Senior AI/ML Lead

elderresearch; Arlington (VA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Elder Research, Inc. in Arlington, VA, is seeking a Senior AI/ML Lead to drive advanced modeling and analytics for fraud detection and identity theft analytics. This hybrid role blends on-site collaboration with several days of work per month at the Arlington facility.

The ideal candidate will provide technical leadership across the lifecycle of ML models used to detect risk, identify anomalous activity, and strengthen fraud prevention capabilities in enterprise-scale environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in statistics, computer science, economics, mathematics, analytics, data science, data engineering, business, or social sciences.
• 3+ years of analytics experience in fraud detection, identity theft analytics, risk modeling, or financial crime detection.
• Advanced experience in machine learning, applied statistics, data science, or artificial intelligence.
• Experience supporting full model lifecycle management in production analytics environments.
• Expertise in predictive modeling, anomaly detection, and supervised/unsupervised ML techniques.
• Proficiency with large-scale datasets in distributed/enterprise environments; SQL and Python skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for machine learning and advanced analytics initiatives.
• Design, develop, and evaluate models to detect fraud, identity theft, and anomalous behavior.
• Support the full lifecycle of analytical models: development, validation, deployment, monitoring.
• Assess, refresh, consolidate, and modernize existing analytical model portfolios.
• Apply ML, statistics, and AI techniques to large-scale datasets.
• Collaborate with data engineers and SMEs to integrate models into operational systems.
• Document methodologies, model performance metrics, and analytical findings.
• Support technical reviews, program briefings, and stakeholder discussions.

Skills

Machine learning

Analytics

Fraud detection

Model lifecycle management

Python

SQL

Databricks

Education

Bachelor of Science degree

Master's degree

Tools

Databricks

PostgreSQL

Job description

Senior AI/ML Lead

General Information

Requisition # 682

Locations USA-VA-Arlington

Posting Date 03/20/2026

Security Clearance Required - ACTIVE IRS MBI

Remote Type Hybrid

Time Type Full time

Description & Requirements

Elder Research Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of MANTECH international Corporation seeks a motivated, career and customer-oriented Senior AI/ML Lead to join our team in Arlington, VA. This is a hybrid position with several days onsite over the course of a month.

We are seeking a Senior AI/ML Lead to drive advanced modeling and analytical approaches supporting fraud detection and identity theft analytics. This role provides technical leadership across the lifecycle of machine learning models used to detect risk, identify anomalous activity, and strengthen fraud prevention capabilities.
The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise and experience deploying analytical models in production environments operating at enterprise scale.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Provide technical leadership for machine learning and advanced analytics initiatives.
• Design, develop, and evaluate models used to detect fraud, identity theft, and anomalous behavior.
• Support the full lifecycle of analytical models, including development, validation, deployment, and monitoring.
• Assess, refresh, consolidate, and modernize existing analytical model portfolios.
• Apply machine learning, statistical modeling, and AI techniques to large-scale datasets.
• Collaborate with data engineers and subject matter experts to integrate models into operational systems.
• Document methodologies, model performance metrics, and analytical findings.
• Support technical reviews, program briefings, and stakeholder discussions

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science degree in a relevant field such as statistics, computer science, economics, mathematics, analytics, data science, data engineering, business, or social sciences
• 3+ years of experience applying analytics to fraud detection, identity theft analytics, risk modeling, or financial crime detection.
• Advanced experience in machine learning, applied statistics, data science, or artificial intelligence.
• Demonstrated experience supporting full model lifecycle management in production analytics environments.
• Expertise in predictive modeling, anomaly detection, and supervised and unsupervised machine learning techniques.
• Strong experience working with large-scale datasets in distributed or enterprise analytical environments, including Databricks, PostgreSQL, or similar platforms.
• Proficiency in SQL, Python, and related analytical programming languages.
• Experience performing feature engineering, model evaluation, model monitoring, and analytical workflow automation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (MS) in analytics, computer science, data science, mathematics, statistics, engineering, management information systems, decision science, or related fields
• Familiarity with tax administration or financial transaction environments, including regulatory or compliance-driven analytics.
• Ability to translate complex analytical results into insights usable by operational and program stakeholders.
• Strong documentation and communication skills for technical and executive audiences.

Clearance Requirements:

• Must currently possess an IRS Public Trust clearance with Full Background Investigation

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50%
• Needs to occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Frequently communicates with co-workers, management, and customers, which may involve delivering presentations.
• Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations

About Elder Research, Inc - People Centered. Data Driven

Elder Research considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to disability or veteran status or any other status protected under any federal, state, or local law or regulation.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply for a position with Elder Research, please email us at [e-mail] and provide your name and contact information.