AI Software Engineer
$160K–$200K+ Offers For Graduates $160K–$200K+ Offers For Graduates 

3 weeks remote, 7 weeks onsite in Austin, TX
80–100 hours/week for 10 weeks
In-person
Short-term contract
full-time (90 hrs/week)

AI Software Engineer   $160K–$200K+ Offers For Graduates $160K–$200K+ Offers For Graduates 

Description

Engineers often speak of working on meaningful problems. Here is an opportunity to demonstrate it through consistent delivery, rigorous assessment, and production AI systems that directly influence U.S. government operations. This role prioritizes execution over credentials, output over theory, and weekly production work under real constraints.

Gauntlet for America is a fully funded, competitive 10-week fellowship built to develop AI-native engineering talent for the United States government. It serves as a high-pressure proving environment for experienced engineers prepared to show they can design and deploy production-grade AI systems in settings where security, reliability, and tangible impact are non-negotiable.

Fellows deliver work weekly, undergo continuous evaluation, and collaborate with other high-caliber engineers. Those who complete the program successfully transition into federal GS-12 engineering positions (~$150K + comprehensive federal benefits), contributing to systems that shape government technology operations.

The fellowship spans 10 weeks: the first 3 weeks are conducted remotely, then 7 weeks onsite in Austin, Texas. Participants should anticipate an intensive schedule (80–100 hours/week) engineered to accelerate learning velocity, demonstrate capability, and produce strong career outcomes.

Outcomes:

  • 10+ production-ready AI systems delivered throughout the fellowship
  • Direct transition into a federal engineering position (GS-12 equivalent, ~$160K–$200K+ based on experience + full benefits)
  • Contribution to high-impact systems influencing how the U.S. government designs and operates technology
  • Entry into a network of AI-native engineers working at the leading edge of public sector innovation

If you are prepared to be assessed on the systems you deliver — not your academic background — submit your application now.

What you will be doing

  • Deliver production-ready AI applications weekly, adhering to strict timelines
  • Develop systems using modern AI-first methodologies (agents, tool integration, evaluations, retrieval, deployment)
  • Engage and compete with top-tier engineering talent in a feedback-intensive setting
  • Navigate real, ambiguous problem domains similar to those found in government and enterprise contexts
  • Convert actual briefs into scoped, dependable, deployable solutions

What you will NOT be doing

  • Attending theoretical lectures or passive instruction — all time is allocated to building and delivering systems
  • Waiting months for production deployment — you will ship functional systems every week
  • Depending on credentials, institutional reputation, or interview performance for placement — only your production output will be measured
  • Operating in a simulated, low-risk environment — the systems you create will be subject to real security and reliability requirements

Key responsibilities

Deliver production-grade AI systems under authentic operational constraints that verify readiness for federal engineering positions.

Candidate requirements

  • U.S. citizenship required (no exceptions; background check required)
  • Demonstrated engineering ability (new grads and experienced engineers considered)
  • Willing to relocate to Austin, TX for 7 weeks (full-time, in person)
  • Willing to relocate to the Washington, DC area upon program completion (no remote roles)
  • Strong problem-solving ability, learning speed, and clear reasoning under pressure
  • High responsiveness to feedback and ability to operate in high-intensity environments

Meet a successful candidate

Watch Interview
Fabiano Lucchese
Fabiano  |  SVP of Software Engineering
Brazil

Does your company encourage your natural creativity? This Brazilian engineering leader rediscovered his purpose after unleashing both his an...

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Crossover's skill assessment process combines innovative AI power with decades of human research, to take the guesswork, human bias, and pointless filters out of recruiting high-performing teams.

Chat-style
screening interview.
STEP 1

Chat-style
screening interview.

Cognitive 
aptitude test.
STEP 2

Cognitive 
aptitude test.

Prove real-world 
job skills.
STEP 3

Prove real-world 
job skills.

Interview with the hiring manager.
STEP 4

Interview with the hiring manager.

Pass
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STEP 5

Pass
proctored test.

Accept job offer.
STEP 6

Accept job offer.

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What you will learn

Phase 1: Remote (Weeks 1–3) — AI-First Engineering Foundations

  • AI-first development workflows (coding agents, MCP, real-time collaboration)
  • Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), embeddings, and vector databases
  • Rapid project sprints focused on shipping under constraints

Phase 2: Onsite in Austin (Weeks 4–10) — Production AI at Scale

  • Agent systems, evals, verification, and observability (LangChain/LangSmith/LangFuse/CrewAI)
  • Enterprise-grade delivery: QA, reliability, and high-standards execution
  • Fine-tuning + deployment patterns (LoRA/QLoRA + production integration)
  • Multi-agent modernization of real-world codebases
  • Multimodal AI builds (image/video/voice) and scalable infrastructure (AWS/Azure)

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