AI/ML Engineer — Active TS/SCI | Dayton, OH Dayton, OH

Rackner, Inc.; Dayton (OH); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Certifications support

401(k) with match up to 6%

Comprehensive health plan

Generous PTO & holidays

Home-office equipment & remote-work 지원

Job summary

Rackner, Inc. seeks an AI/ML Engineer to build, integrate, and operationalize AI/ML capabilities for a high-impact federal mission in Dayton, OH. You will drive the AI lifecycle from model development to integration, enabling secure, scalable mission use.

This role emphasizes ownership beyond training, with collaboration across software, data, and mission teams and exposure to DoD/government stakeholders. Active TS/SCI clearance is required.

Qualifications

• You will have a strong hands-on foundation in applied ML/AI engineering with practical implementation.
• You should be comfortable developing software, preferably Python, and working with major ML frameworks.
• You have experience across NLP, GenAI/LLMs, predictive modeling, or related AI domains.

Responsibilities

• Build and evaluate ML, DL, and GenAI solutions for real-world mission use cases.
• Develop and integrate AI capabilities across apps, APIs, data pipelines, and services.
• Assess models and data for feasibility, access, and mission value.
• Enable LLM/GenAI capabilities through repeatable workflows and services.
• Prepare and curate datasets for training and evaluation.
• Translate prototypes into usable capability with performance and deployment focus.
• Create interfaces and services for interaction with AI/ML capabilities.
• Collaborate with engineers, data experts, leadership, and mission users.
• Produce technical docs, runbooks, and repeatable processes.
• Evaluate deployed capabilities and improve mission utility.

Skills

Applied ML engineering

Python programming

PyTorch

TensorFlow

NLP / Generative AI

LLMs / GenAI

Predictive modeling

Model evaluation

AI service integration

Docker / containers

Cloud environments (AWS/Azure)

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Docker

AWS

Azure

Job description

Dayton, OH

(Active TS/SCI)

Location: Dayton, OH
Clearance: Active TS/SCI required

Build AI That Moves From Model to Mission

Rackner is seeking an AI/ML Engineer to build, integrate, and operationalize artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities supporting a high-impact federal mission.

In this role, you will work across the AI lifecycle — from model development and evaluation through software integration, AI services, and user enablement. You will help turn emerging AI capabilities into practical tools that analysts, developers, and mission teams can use.

This is a strong fit for an engineer who wants broader ownership than training models in isolation. You will have opportunities to shape technical approaches, work directly with the people using the capability, and help determine how AI moves from experimentation into secure, scalable mission use.

The work supports a customer environment in Dayton, Ohio. Onsite and hybrid expectations are still being finalized, so candidates should be prepared to discuss their ability to support work in Dayton if required. Strong qualified candidates outside the area may also be considered while those requirements are being finalized.

Because this work supports a federal customer, an active TS/SCI clearance is required.

What You’ll Do

• Build and evaluate machine learning, deep learning, and generative AI solutions for real-world mission use cases
• Develop and integrate AI/ML capabilities across software applications, APIs, services, data pipelines, and existing technical environments
• Assess models and data to determine suitability, availability, access requirements, technical feasibility, and potential mission value
• Enable LLM and GenAI capabilities through repeatable workflows, interfaces, services, and approved access mechanisms
• Prepare and curate datasets for model training, evaluation, testing, and operational AI workflows
• Translate prototypes into usable capability by addressing performance, scalability, reproducibility, integration, and deployment
• Develop interfaces and services that allow applications and users to interact with AI/ML capabilities and associated model or provider metadata
• Partner with software engineers, data engineers, technical leadership, product stakeholders, and subject‑matter experts
• Create technical documentation, implementation guidance, runbooks, and repeatable processes that support adoption and sustainment
• Evaluate deployed capabilities and use technical and user feedback to improve performance and mission utility

What We’re Looking For

You bring a strong hands‑on foundation in applied machine learning or AI engineering and can demonstrate work that progressed beyond theoretical exercises or isolated notebooks.

You should be comfortable developing software — preferably with Python — and working with a major ML framework such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or comparable technologies.

Your technical background may be strongest in areas such as:

• Natural language processing
• Generative AI and Large Language Models
• Predictive modeling
• Object detection or classification
• Modeling and simulation
• Other applied machine learning domains

You do not need to be an expert in every area.

Strong candidates will be able to clearly explain what they built, what they personally owned, why they made particular technical decisions, how they evaluated the result, and how the capability ultimately reached its users.

You should also be comfortable working with datasets used for model development and evaluation and collaborating across software, data, systems, and mission teams.

Preferred Background

Additional value may come from hands‑on work with:

• Hugging Face, Ollama, or comparable GenAI and model tooling
• APIs, microservices, or AI service integration
• Docker, containers, or cloud‑native deployment
• AWS, Azure, or similar cloud environments
• DevSecOps or MLOps practices
• Model or data versioning and reproducible AI workflows
• Metadata management and model/provider catalogs
• Large‑scale, sensitive, or regulated datasets
• Federal, DoD, Intelligence Community, or similarly controlled technical environments
• Direct collaboration with mission users, product owners, technical leadership, or government stakeholders

These are advantages, not a checklist. We are primarily looking for engineers who can connect strong AI/ML fundamentals with sound software engineering and practical implementation.

About Rackner

Rackner is a software consultancy focused on building mission-critical systems for the U.S. government.

Our teams work across cloud platforms, DevSecOps, AI/ML, data systems, and modern software engineering initiatives supporting federal agencies and national security missions.

Rackner engineers and technical teams collaborate closely with leadership, program teams, and mission stakeholders to design, deliver, and improve systems that address complex operational challenges.

At Rackner, we believe that when our people grow, our company grows with them. We support continued learning, professional development, and meaningful opportunities to contribute across mission‑focused programs.

Benefits include company‑supported certifications aligned with current and future program work; advancement and leadership opportunities; a 401(k) with 100% match up to 6%; comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life, and disability coverage; generous PTO and paid holidays; and home‑office equipment and remote‑work support, where applicable.

Rackner is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other protected characteristics.

Voluntary Self‑Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self‑identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Rackner’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service‑connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three‑year period beginning on the date of such veteran’s discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.