Senior AI/ML Data Engineer — Vector AI & RAG Leader

Apavo Corporation; Virginia (IL); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Apavo Corporation seeks a Senior AI/ML Data Engineer to architect data ecosystems powering vector search, RAG, and LLM applications for DoD and IC clients. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver secure, scalable AI data platforms and mentor engineers.

Required are TS/SCI clearance, 20+ years of experience in AI/ML/data engineering, and deep cloud proficiency. The role emphasizes leadership, governance, and clear communication with senior stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Active, current Top Secret/SCI with Polygraph clearance is mandatory.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Data Science, or a related quantitative discipline (equivalent experience considered)
• 20+ years of progressive experience in software engineering, data engineering, distributed systems, cloud architecture, or AI/ML platform development
• Proven experience designing and delivering enterprise-scale AI, machine learning, generative AI, or Agentic AI solutions
• Demonstrated success architecting and implementing production cloud-native data systems supporting advanced analytics and AI workloads
• Proven experience working within complex enterprise environments managing security, infrastructure, technology dependencies, governance requirements, and competing priorities
• Expert proficiency in Python, SQL, and modern software engineering practices
• Deep experience with Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud data and AI platforms
• Experience implementing vector databases, embedding pipelines, retrieval systems, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation architectures
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, orchestration platforms, infrastructure automation, and observability tooling
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Proven ability to influence decisions and drive consensus among diverse technical and business stakeholders

Responsibilities

• Architect, build, and maintain enterprise-scale data platforms supporting vector databases, semantic search, RAG, Agentic AI systems, and LLM apps
• Establish data quality, lineage, source attribution, prompt/context traceability, explainability, and evaluation controls
• Lead architectural decision-making for AI-supporting data infrastructure balancing performance, security, reliability, maintainability, and cost
• Collaborate with Data Scientists, ML Engineers, Architects, Cybersecurity, and Software Engineers to translate AI requirements into production capabilities
• Translate AI concepts into actionable impacts, risks, and opportunities for senior leadership
• Coordinate with stakeholders across organizations to align AI initiatives and maximize reuse
• Implement monitoring, observability, and alerting for reliable AI data platforms
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring, promote engineering best practices and innovation
• Assess emerging AI technologies and frameworks to improve capabilities

Skills

TS/SCI Clearance

Python

SQL

Cloud Platforms

Azure

AWS

GCP

Vector Databases

Embedding Pipelines

RAG

LLM Architectures

CI/CD

Orchestration

Observability

Communication Skills

Govt/Defense Experience

Python & SQL Proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Data Science, or related quantitative discipline

Tools

N/A

Job description

Apavo Corporation seeks a Senior AI/ML Data Engineer to architect data ecosystems powering vector search, RAG, and LLM applications for DoD and IC clients. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver secure, scalable AI data platforms and mentor engineers.

Required are TS/SCI clearance, 20+ years of experience in AI/ML/data engineering, and deep cloud proficiency. The role emphasizes leadership, governance, and clear communication with senior stakeholders.