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MANTECH seeks a motivated, career and customer-oriented AI Systems Architect / Senior AI Developer to join our team in Chantilly, VA. The AI Systems Architect / Senior AI Developer will leverage their strong technical background and knowledge to bridge high-level system architecture with hands-on software development, translating complex mission objectives into scalable, secure, and performant AI/ML systems operating within air-gapped and high-security environments.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Architecting end-to-end AI/ML pipelines, MLOps frameworks, and data integration platforms tailored for high-security, classified environments.
- Designing robust, modular software architectures supporting Large Language Models (LLMs), Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and predictive analytics.
- Building scalable REST APIs, microservices, and ETL/data ingestion pipelines for real-time and batch inferencing.
- Implementing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architectures, vector databases, and agentic workflows tailored to unstructured multi-source data.
- Establishing secure CI/CD pipelines and automated testing protocols for model validation, drift detection, and deployment in isolated environments.
- Serving as the primary Technical Subject Matter Expert on AI/ML capabilities for government stakeholders and program leadership.
- Mentoring mid-level developers and data scientists in secure software design, efficient model optimization, and scalable pipeline development.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or a closely related technical field; 6 additional years of software engineering experience may be substituted for a Bachelor's degree.
- 5 or more years of progressive professional software engineering experience, with 2 or more years dedicated to building, deploying, and maintaining AI/ML applications in production.
- Proficiency in Python and hands-on experience with AI/ML toolkits such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face transformers, Scikit-Learn, or OpenCV.
- Experience implementing GenAI solutions, prompt engineering, fine-tuning techniques (e.g., LoRA/QLoRA), or RAG pipeline architectures.
- Experience deploying models using Docker, Kubernetes, MLOps frameworks, or vector databases.
- Knowledge of or experience with Risk Management Framework (RMF) standards and ICD 503 guidelines in air-gapped environments.
- Active Security+ CE or higher certification for privileged user access (or ability to obtain within 60 days of hire).
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Data Science, or Artificial Intelligence.
- Experience integrating AI capabilities within Intelligence Community (IC) data standards, networks, and classified cloud infrastructures (AWS C2S, SC2S, or Azure Secret/Top Secret).
- Familiarity with hardware acceleration techniques (NVIDIA CUDA, TensorRT, Model Quantization/Pruning) and Adversarial Machine Learning / AI safety.
- Relevant industry certifications such as AWS Certified Machine Learning - Specialty, Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), or CISSP.
- Self-starter with excellent people skills - able to work across teams, organize meetings/boards, and drive change throughout an organization.
Clearance Requirements:
- Candidates must possess an active Top Secret / SCI with Polygraph clearance prior to start.
Physical Requirements:
- Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time.
- Needs to occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.
- Frequently communicates with co-workers, management, and customers, which may involve delivering presentations. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
The projected compensation range for this position is $114,600.00-$190,200.00. There are differentiating factors that can impact a final salary/hourly rate, including, but not limited to, Contract Wage Determination, relevant work experience, skills and competencies that align to the specified role, geographic location (For Remote Opportunities), education and certifications as well as Federal Government Contract Labor categories. In addition, MANTECH invests in its employees beyond just compensation. MANTECH’s benefits offerings include, dependent upon position, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, Holiday Pay, short-term and long-term Disability, Retirement and Savings, Learning and Development opportunities, wellness programs as well as other optional benefit elections.
MANTECH considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to disability or veteran status or any other status protected under any federal, state, or local law or regulation.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply for a position with MANTECH, please email us at careers@mantech.com and provide your name and contact information.