Senior AI Engineer / Software Developer - TS/SCI with Polygraph

gdit; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

GDIT in Chantilly, VA seeks a senior AI Engineer to lead the design, development, and secure integration of AI/ML capabilities into mission systems on classified networks. This hands-on technical leadership role will establish architectural patterns, governance alignment, and engineering standards across the program.

You will work with program leadership, government stakeholders, and security authorities to deliver auditable, compliant AI features in a high-side environment and grow a small team

Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI with polygraph to start.
• Security clearance required for role.

Responsibilities

• Architect, build, and maintain AI-enabled applications and services within air-gapped and government cloud environments.
• Deploy, serve, and tune large language models and ML models on-premises or in accredited cloud enclaves (no external API dependency).
• Design retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines and embedding workflows over controlled data sets, with appropriate data handling and classification controls.
• Operationalize the program's AI governance framework: model capability tiering, use‑case approval workflow, rules of engagement, and audit/logging requirements.
• Support security accreditation activities, including AO engagement, RMF documentation inputs, and responsible AI evidence.
• Build and optimize data pipelines feeding AI-driven features; integrate with existing program systems and workflows.
• Establish code quality, testing, and documentation standards for the AI engineering function; mentor mid-level developers as the team grows.
• Brief technical approach and results to program leadership and government customers.

Skills

AI

ML

Python

Job description

Type of Requisition

Regular

Clearance Level Must Currently Possess

Top Secret SCI + Polygraph

Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain

Top Secret SCI + Polygraph

Public Trust/Other Required

None

Job Family

Data Science and Data Engineering

Job Qualifications

Skills

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Python Automation

Certifications

None

Experience

5 + years of related experience

US Citizenship Required

Yes

Role Overview

We are seeking a senior AI Engineer to lead the design, development, and secure integration of AI and machine learning capabilities into mission systems operating on classified networks. This is a hands-on technical leadership role: you will establish the architectural patterns, governance alignment, and engineering standards for AI-enabled features across the program, and grow a small team over time. You will work directly with program leadership, government stakeholders, and security/accreditation authorities to deliver AI capabilities that are effective, auditable, and compliant within a high-side environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect, build, and maintain AI-enabled applications and services within air-gapped and government cloud environments
• Deploy, serve, and tune large language models and ML models on-premises or in accredited cloud enclaves (no external API dependency)
• Design retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines and embedding workflows over controlled data sets, with appropriate data handling and classification controls
• Operationalize the program's AI governance framework: model capability tiering, use‑case approval workflow, rules of engagement, and audit/logging requirements
• Support security accreditation activities, including AO engagement, RMF documentation inputs, and responsible AI evidence
• Build and optimize data pipelines feeding AI-driven features; integrate with existing program systems and workflows
• Establish code quality, testing, and documentation standards for the AI engineering function; mentor mid-level developers as the team grows
• Brief technical approach and results to program leadership and government customers

Required Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI with polygraph to start
• Security