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

Description

Engineers often discuss creating impactful work. Here is the opportunity to substantiate that claim: continuous deployment, rigorous assessment, and operational AI systems that influence how the United States government functions. No reliance on credentials. No abstract assignments. Only consistent production deliverables each week, executed under demanding conditions.

Gauntlet for America is a fully funded, competitive 10-week fellowship created to cultivate AI-native engineering talent for the United States government. It functions as a high-intensity validation environment for seasoned engineers prepared to demonstrate their capacity to construct and maintain production-grade AI systems in contexts where dependability, security, and tangible impact are essential.

Fellows deliver weekly outputs, function under rigorous evaluation, and develop expertise alongside other exceptional engineers. Following successful completion, graduates transition into federal GS-12 engineering positions (~$150K + comprehensive federal benefits), contributing to systems that directly influence governmental operations.

The program spans 10 weeks: 3 weeks conducted remotely, then 7 weeks onsite in Austin, Texas. Fellows 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 + comprehensive benefits)
  • Contribute to high-impact systems defining how the U.S. government develops and operates technology
  • Enter a network of AI-native engineers working at the leading edge of public sector innovation

If you are prepared to be assessed on your output — not your educational pedigree — submit your application now.

What you will be doing

  • Deliver production-ready AI applications weekly against firm deadlines
  • Develop solutions using modern AI-first methodologies (agents, tool integration, evaluations, retrieval, deployment)
  • Engage and compete with elite engineering talent in a high-feedback setting
  • Navigate authentic, ambiguous problem domains comparable to 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 development and deployment
  • Waiting extended periods for work to reach production — you will launch operational systems each week
  • Depending on credentials, background, or interview results to secure placement — production output serves as the sole evaluation criterion
  • Operating in a low-risk testing environment — the systems you create function under authentic security and reliability requirements

Key responsibilities

Deliver production-grade AI systems under authentic constraints that validate 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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