AI Research Engineer Sr Stf

Lockheed Martin; Maryland; On-site; USD 167,000 - 310,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401(k) match

Paid time off

Flexible work arrangements

Job summary

Lockheed Martin is seeking a technical leader to accelerate responsible AI and autonomy adoption across the Lighthouse and LM Lighthouse events. You will shape AI-enabled capabilities for defense technology, modeling, simulation, wargaming, and decision analysis in real and synthetic environments.

The role requires leading cross-functional teams, engaging with government and industry, and delivering practical, field-ready AI demonstrations.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant experience in defense AI, autonomy, and mission-focused tech.
• Experience translating military needs into AI-enabled concepts and demonstrations.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and engage with government, industry, and academia.

Responsibilities

• Lead integration of AI and autonomy into LM Lighthouse events and customer engagements.
• Translate mission needs into AI concepts, tech demonstrations, experiments, and transitions.
• Provide technical direction to engineers, operators, and analysts across LM.
• Engage with government, industry, and think tanks to advance military capabilities and AI standards.
• Identify and drive external engagement, AI standards, and responsible AI activities.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder engagement

Technical AI expertise

Clear communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Tools

PMP certification

CRADA experience

Job description

Standard Job Description

Description:

The Lockheed Martin Artificial Intelligence Center (LAIC), AI Certifications & Standards team is seeking a motivated technical leader and innovation champion to accelerate responsible AI and autonomy adoption across Lockheed Martin. The selected candidate will identify, shape, and execute opportunities spanning research and development, technology demonstrations, experimentation, innovation opportunities, wargaming, and customer engagements with military and industry partners.

What You Will Be Doing

In this role, you will serve as the strategic liaison and senior technical integrator between the LAIC and Lockheed Martin’s Center for Innovation, known as “The Lighthouse” where you will lead the planning and integration of AI and autonomy into LM’s Lighthouse events and customer engagements, working to solve operational challenges with executable technical concepts and activities. You will work across engineering, operations, and customer organizations to shape and deliver AI-enabled capabilities in areas including defense technology, multidomain integration, experimentation, wargaming, tabletop exercises, modeling & simulation, and decision analysis in real and synthetic environments. You will identify opportunities and lead cross-functional collaboration within LM and with customers to help engineers and operators jointly develop innovative solutions for complex national defense problems. The role will also help showcase emerging concepts and capabilities while advancing Lockheed Martin’s commitment to responsible innovation and national defense.

The selected candidate will support the AI Certifications & Standards team and contribute to the following activities:

• Lead and accelerate responsible AI and autonomy adoption across Lockheed Martin and within the Lighthouse through experimentation, demonstrations, technical integration, and customer engagements.
• Serve as a technical thought leader for integrating AI and autonomy into exercises, wargames, modeling & simulation environments, and other operationally relevant experimentation activities.
• Translate military mission needs and operational problems into AI and autonomy enabled concepts, technical demonstrations, experimentation, and transition opportunities.
• Provide technical direction and integration leadership to multidisciplinary teams of engineers, operators, analysts, and subject matter experts.
• Engage with government, industry, and academia at conferences, workshops, and think tanks to advance military capabilities and maintain awareness of emerging AI technologies, policies, standards, operational needs, and technology trends.
• Identify and lead external engagement opportunities, including leading, reviewing, and contributing to AI standards, best practices, and responsible AI activities.
• Identify, shape, and contribute to AI and autonomy research and development efforts aligned to customer needs, operational priorities, and Lockheed Martin strategic objectives.
• Develop recommendations for senior technical and business leaders regarding AI and autonomy opportunities, risks, experimentation priorities, and capability transition.
• Support other applicable AI projects, activities, and tasks as assigned.

Further Information About This Opportunity

This role is fully onsite in at the LM Lighthouse facility in Suffolk, VA. An active Top Secret clearance is required to start, with eligibility for a TS/SCI. This position may require some travel.

Basic Qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant experience and in-depth knowledge of DoW missions, operational needs, and the relationship between emerging technology, experimentation, acquisition, and warfighter capability transition.
• Experience and understanding of DoW future capabilities, concept development, experimentation, wargaming, and analysis in support of U.S. Government acquisition processes and Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs).
• Experience integrating advanced technologies into military experimentation, exercises, demonstrations, or operationally relevant environments.
• Technical expertise in AI and autonomy as applied to military missions, operational concepts, or warfighter capabilities.
• Proven ability to work across organizational boundaries with military, government, industry, engineering, and operational stakeholders.
• Experience building and leading successful multidisciplinary teams and relationships with customers and subject matter experts.
• Proven ability to transition, demonstrate, integrate, or field high-technology capabilities for warfighter use.
• Demonstrated project or program management experience with responsibility for technology-focused efforts from planning through delivery.
• Strong customer engagement and executive communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with engineers and operators and present technical concepts, recommendations, and results to senior business and military leaders.
• Bachelor’s degree or above in a STEM-related field or equivalent relevant technical experience.
• Proficiency with standard business productivity and collaboration tools.
• Active Top Secret clearance with eligibility for a TS/SCI.

Desired Skills

• Advanced degree in artificial intelligence, autonomy, computer science, engineering, operations research/analysis, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience leading or managing multiple cross-functional or geographically distributed teams concurrently.
• Experience with command and control (C2), C4ISR systems, multidomain operations, or military decision-making processes.
• Experience designing or leading military experimentation, wargaming, tabletop exercises, modeling and simulation, or operational analysis activities.
• Experience with AI assurance, responsible AI, AI standards, test and evaluation, or technical risk assessment.
• PMP certification or equivalent demonstrated program/project leadership experience.
• Experience with Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) or similar government-industry collaboration mechanisms.

Pay Information

Full-Time Salary Range: $166900.00 - $309900.00

At Lockheed Martin, we know mission success starts with taking care of our people. Our Total Rewards program is designed to attract top talent, support your well-being, and help you grow—both professionally and personally.

The salary range for this position is as listed on the requisition. Please note that the salary information listed is a general guideline only.Lockheed Martin considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/ training, key skills as well as market(work location) and business considerations when extending an offer.

Benefits offered

Medical, Dental, Vision, Flexible work arrangements and schedules (e.g., 4x10), 401(k) match, Paid time off, Holidays, Parental Leave, EAP, Flexible Spending Accounts, Education Assistance, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability.

• Annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs may be offered depending on the position. Payments under these annual programs are not guaranteed and can vary from year to year and are tied to a range of performance metrics.
• For (Washington state applicants only) Non-represented full-time employees: accrue at least 10 hours per month of Paid Time Off (PTO) to be used for incidental absences and other reasons; receive at least 90 hours for holidays. Represented full time employees accrue 6.67 hours of Vacation per month; accrue up to 52 hours of sick leave annually; receive at least 96 hours for holidays. PTO, Vacation, sick leave, and holiday hours are prorated based on start date during the calendar year.