Staff AI Software Engineer - Level 5

0090 CORP-Corporate Office; United States; On-site; USD 214,000 - 321,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Health insurance

Discretionary bonus

Job summary

Northrop Grumman is seeking a Staff AI/ML Software Engineer – Level 5 to lead the AI/ML team in Boulder, CO. You will define roadmaps, oversee models, and drive edge deployments while collaborating with program management and systems engineers.

The role demands strong leadership, deep AI/ML expertise, and the ability to present technical results to senior management and customers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in STEM with 12+ yrs, or MS with 10+ yrs, or PhD with 8+ yrs.
• Active DoD Secret clearance required; ability to obtain TS/SCI.
• Recent C++ experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the AI/ML strategy for the team.
• Lead AI/ML lifecycle from data collection to deployment and monitoring.
• Define data labeling strategies and scalable training infrastructure.

Skills

C++

Python

DevSecOps

Agile

Kubernetes

Docker

TensorFlow

PyTorch

LLM / Generative AI

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Master's degree in STEM

PhD in STEM

Tools

Kubernetes

Docker

Podman

TensorFlow Lite

Azure / AWS / GCP

JIRA

Confluence

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time Description At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

The Northrop Grumman Space Systems, Multi-Domain Operations, and Missile Defense Integration Business Unit (BU); Advanced Programs group has an exciting career opportunity for a Staff AI/ML Software Engineer - Level 5. Join our high performing software team as the AI/ML Software Lead and come make history with us! The position is located on-site in Boulder, CO. Boulder is nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and only 25 miles from downtown Denver.

Position Overview: The AI/ML team lead will collaborate with team leads, systems engineers, domain experts, and software developers to identify appropriate problem formulations and opportunities for the application of AI/ML techniques. Responsibilities include developing and curating training and evaluation datasets from diverse sources, defining data management and labeling strategies, and designing scalable training, testing, and validation infrastructure consistent with program constraints and security requirements. In addition, strong leadership and organizational skills are required in order to set the AI/ML execution vision and break down tasking for the small team (<5 individuals) reporting to this leader.

Essential Functions:

• Developing and executing the overall AI/ML strategy for the team
• Drive increase in TRL level of the AI/ML solution and integration of it into the other parts of the software system while keeping in mind the limitations and challenges that come along with deploying an AI/ML application to the Edge.
• Create and maintain a roadmap for AI/ML development, ensuring continuous improvement and innovation.
• Lead the full lifecycle of AI/ML project implementation, from problem definition and data collection to model development, deployment, and monitoring.
• Oversee the design, development, and implementation of AI/ML models and algorithms using appropriate tools and techniques.
• Monitor the performance of AI/ML models in production and identify areas for improvement.
• Explore and evaluate new AI/ML techniques and tools.
• Work with stakeholders to define problem statements and success metrics for AI/ML initiatives.
• Collaborate with Program Management, Chief Architect, Systems Engineer, Technical Team Leads to ensure AI/ML roadmap matches the SOW objectives for the contract and integrates into the existing software system as needed
• Confidently present AI/ML roadmaps, progress, analysis and other related results at customer events and demonstrations
• Prepare and present AI/ML findings and recommendations to senior management and stakeholders.
• Communicate AI/ML concepts and results effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Be cognizant of deadlines and timelines
• Build strong relationships with internal and external partners.

Basic Qualifications:

Staff AI/ML Software Engineer – Level 5 : Bachelor's Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline from an accredited university and 12 years of related experience, or a Master's Degree in STEM and 10 years of related experience, or 8 years of experience with a PhD in STEM. Applicants must have an active in-scope U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance is required to start; with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI (TS/SCI) security clearance. Recent C++ experience

Preferred Skills:

• Experience leading technical teams
• Knowledge python, and DevSecOps development environments
• Experience with Agile program execution (Tools for Agile, JIRA, Confluence)
• Experience with microservice based scaling architectures (Kubernetes, Docker, Podman)
• Experience developing and deploying machine learning models on edge platforms, using frameworks such as LiteRT (formerly TensorFlow Lite).
• Experience with feature selection and model design for ML algorithms applied to tracking applications.
• Familiarity with distributed systems concepts, including resource allocation and coordination across multiple nodes.
• Experience applying data management techniques (e.g., data organization, storage, retrieval, and quality control) in support of ML/analytics workflows.
• Expertise in a wide range of AI/ML techniques, including deep learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and reinforcement learning.
• Experience with AI/ML frameworks and libraries such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, and Keras.
• Expertise with Large Language Models/Generative AI and Prompt Engineering.
• Also, using LLM/GAI solutions for usage in human-machine teaming for Software Development.
• Proficiency in data mining, data analysis, and data visualization.
• Experience with cloud computing platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.
• Experience with big data technologies such as Hadoop, Spark, and Hive.
• Familiarity with DevOps practices and tools.
• Excellent leadership and management skills.

Primary Level Salary Range: $214,200.00 - $321,200.00

The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives.

Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.

The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO.

U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

With careers across all areas: air, cyber, land, sea and space – our 90,000 employees work as one to defend and define the future.

Northrop Grumman careers and internships are as varied as your interests, with a lifetime of potential that will give you every opportunity to do your best work.

Working together with people from many backgrounds, personal passions and disciplines, we share a drive to push the boundaries of science, technology and engineering to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide.