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 creating systems that matter. Here is an opportunity to demonstrate it: continuous delivery, rigorous assessment, and operational AI systems that directly influence U.S. government functions. No emphasis on pedigree. No academic exercises. Only production work delivered each week, in demanding conditions.

Gauntlet for America is a fully funded, competitive 10-week fellowship established to develop AI-native engineering talent for United States government service. It functions as a high-pressure testing environment for seasoned engineers prepared to show they can construct and maintain production-grade AI systems in contexts where dependability, security, and tangible impact are paramount.

Participants deliver weekly outputs, work under rigorous assessment standards, and train with other exceptional engineers. Following successful completion, graduates transition into federal GS-12 engineering positions (~$150K + comprehensive federal benefits), contributing to systems that directly affect government operations.

The fellowship spans 10 weeks: 3 weeks conducted remotely, then 7 weeks in-person in Austin, Texas. Participants should anticipate a demanding schedule (80–100 hours/week) structured to optimize learning velocity, performance signal, and professional advancement.

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 defining how the U.S. government develops and runs technology
  • Entry into a network of AI-native engineers working at the leading edge of public sector innovation

If you are prepared to be measured by what you deliver — not by institutional background — submit your application now.

What you will be doing

  • Deliver production-ready AI applications weekly under firm deadlines
  • Develop using modern AI-first methodologies (agents, tool integration, evaluations, retrieval, deployment)
  • Collaborate and compete with leading engineering talent in a high-feedback setting
  • Engage with authentic, ambiguous problem domains resembling government and enterprise contexts
  • Convert actual briefs into defined, dependable, deployable systems

What you will NOT be doing

  • Attending theoretical instruction or passive lectures — every hour centers on building and delivering
  • Waiting months for production deployment — you will release functional systems each week
  • Depending on credentials, academic background, or interview performance for placement — production output is the sole evaluation criterion
  • Operating in a low-stakes environment — the systems you create function under actual security and reliability requirements

Key responsibilities

Deliver production-grade AI systems under real-world constraints that confirm 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...

Meet Fabiano

Applying for a role? Here’s what to expect.

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
proctored test.
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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The Olympics of work

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Premium pay for premium talent

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Shortlist by skills, not bias

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