Senior AI/ML Engineer

Peraton; Herndon (VA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 216,000; Full time

Job summary

Peraton is looking for a Senior AI/ML Engineer to spearhead the design and deployment of advanced AI/ML solutions in Herndon, Virginia. The role emphasizes expertise in LLMs and generative AI, along with hands-on development skills to foster operational efficiency.

Ideal candidates should have significant experience in AI/ML, possess a strong technical background, and be able to communicate complex AI concepts effectively. Competitive salary range of $135,000 - $216,000 based on experience, education, and geographic factors.

Qualifications

• US Citizenship required; must have the ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance.
• 12+ years of experience (Bachelor's), 10+ years (Master’s), or 7+ years (PhD) in relevant fields.
• Demonstrated experience building, deploying, and optimizing AI/ML solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of generative AI solutions.
• Architect and deploy agent-based LLM workflows.
• Perform end-to-end data engineering and analysis using Python, R, and SQL.

Skills

AI/ML Solution Development

Python Programming

Data Engineering

API Integration

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science or related field

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Visual Studio Code

Job description

Senior AI/ML Engineer

Job Locations: US

Responsibilities

Peraton is seeking a highly skilled Senior AI/ML Engineer to lead the design, development, and deployment of advanced AI/ML solutions that accelerate automation and operational efficiency. This role requires deep expertise in large language models (LLMs), generative AI, and agentic workflows to architect secure, scalable, and high‑impact solutions in mission‑focused environments.

The ideal candidate brings hands‑on technical depth, strong architectural judgment, and the ability to translate complex AI capabilities into practical business outcomes.

What You Will Do

• Lead the design and implementation of generative AI solutions, including rapid prototypes and production pilots.
• Architect and deploy agent‑based LLM workflows with structured outputs, multi‑agent orchestration, tool integration, and validation mechanisms.
• Perform end‑to‑end data engineering and analysis (exploratory, predictive, statistical) using Python, R, and SQL; develop dashboards and visualizations to communicate insights.
• Apply modern software engineering practices (Git, CI/CD, DevSecOps) to transition AI models from development to secure production environments.
• Translate mission and business requirements into scalable technical designs; effectively communicate AI concepts to non‑technical stakeholders.
• Integrate AI‑driven automation with enterprise systems, APIs, and databases.
• Develop reusable frameworks, best practices, and toolkits to enable enterprise‑wide AI adoption.
• Ensure compliance with data security, privacy, and ethical AI standards; implement guardrails, monitoring, and responsible AI controls.
• Mentor engineers and data scientists; contribute to documentation, knowledge sharing, and AI governance practices.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 12+ years of experience, Master’s with 10+ years, or PhD with 7+ years in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or related STEM discipline.
• US Citizenship required; must have the ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance.
• Demonstrated experience building, deploying, and optimizing AI/ML solutions in production environments.
• Hands‑on experience designing agentic AI architectures and autonomous workflows.
• Strong programming proficiency in Python; experience with C/C++ or JavaScript is a plus.
• Experience integrating and consuming APIs from state‑of‑the‑art LLM providers.
• Demonstrated expertise in prompt engineering, Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG), model fine‑tuning, and evaluation techniques.
• Familiarity with modern development environments and tool chains (e.g., Visual Studio Code, Git‑based workflows).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with ML frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch.
• Experience with advanced data science techniques using R.
• Familiarity with agent development frameworks and emerging interoperability standards such as Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP).
• Experience leveraging AI coding assistants (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Microsoft Copilot, Claude Code capabilities) to accelerate development workflows.
• Experience working with platforms such as Azure OpenAI, GPT models, Claude, or Gemini.
• Relevant certifications (AWS Machine Learning Specialty, Azure AI Engineer Associate, Google Professional ML Engineer, DeepLearning.AI certifications).

Target Salary Range

$135,000 - $216,000. This represents the typical salary range for this position. Salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the individual's experience, education, knowledge, skills, and competencies, as well as geographic location and business and contract considerations. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay.

EEO

Equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veterans, or other characteristics protected by law.