AI/ML SME

PMAT Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

PMAT is seeking a seasoned AI/ML Subject Matter Expert to provide senior leadership for developing, integrating, testing, evaluating, and deploying AI/ML capabilities at scale across cloud, edge, and distributed environments. You will collaborate with engineers, data scientists, software developers, and stakeholders to translate complex problems into measurable AI/ML objectives and deployable solutions.

The role requires hands-on AI/ML expertise, data engineering, MLOps pipelines, and the

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in AI/ML, data science, data engineering, or related disciplines.
• Hands-on track record designing, training, and deploying ML models.
• Strong Python programming and software engineering practices for AI/ML.
• Experience acquiring, curating, and preparing data for AI/ML development.
• Experience with evaluating AI/ML capabilities and providing recommendations.
• Familiarity with CI/CD, MLOps, and secure development in defense contexts.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and deployment of ML models and data-driven capabilities.
• Manage data acquisition, preprocessing, and data source access.
• Develop and deploy ML solutions across cloud, edge, and distributed environments.
• Lead AI/ML test & evaluation with metrics and recommendations.
• Oversee data preprocessing, feature engineering, model training, and validation.
• Collaborate across teams to translate problems into AI/ML requirements.
• Develop production-ready AI/ML pipelines with CI/CD and DevSecOps.
• Provide senior guidance on AI/ML architecture and mentoring.

Skills

AI/ML expertise

Data engineering

Python programming

Cloud & DevOps

Communication skills

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

scikit-learn

AWS

Azure

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

At PMAT, we work on mission critical systems that directly support the warfighter, designing, building, and securing modern digital capabilities across cloud, data, and software environments. Our teams tackle complex, real-world challenges where delivery matters more than theory, and innovation is driven by curiosity, collaboration, and purpose.

In this role, you’ll contribute to mission-focused technology initiatives, working alongside engineers and technical stakeholders to deliver resilient, forward-leaning solutions in support of national defense.

About the role:

PMAT is seeking a highly experienced Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) Subject Matter Expert (SME) to provide senior technical leadership for the development, integration, testing, evaluation, and deployment of AI/ML capabilities at scale. This role will support the establishment and sustainment of production and development environments while leading efforts to identify, acquire, curate, and prepare relevant data for AI/ML applications. The candidate will work closely with engineers, data scientists, software developers, test personnel, and senior stakeholders to develop machine learning solutions, evaluate their effectiveness, and transition successful capabilities into production environments. This role requires extensive hands‑on AI/ML expertise, strong data engineering and test capabilities, and the ability to translate complex technical problems into measurable AI/ML objectives and deployable technical solutions.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the design, development, implementation, integration, and deployment of machine learning models, algorithms, and data‑driven capabilities supporting mission and technical requirements.
• Identify, acquire, curate, preprocess, and manage data for AI/ML development and production applications while facilitating access to relevant data sources.
• Develop and deploy algorithms, mathematical models, and machine learning solutions into production, cloud, edge, and distributed computing environments.
• Lead AI/ML test and evaluation activities by defining test plans, establishing quantitative and qualitative performance metrics, evaluating model behavior and effectiveness, interpreting results, and developing technically supported recommendations.
• Perform data preprocessing, feature engineering, model training, validation, performance analysis, and optimization to ensure AI/ML solutions are reliable, relevant, and aligned with technical requirements.
• Collaborate with engineers, data scientists, data engineers, software developers, test teams, and technical stakeholders to translate complex problems into AI/ML requirements, technical approaches, data needs, evaluation criteria, and deployable capabilities.
• Develop and support production‑ready AI/ML and MLOps pipelines using cloud, containerization, orchestration, automation, CI/CD, and DevSecOps technologies to enable repeatable development, testing, deployment, monitoring, and sustainment.
• Provide senior technical guidance on AI/ML architecture, data engineering, model selection, performance, testing, deployment, and emerging technologies while mentoring technical personnel and advising engineering and programme leadership.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, test plans, evaluation results, engineering artifacts, briefings, recommendations, and other documentation supporting AI/ML development, testing, deployment, and operational use.

