AI Tech Lead

Steampunk; McLean (VA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Steampunk seeks a seasoned AI Tech Lead to drive enterprise-grade predictive and generative AI solutions, pipelines, and visualizations. You will mentor developers, architect scalable AI systems, and promote best practices across the organization.

The role requires strong Python and cloud experience, hands-on coding when needed, and the ability to communicate complex concepts to technical and non-technical stakeholders. Ability to obtain a U.S. government security clearance is preferred.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in software engineering with AI/ML focus.
• Proven team leadership and mentoring.
• Strong Python and AI framework experience.
• Experience deploying AI at scale in cloud.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of developers on predictive and generative AI solutions.
• Architect and oversee scalable AI/ML systems with best practices.
• Drive AI technology adoption across the organization.
• Design end-to-end ML pipelines from data to deployment and monitoring.
• Establish and enforce AI development best practices including CI/CD and testing.
• Oversee production deployment of AI models and optimize performance.
• Collaborate with data scientists to translate algorithms into production code.
• Maintain robust MLOps practices to streamline development lifecycle.
• Stay updated on AI/ML advancements and evaluate client applications.
• Ensure data privacy and ethical AI guidelines throughout development.

Skills

Leadership

Python

TensorFlow

PyTorch

NLP

Cloud platforms

CI/CD

DevSecOps

Agile

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s/Master’s/PhD in CS/AI/ML

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Hadoop

Spark

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

Overview

We are looking for a seasoned AI Tech Lead to work with our team and our clients to develop enterprise grade predictive and generative AI solutions, applications, pipelines, visualizations, and more!The AI Tech Lead needs to be a technologist with excellent communication and customer service skills and a passion for data and problem solving. This role spans the spectrum of data science development work.

Contributions

• Lead and mentor a team of developers working on cutting-edge predictive and generative AI solutions.
• Architect and oversee the development of scalable AI/ML systems, ensuring best practices in software engineering and AI ethics.
• Drive the adoption of AI technologies across the organization, collaborating with cross-functional teams to identify and implement AI-driven solutions.
• Design and implement end-to-end machine learning pipelines, from data ingestion to model deployment and monitoring.
• Establish and enforce best practices for AI development, including version control, testing, and documentation.
• Oversee the integration of AI models into production environments, ensuring seamless deployment and optimal performance.
• Collaborate with data scientists to translate complex algorithms into efficient, production-ready code.
• Implement and maintain robust MLOps practices to streamline the AI development lifecycle.
• Stay abreast of the latest advancements in AI/ML technologies and evaluate their potential application for our clients.
• Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations and ethical AI guidelines throughout the development process.
• You will contribute to the growth of our AI & Data Exploitation Practice!

Qualifications

• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.
• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in software engineering, focused on AI/ML development.
• Proven track record of leading and mentoring teams of developers in AI projects.
• Strong programming skills in Python, with experience in AI/ML frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, or scikit-learn.
• Extensive knowledge of machine learning algorithms, deep learning architectures, and natural language processing techniques.
• Proficiency in cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and experience with deploying AI solutions at scale.
• Solid understanding of DevSecOps principles and experience implementing CI/CD pipelines for AI projects.
• Familiarity with big data technologies such as Hadoop, Spark, and distributed computing concepts.
• Experience with containerization technologies (e.g., Docker) and orchestration tools (e.g., Kubernetes).
• Strong understanding of data structures, algorithms, and software design patterns.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to balance technical leadership with hands‑on development when needed.
• Experience with agile methodologies and project management tools.

About steampunk

Steampunk relies on several factors to determine salary, including but not limited to geographic location, contractual requirements, education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience. The projected compensation range for this position is $140,000 to $180,000. The estimate displayed represents a typical annual salary range for this position. Annual salary is just one aspect of Steampunk’s total compensation package for employees. Learn more about additional Steampunk benefits here.

Identity Statement

As part of the application process, you are expected to be on camera during interviews and assessments. We reserve the right to take your picture to verify your identity and prevent fraud.

Steampunk is a Change Agent in the Federal contracting industry, bringing new thinking to clients in the Homeland, Federal Civilian, Health and DoD sectors. Through our Human-Centered delivery methodology, we are fundamentally changing the expectations our Federal clients have for true shared accountability in solving their toughest mission challenges. As an employee owned company, we focus on investing in our employees to enable them to do the greatest work of their careers – and rewarding them for outstanding contributions to our growth. If you want to learn more about our story, visit http://www.steampunk.com.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Steampunk participates in the E-Verify program.