AI Software Developer Jobs in San Diego, CA
AI Software Developer jobs in San Diego are in high demand, concentrated in Sorrento Valley, Torrey Pines, and Downtown San Diego across defense technology, biotech, and enterprise software. Employers hiring right now include Qualcomm, University of San Diego, and BIOVIA. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Description
Software Engineer – AI, Autonomy & Platform Development
Overview
The Leidos Office of Technology is seeking Software Engineers with AI and autonomy experience to help build a common technology platform.
In this role, you will design, build, and operate production software for AI-driven and autonomous systems. You will work in small, accountable build-and-run teams, using modern AI-assisted development practices to ship faster and at higher quality. Your work will support national security and other critical missions where reliability, security, and human oversight matter.
Location: The ideal candidate will be based in Northern Virginia or near another Leidos facility, such as Huntsville, AL, or San Diego, CA. Onsite work at a Leidos facility is required as business needs dictate.
What You’ll Do
- Design and build AI agents and reasoning services, including LLM-based agents, planning, and inference, with human oversight, auditability, and fail-safe behavior built in.
- Develop autonomy software and integrate it with sensors, platforms, and hardware across edge and cloud environments.
- Design and develop platform software, including APIs and SDKs, data and knowledge services, and user-facing applications.
- Package components as reusable, secure, well-documented assets that others can adopt without rework.
- Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and release evidence (SBOM, provenance, signing) that support secure release and deployment.
- Own what you build in production, including observability, reliability, and incident response.
- Contribute to engineering standards, reusable patterns, and technical-debt reduction across the platform.
- Collaborate with program teams and architects to turn customer needs into repeatable capabilities.
- Use AI-assisted development tools (coding assistants, agentic workflows, automated review and test generation) in daily engineering, and help teams adopt them effectively and responsibly.
- Help evaluate emerging AI, autonomy, and developer-productivity technologies, and scale what works.
Basic Qualifications
- We are hiring software engineers at all levels, from junior through senior, with opportunities tailored to individual experience and expertise in AI-enabled software development.
- At the early career level, the ideal candidate would have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field, combined with 4+ years of experience. (Additional years of experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.)
- At the mid level, the ideal candidate would have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field, combined with 8+ years of experience. (Additional years of experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.)
- At the senior level, the ideal candidate would have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field, combined with 12+ years of experience. (Additional years of experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.)
- Hands-on software development experience in one or more modern languages such as Python, C++, Rust, Java, Go, or TypeScript.
- Experience (professional, academic, or personal projects) building AI/ML-enabled or autonomous systems, such as LLM agents, robotics, perception, planning, or sensor-driven software.
- Working knowledge of Git-based workflows, CI/CD, automated testing, and DevSecOps practices.
- Experience using AI-assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code, or comparable) and the ability to quickly adopt new tools.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively in small, cross-functional teams.
- U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience building AI/ML-enabled systems, including LLM agents, agent frameworks, evaluation harnesses, or retrieval and data pipelines.
- Experience with autonomy or robotics software, including perception, planning, control, sensor fusion, simulation, ROS 2, or DDS.
- Experience with edge and embedded systems, real-time or deterministic software, Linux and real-time operating systems, or GPU/accelerator programming.
- Experience designing APIs, SDKs, or developer platforms, including extensible component architectures, developer experience, platform engineering, or software modernization.
- Experience with cloud and container technologies (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud; Docker, Kubernetes) and infrastructure as code.
- Familiarity with secure software supply chain practices, static analysis, and security scanning tools (e.g., SonarQube, Fortify, Checkmarx).
- Understanding of responsible AI practices for assured autonomy, including human-in-the-loop control, audit trails, and IP and data-handling considerations in AI-assisted development.
- Background supporting federal, defense, intelligence, or homeland security missions, and an active Top Secret clearance.
If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.
Original Posting:
November 10, 2026
For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.
Pay Range:
Pay Range $107,900.00 - $195,050.00The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.
About Leidos
Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.
Pay and Benefits
Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.
Securing Your Data
Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system – never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at LeidosCareersFraud@leidos.com.
If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
Commitment to Non-Discrimination
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.
Description
Software Engineer – AI, Autonomy & Platform Development
Overview
The Leidos Office of Technology is seeking Software Engineers with AI and autonomy experience to help build a common technology platform.
In this role, you will design, build, and operate production software for AI-driven and autonomous systems. You will work in small, accountable build-and-run teams, using modern AI-assisted development practices to ship faster and at higher quality. Your work will support national security and other critical missions where reliability, security, and human oversight matter.
Location: The ideal candidate will be based in Northern Virginia or near another Leidos facility, such as Huntsville, AL, or San Diego, CA. Onsite work at a Leidos facility is required as business needs dictate.
What You’ll Do
- Design and build AI agents and reasoning services, including LLM-based agents, planning, and inference, with human oversight, auditability, and fail-safe behavior built in.
- Develop autonomy software and integrate it with sensors, platforms, and hardware across edge and cloud environments.
- Design and develop platform software, including APIs and SDKs, data and knowledge services, and user-facing applications.
- Package components as reusable, secure, well-documented assets that others can adopt without rework.
- Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and release evidence (SBOM, provenance, signing) that support secure release and deployment.
- Own what you build in production, including observability, reliability, and incident response.
- Contribute to engineering standards, reusable patterns, and technical-debt reduction across the platform.
- Collaborate with program teams and architects to turn customer needs into repeatable capabilities.
- Use AI-assisted development tools (coding assistants, agentic workflows, automated review and test generation) in daily engineering, and help teams adopt them effectively and responsibly.
- Help evaluate emerging AI, autonomy, and developer-productivity technologies, and scale what works.
Basic Qualifications
- We are hiring software engineers at all levels, from junior through senior, with opportunities tailored to individual experience and expertise in AI-enabled software development.
- At the early career level, the ideal candidate would have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field, combined with 4+ years of experience. (Additional years of experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.)
- At the mid level, the ideal candidate would have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field, combined with 8+ years of experience. (Additional years of experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.)
- At the senior level, the ideal candidate would have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field, combined with 12+ years of experience. (Additional years of experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.)
- Hands-on software development experience in one or more modern languages such as Python, C++, Rust, Java, Go, or TypeScript.
- Experience (professional, academic, or personal projects) building AI/ML-enabled or autonomous systems, such as LLM agents, robotics, perception, planning, or sensor-driven software.
- Working knowledge of Git-based workflows, CI/CD, automated testing, and DevSecOps practices.
- Experience using AI-assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code, or comparable) and the ability to quickly adopt new tools.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively in small, cross-functional teams.
- U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience building AI/ML-enabled systems, including LLM agents, agent frameworks, evaluation harnesses, or retrieval and data pipelines.
- Experience with autonomy or robotics software, including perception, planning, control, sensor fusion, simulation, ROS 2, or DDS.
- Experience with edge and embedded systems, real-time or deterministic software, Linux and real-time operating systems, or GPU/accelerator programming.
- Experience designing APIs, SDKs, or developer platforms, including extensible component architectures, developer experience, platform engineering, or software modernization.
- Experience with cloud and container technologies (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud; Docker, Kubernetes) and infrastructure as code.
- Familiarity with secure software supply chain practices, static analysis, and security scanning tools (e.g., SonarQube, Fortify, Checkmarx).
- Understanding of responsible AI practices for assured autonomy, including human-in-the-loop control, audit trails, and IP and data-handling considerations in AI-assisted development.
- Background supporting federal, defense, intelligence, or homeland security missions, and an active Top Secret clearance.
If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.
Original Posting:
November 10, 2026
For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.
Pay Range:
Pay Range $107,900.00 - $195,050.00The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.
About Leidos
Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.
Pay and Benefits
Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.
Securing Your Data
Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system – never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at LeidosCareersFraud@leidos.com.
If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
Commitment to Non-Discrimination
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.
See All 28 AI Software Developer Jobs in San Diego
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Who's Hiring
AI Software Developer Jobs in San Diego: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a ai software developer job in San Diego?
The strongest path into San Diego's ai software developer market runs through its defense contractors, biotech firms, and enterprise software companies concentrated in Sorrento Valley and Torrey Pines. Candidates who demonstrate hands-on experience with machine learning frameworks, large language models, or applied AI for regulated industries stand out. Networking through local tech meetups and UC San Diego's research community also opens doors that job boards alone won't.
Which companies hire ai software developers in San Diego?
Companies currently hiring ai software developers in San Diego include Qualcomm, University of San Diego, and BIOVIA, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. San Diego's hiring mix skews toward defense primes, life sciences technology companies, and high-growth software startups, particularly those with ties to the university research ecosystem.
Are there remote ai software developer jobs in San Diego?
Yes, ai software developer work is well-suited to remote and hybrid arrangements given its desk-based, code-centric nature. About 75% of ai software developer openings tied to San Diego are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting strong employer flexibility across the sector. Roles focused on model development, data pipeline engineering, and research tend to offer the most location flexibility locally.
How can I get a ai software developer job in San Diego with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in San Diego is targeting junior or associate AI engineer roles at mid-size software companies and defense technology contractors in Sorrento Valley, many of which hire recent graduates from UC San Diego and San Diego State University. Contributing to open-source AI projects, completing applied machine learning coursework, and building a portfolio with demonstrable model outputs gives entry-level candidates a concrete edge in a market that prioritizes hands-on evidence over credentials alone.
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