide technical direction, strengthen engineering practices, and mentor other engineers. ### Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the duties listed below - **Generative AI & LLM Solution Delivery** Lead the design, development, prototyping, and refinement of AI-powered capabilities using generative AI, large language models, retrieval patterns, prompt/context engineering, and secure API integrations. - **Agentic AI System Development** Own end-to-end agentic AI development lifecycles, including model selection, agent design, tool/function calling, orchestration, response synthesis, evaluation, and deployment of reliable AI agents. - **Senior Software Engineering Leadership** Apply strong software engineering principles to design maintainable, testable, and scalable systems; conduct code reviews, establish technical patterns, and leverage AI-assisted development tools responsibly to accelerate delivery. - **Cross-Functional Technical Collaboration** Partner with data engineers, software engineers, data scientists, cloud engineers, and mission stakeholders to translate business and mission needs into operational AI and automation solutions. - **Cloud Enablement & DevSecOps Integration** Design and automate deployment workflows using Infrastructure as Code (IaC), CI/CD pipelines, containers, and cloud-native services to support secure, repeatable, and scalable AI delivery. - **Production Monitoring & Optimization** Monitor AI systems post-deployment, perform performance tuning, and apply best practices for reliability and scalability. - **Technical Rigor & Documentation** Write clean, well-documented code following industry and federal guidelines; support reproducible development. - **Technical Mentorship & Continuous Improvement** Stay current on emerging AI/ML trends, agentic frameworks, model capabilities, and engineering practices while mentoring team members and contributing to reusable standards, documentation, and technical design reviews. ### Requirements ### What You Bring - Bachelor’s or Master’s in Computer Science, AI/ML, or a related field. - 7+ years of hands-on software engineering experience, including significant experience delivering AI/ML, generative AI, or LLM-powered solutions in production or production-like environments. - Experience building generative AI applications, working with LLMs, implementing tool/function calling, and applying model evaluation, prompt/context engineering, or retrieval-augmented generation approaches. - Experience designing or implementing agentic AI solutions using frameworks or platforms such as Agent2Agent Protocol, Bedrock Agents, Mastra, CrewAI, Strands, AgentCore, LangChain, or LangGraph. - Strong understanding of leading AI APIs and model platforms such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Amazon Bedrock, and Google Vertex AI. - Proficiency in TypeScript and familiarity with key libraries and frameworks such as Nx, Next.js, Mastra, Vercel AI SDK, Playwright, Jest, and Vite. - Python proficiency and familiarity with libraries and frameworks (uv, Pydantic, FastAPI, CrewAI, LangChain, LangGraph, Unstructured). - Demonstrated curiosity and practical experimentation with emerging AI technologies, with a strong focus on responsible innovation and measurable mission impact. - Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI) - Experience with VS Code and AI extensions such as Cline and Claude Code. - Strong communication skills and client-oriented mindset. - U.S. Citizenship with eligibility for DoD Secret clearance. ### Preferred - Curious and experimental about the latest innovations in AI with an orientation toward the relentless pursuit of delivering mission impact. - Exposure to adjacent skillsets such as data engineering, data science, UI/UX, cloud engineering, and platform engineering to understand the entire software ecosystem. - Experience with IaC tools such as Terraform, Open Tofu, AWS CDK, or CloudFormation to deploy cloud native applications. - Knowledge of federal cybersecurity, RMF, FedRAMP, or regulatory frameworks. ### Why This Role Matters - **Real-World Impact** — Your work will support defense and health agencies where AI solutions directly contribute to national security and public well-being. - **Growth-Oriented Technical Leadership** — Work with technical leaders, shape agentic AI delivery practices, and mentor team members while continuing to deepen your own expertise in advanced AI engineering. - **Culture of Empowerment** — You’ll be part of a team that values innovation, trust, collaboration, and mission success. **Salary Range:** $155,000 - $200,000 annually. Actual compensation will be determined based on the selected candidate's experience, education, certifications, skills, and overall qualifications. ### Benefits - Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision) - Retirement Plan (401k, IRA) - Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D) - Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays) - Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity) - Short Term & Long Term Disability - Training & Development - Wellness Resources [View posting at Credence Management Solutions](https://apply.workable.com/j/A92C58FC67/apply) ## About Credence Management Solutions Privately held federal technology contractor delivering AI, cloud, cybersecurity, digital engineering, and mission support to defense, intelligence, health, and civilian agencies. Late-stage private · 2000–5000 people ## Similar jobs [Steampunk](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/steampunk) ### [AI Developer](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/6c87ea097321a760) Mclean, VA 2w ago $140,000–$190,000 [Seekr](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/seekr) ### [Senior Software Engineer](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/ee8d306129529a75) Reston, VA Remote 2w ago $160,000–$230,000 [SpaceX](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/spacex) ### [AI Engineer, Special Programs - Top Secret Clearance](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/dcc647133c0d24b0) Washington, DC 5mo ago $125,000–$220,000 [Booz Allen](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/booz-allen) ### [AI Solution Architect, Lead](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/068318be8b35c243) Mclean, VA 3w ago $112,800–$257,000 [Two Six Technologies](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/two-six-technologies) ### [Senior Data Scientist (Onsite)](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/326561de34f2aa71) Arlington, VA · Laurel, MD On-site 4w ago $150,000–$200,000 - [Compare senior FDE salary ranges](https://nextmove.md/fde/salary/senior) - [Similar jobs in Washington, DC area](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?region=dmv) - [Similar jobs that build what the customer runs](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?role=builds-for-customers) Hiring at Credence Management Solutions and want this page changed or removed? 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