About Us:

PMAT is an innovative small business founded with a passion for developing forward‑leaning solutions from exceptional people that increase the mission's capability. We focus on designing and building impactful digital solutions that utilise modern cloud, data, and software concepts. Our passion is working on complex and progressive challenges such as edge platform computing, containerising legacy platforms, distributed data platforms, or heterogeneous data analysis.

We recruit, retain, and foster a team motivated to pursue passions, investigate new ways of doing things, and embody an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. We believe in being curious about every element of a problem and experiment relentlessly. We foster continuous learning in an environment that encourages positive collaboration and expands our capabilities. We tap into collective intelligence, acknowledging that the most brilliant people may not be in the room. Above all else, we believe that delivering and demonstrating is more potent than a sheet of paper. We are passionate about mission‑centric design and delivering effective capabilities to and for the warfighter.

Whether you’re an experienced engineer or just beginning your career, you’ll work alongside experts who are committed to solving mission‑critical problems.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Extensive experience in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, data engineering, software engineering, applied mathematics, or related technical disciplines.
• Hands‑on experience designing, developing, training, evaluating, integrating, and deploying machine learning models, algorithms, or other advanced analytic capabilities.
• Strong programming experience in Python and experience applying software engineering practices to AI/ML development and production deployment.
• Experience identifying, acquiring, curating, preprocessing, transforming, and managing data used to develop, train, test, and evaluate AI/ML capabilities.
• Experience developing test approaches, selecting quantitative and qualitative performance metrics, evaluating AI/ML capabilities, interpreting results, and providing technically supported recommendations.
• Experience with data preprocessing, feature engineering, model training, model validation, performance evaluation, and analysis of model behaviour.
• Experience collaborating across data science, data engineering, software engineering, systems engineering, test, cybersecurity, and technical teams to develop and deliver complex capabilities.
• Familiarity with cloud computing, containerisation, software development environments, and technologies such as AWS, Azure, Docker, Kubernetes, or similar platforms.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and communication skills with the ability to translate complex challenges into technical requirements and communicate AI/ML concepts, results, risks, and recommendations to technical and non‑technical stakeholders.

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Experience with machine learning frameworks and libraries such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit‑learn, or similar AI/ML development technologies.
• Experience with additional programming languages such as Java, C++, Go, or Rust.
• Experience with distributed computing, parallel processing, GPU‑accelerated computing, or other approaches used to develop and optimise AI/ML capabilities at scale.
• Experience developing cloud‑native AI/ML architectures, data pipelines, software APIs, containerised applications, or distributed AI/ML services.
• Experience with MLOps, model lifecycle management, model monitoring, automated testing, reproducible ML workflows, and production AI/ML pipeline development.
• Experience with CI/CD and automation technologies such as Git, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, or similar development and deployment tools.
• Experience integrating AI/ML capabilities into distributed systems, edge computing environments, or other complex software and technology platforms.
• Experience developing or evaluating AI/ML capabilities in secure, classified, disconnected, bandwidth‑constrained, or resource‑constrained environments.
• Familiarity with cybersecurity principles, DevSecOps practices, secure AI/ML development, and government or defence AI, data, and MLOps requirements.
• Experience supporting testing, experimentation, demonstrations, or deployment of AI/ML capabilities in complex technical environments.
• Previous experience supporting government, defence, or military organisations.

Education and Certification Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree or Equivalent Experience

Citizenship and Clearance Requirements:

• U.S. Citizenship required
• No dual citizenship
• TS/(SCI Eligible) security clearance required

Location/Address:

• 100% On‑site
• San Diego, CA

Travel & Passport:

10%, CONUS and OCONUS

Work Environment:

PMAT offices as needed. In some cases, work in a government facility may be required. Travel may be required for customer engagement, team coordination, and potentially for business development.

PMAT is an equal‑opportunity employer. We believe in hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive, people‑first culture. We are committed to non‑discrimination on any protected basis, such as disability and veteran status, or any other basis covered under applicable law.