Senior AI Developer

• Design, build, maintain, and enhance ITB’s AI-powered applications across the full lifecycle: requirements through deployment and ongoing operation. 
• Write production-quality application code; maintain and extend existing Python codebases. 
• Use AI-assisted development tools to accelerate work; apply the judgment and experience to validate what those tools produce. 
• Ensure every solution is maintainable, documented, and built to be handed off. 
• Design AI tools so that human review of outputs is meaningful and well supported -- not perfunctory. Work with the IT Partner to help program staff understand what they are checking, why it matters, and how to do it effectively. 
• Establish and maintain quality standards appropriate to each tool’s purpose and the program’s compliance needs.
• Establish and apply ITB’s AI application development standards: code quality, testing, documentation, dependency management, and version control discipline. 
• Serve as the sole practitioner on the team for Linux environments, container operations, and cloud deployment; must be self-sufficient at this layer as no other ITB staff member operates in these environments. 
• Work with program offices and the IT Partner to identify problems worth solving, understand process and data realities, and translate needs into technical approaches. 
• Engage stakeholders iteratively throughout development -- not just at requirements and UAT, but as working software evolves. 
• Ensure all applications comply with Maryland cybersecurity law (COMAR 14.41), DoIT security and AI governance policies, MSDE privacy policies, state AI standards, and FERPA. 
• Coordinate with the MSDE CISO, Privacy Officer, and Accessibility Section as standard practice -- not a one-time checkpoint. 
• Document architecture, design decisions, and operational procedures clearly and at the right level for the intended audience. 

• Seven (7) or more years of direct professional experience designing, building, and deploying software applications, including direct experience overseeing a codebase (architecture, code quality, and technical direction), and direct professional experience with AI/ML application development (LLM-based tools, generative AI, or applied machine learning) 
• Experience deploying and maintaining applications in a cloud environment, including containerization and basic Infrastructure as Code, with working proficiency in Python or a comparable language 
• Experience with secure development practices and handling sensitive or protected data within a regulated environment, including working knowledge of accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG 2.1 AA) 
• Direct professional experience in government or public-sector work, or on technology serving public-facing programs 
• Demonstrated ability to adapt to shifting priorities, evolving requirements, and a changing technical and regulatory landscape

Contractual employees who work for an agency covered under the State Employee and Retiree Health and Welfare Benefits Program, have a current employment contract and work 30 or more hours a week (or on average 130 hours per month) may be eligible for subsidized health benefits coverage for themselves and their dependents. As a contractual employee, you will be responsible for paying 25% of the premiums for your medical and prescription coverage, including any eligible dependents you have enrolled. The State of Maryland will subsidize the remaining 75% of the cost for these benefits. You can also elect to enroll in dental coverage, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, and life insurance, but will be responsible to pay the full premium for these benefits.

Leave may be granted to a contractual employee at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked, not to exceed 40 hours per calendar year.