R&D Technical Lead with Security Clearance

Altamira; Fairborn (OH); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Altamira is seeking an experienced R&D Technical Lead to bridge AI/ML research and production-ready solutions in Dayton, OH. You will guide teams from early research concepts through customer delivery, combining a broad software background with deep AI/ML expertise.

You will mentor engineers, drive architectural decisions, and ensure scalable pipelines for object tracking, real-time analytics, and data management, collaborating with stakeholders to translate complex requirements into actionable

Qualifications

• 7+ years professional experience in machine learning.
• 3+ years leading teams from research or prototyping to production deployment.
• Experience with object tracking and real-time video analytics.

Responsibilities

• Lead AI/ML and software teams across projects.
• Design scalable software architectures integrating AI/ML capabilities.
• Coordinate data collection and labeling strategies for datasets.
• Mentor engineers and enforce MLOps standards.
• Translate client requirements into AI/ML roadmaps.

Skills

Machine learning leadership

Python

C++/Rust/Java

Docker

Kubernetes

Computer Vision

Team leadership

ML deployment

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, AI, or related field

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

R&D Technical Lead Software EngineeringDayton, OH R&D Technical Lead Altamira brings a commercial mindset to solving the most complex national security problems by delivering mission application development, multi-intelligence analysis, and data science technologies and solutions to the defense, intelligence, and homeland security communities. Altamira’s culture of innovation and excellence, and mid‑market-size, positions us as the premier next generation leader bringing technology solutions to mission. Position Description We are seeking an experienced R&D Technical Lead to bridge the gap between AI/ML research and production-ready solutions. In this role, you will provide technical leadership across AI/ML and software engineering, guiding teams from early‑stage research concepts through successful customer delivery. The ideal candidate brings a broad software engineering background combined with strong AI/ML expertise, with the ability to translate machine learning models and research into scalable, integrated software architectures. You will collaborate across disciplines to drive technical decisions, mentor development teams, and ensure solutions meet real‑world customer needs. Our work focuses on applied AI/ML solutions for real‑world object tracking, detection, and characterization, enabling advanced data triaging and system automation. These capabilities help our customers manage increasing volumes of data and address the challenges associated with data saturation.

Core Responsibilities

• Team Leadership: Provide technical guidance to engineering teams, aligning project requirements to technical tasking
• System Architecture: Design and implement scalable, high-performance software systems that integrate AI/ML capabilities
• Collection Coordination: Architect multi‑agent or agentic workflows to synchronize data collection efforts across various projects, optimizing resource allocation.
• Technical Mentorship: Lead a high‑performing team of engineers, conducting code reviews and setting engineering standards for MLOps and production pipelines.
• Strategic Integration: Collaborate with project managers to translate complex client requirements into actionable AI/ML roadmaps.

Qualifications & Skills

• Education: Bachelor’s or above in Computer Science, AI, or a related quantitative field.
• Experience: 7+ years of professional experience in machine learning, with at least 3 years leading teams from research or prototyping through production deployment.
• Computer Vision Expertise: Proven track record in developing computer vision models for object tracking (e.g., CNNs, Transformers) and real‑time video analytics.
• Advanced Programming: Expert-level proficiency in Python and high‑performance languages (C++/Rust/Java) alongside familiarity with backend deployment tools (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Data Management: Experience overseeing the full data lifecycle, from acquisition and cleaning to high‑fidelity labeling for specialized collections.
• Communication: Ability to articulate complex AI concepts to non-technical stakeholders and executive leadership. Altamira is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. Apply Later 8201 Greensboro Dr., Suite 800 Mclean, VA 22102 703.813.2100 703.813.1740 * Who We Are
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