Defense AI Leader & Agentic ML Architect

McKinsey & Company; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 243,000 - 249,000; Full time

Job summary

McKinsey & Company seeks a senior leader to shape and deliver agentic AI and ML solutions for defense clients across the public and private sectors. You will join the Defense practice and work with client teams to counsel on AI strategy and deploy secure systems.

US citizenship with an active SECRET clearance is required; Top Secret with SCI eligibility is preferred. You will lead engagements, architect secure AI foundations, mentor teams, and coordinate with government and industry partners to

Qualifications

• US Citizenship and an active SECRET clearance required at time of hire (Top Secret with SCI eligibility preferred).
• Deep experience in the defense sector with hands-on understanding of classified environments.
• 7+ years applying data science, analytics, and AI to drive impact in client settings.
• Experience designing and scaling modern AI solutions, including agentic AI, production-grade ML, and ontologies.
• Expertise with major cloud platforms and AI tooling; proficient in SQL and Python.
• Leadership of multidisciplinary engineering and analytics teams across cleared environments.
• Strong communication and collaboration with government program offices and industry partners.
• Travel flexibility between 40-80%.

Responsibilities

• Lead AI implementation engagements: define aspirations, set technical direction, ensure delivery across defense topics such as readiness and manufacturing.
• Architect and lead teams to deliver agentic AI systems from use-case shaping to secure deployment and adoption.
• Span traditional ML to generative AI, ensuring defense-grade security, resilience, and oversight.
• Provide problem-solving and vision-setting for complex mission needs and co-create solutions with government leaders and partners.
• Build scalable AI foundations (data architecture, MLOps, governance, security) across programs.

Skills

Security clearance

Defense sector experience

Data science & AI

Agentic AI

Cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure)

Python

SQL

Leadership of teams

Communication & collaboration

Travel readiness

Tools

None

Job description

McKinsey & Company seeks a senior leader to shape and deliver agentic AI and ML solutions for defense clients across the public and private sectors. You will join the Defense practice and work with client teams to counsel on AI strategy and deploy secure systems.

US citizenship with an active SECRET clearance is required; Top Secret with SCI eligibility is preferred. You will lead engagements, architect secure AI foundations, mentor teams, and coordinate with government and industry partners to