AI/ML Engineer-TS/SCI & CI POLY

SixGen, Inc.; Columbia (MD); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401K with employer contribution

Flexible PTO

Remote-friendly policies

Job summary

SIXGEN is seeking an AI/ML Engineer in Columbia, MD to design and integrate models, agents, and AI workflows on a mission-critical platform for US Cyber Command. You will shape governance, tooling, and production-ready capabilities with cross-functional teams.

Applicants should have a TS/SCI clearance, strong Python, and hands-on experience with LLM/agent systems, RAG, vector databases, and prompt engineering to deliver enterprise-scale AI results for defense missions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS, Data Science, or related field.
• Active TS/SCI clearance with Poly.
• Advanced Python skills for AI/ML development.
• Experience building or integrating LLM/agent systems in production.
• Experience with RAG, vector databases, and prompt engineering.
• Ability to manage fast-paced mission environments and risks.

Responsibilities

• Provide embedded operations support and rapid prototyping for AI/ML tools.
• Design and integrate LLM/agent orchestration workflows with LangGraph, Agno, and NeMo.
• Tune model routing across frontier/open-weight models for cost and performance.
• Develop RAG pipelines, vector DBs, and memory services for agents.
• Implement Model Context Protocol tool-broker integrations for enterprise tools.
• Evaluate and benchmark models and agent behavior; build evaluation pipelines.
• Collaborate with data scientists to productionize AI capabilities for the command.
• Establish AI governance guardrails and document architectures and results.

Skills

TS/SCI clearance

Poly

Python for AI/ML

LLM/agent systems

RAG & vector databases

prompt/context engineering

prior production experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Data Science

Tools

LangGraph

Agno

NVIDIA NeMo Agent Toolkit

NVIDIA NIM

vLLM

Ollama

LiteLLM

Job description

SIXGEN's mission is to deliver agile, mission-ready cybersecurity solutions that empower government and critical infrastructure organizations to stay ahead of advanced cyber threats. We combine innovation, deep expertise, and cutting-edge capabilities to uncover vulnerabilities, protect vital systems, and ensure operational superiority in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

POSITION OVERVIEW

• Job Type: Full Time
• Location: Columbia, MD
• Clearance Requirement: TS/SCI, CI Poly

WHAT YOU'LL DO

SIXGEN is actively seeking candidates to be part of a team that supports the United States Cyber Command (USCC). Our team is standing up USCYBERCOM's AI Enterprise capability - the central hub that mission teams turn to when they want to move an AI solution from prototype to a secure, governed, enterprise-scale service. As a AI/ML Engineer on this team, you will design and integrate the models, agents, and AI workflows that run on that platform, with significant, visible impact on the mission of the USCC.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Provide embedded operations support, capability integration, and rapid prototyping for AI/ML-enabled tools in support of our customer.
• Design and integrate LLM/agent orchestration workflows using agentic frameworks such as LangGraph, Agno, and the NVIDIA NeMo Agent Toolkit.
• Tune model gateway routing logic to select, evaluate, and optimize across multiple frontier and open-weight models for cost, performance, and mission fit.
• Develop and integrate RAG pipelines, vector databases, and memory services to give agents access to mission knowledge and context.
• Implement MCP (Model Context Protocol)-based tool-broker integrations so agents can safely and securely access enterprise tools and data.
• Evaluate, benchmark, and tune models and agent behaviors; build automated evaluation pipelines to track quality, safety, and performance over time.
• Partner with data scientists and mission analysts to translate research and prototypes into production-grade AI capabilities for the command.
• Implement AI governance guardrails - content/safety filters, policy enforcement, and approval gates - for agentic workflows, and document model/agent architectures and evaluation results for reuse.
• Research and evaluate emerging LLM, agent, and AI tooling to keep the command's AI capability current and adaptable.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Computer Science, Data Science, or a related discipline and 10+ years of experience; 4 additional years of experience may be considered in lieu of degree
• Active TS/SCI clearance w/Poly
• Advanced proficiency in Python for AI/ML application development
• Demonstrated experience building or integrating LLM/agent-based systems in production
• Experience with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), vector databases, and prompt/context engineering
• Ability to manage competing priorities in fast-paced mission environments and identify/escalate operational risks early

Preference to Candidates that Have:

• Master's degree and 8+ years of relevant experience
• Experience supporting USCYBERCOM, NSA, DoD cyber operations, or related mission environments
• Experience with frameworks such as LangGraph, Agno, or the NVIDIA NeMo Agent Toolkit
• Experience with model inference/serving platforms (NVIDIA NIM, vLLM, Ollama, LiteLLM)
• Experience with MCP (Model Context Protocol) or similar tool-broker/integration standards
• Experience with AI evaluation frameworks, model benchmarking, and observability (logs/metrics/traces) for AI workloads
• Experience supporting USCYBERCOM, NSA, or DoD AI/cyber mission environments

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

At SIXGEN, we are committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. Compensation for this role will be based on experience, qualifications, technical expertise, and overall alignment with the position.

Additionally, SIXGEN offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:

• Employer-paid health insurance premiums (medical, dental, vision) for you and your family
• Employer-paid short/long term disability insurance and basic life/AD&D insurance
• 401K with a 4% employer contribution
• Flexible and remote work policies for most positions
• Flexible PTO and holiday schedule

OUR COMMITMENT

SIXGEN is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We ensure that all applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, marital status, ancestry, projected veteran status, or any other protected group or class.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that values diversity in our people, reflecting the communities we serve and our customer base. We strive to attract and retain a diverse talent pool and create an environment where everyone is empowered to be their authentic selves at work.