Al/ML Engineer Technical Lead - TS/SCI w Poly

Al/ML Engineer Technical Lead - TS/SCI w Poly

Job Locations

US-MD-Laurel

Requisition ID

2026-166729

Position Category

Scientific, Research & Analysis

Clearance

Top Secret/SCI w/Poly

Responsibilities

Position Overview We are seeking a highly skilled AI/ML Engineer Technology Lead to design, development, and deployment of advanced Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning solutions supporting mission-critical enterprise initiatives. This role serves as the technical lead for enterprise AI/ML efforts, responsible for building, growing, and guiding a team of AI/ML engineering and practitioners. This individual collaborates with customer technical leadership to define and realize their AI/ML roadmap and is expected to bring both deep technical expertise and the business acumen necessary to develop strategy, manage stakeholder relationships, and scale a high-performing team.

The ideal candidate combines deep expertise in machine learning, software engineering, cloud-native technologies, and MLOps with strong leadership and customer engagement skills. This individual will help transform AI/ML prototypes into scalable, secure, production-ready enterprise solutions while mentoring technical teams and collaborating with customer leadership.

Key Responsibilities - AI/ML Technical LeadershipTechnical Leadership & Strategy Serve as the primary point of contact (POC) for all AI/ML-related technical matters with customers and stakeholders Lead the design, development, testing, deployment, and productization of AI/ML technologies supporting mission-critical objectives

Develop and communicate AI/ML strategies and technical roadmaps aligned with customer and mission requirements

Advise leadership on emerging AI/ML technologies, research areas, and industry advancements

Represent AI/ML capabilities during customer engagements, briefings, demonstrations, and technical reviews

Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance to AI/ML engineering teams

Support workforce planning, staffing strategy, hiring, and professional development initiatives

AI/ML Engineering & Development Design, develop, and optimize scalable machine learning and deep learning models for structured and unstructured data

Transform research prototypes into secure, scalable, production-ready enterprise solutions

Support NLP, predictive analytics, anomaly detection, computer vision, and generative AI initiatives

Evaluate and productize AI/ML models across commercial and government cloud architectures

Integrate AI/ML solutions across enterprise systems, data platforms, and operational environments

Ensure AI/ML solutions meet performance, scalability, reliability, and operational requirements

Cloud, MLOps & Enterprise Integration Develop production-grade AI/ML pipelines, CI/CD workflows, and MLOps capabilities

Provide system integration oversight across AI/ML pipelines and enterprise platforms

Collaborate with software engineers, cloud architects, cybersecurity teams, and customer stakeholders

Support deployment and optimization of AI/ML solutions across cloud-native and distributed environments

Evaluate emerging technologies and align technical solutions with operational and enterprise objectives

#ClearedRoyalty

#MDFSP

#peratonroyalmove

Qualifications

Core Competencies AI/ML Technical Leadership

Cloud & Enterprise Architecture

MLOps & Production AI Systems

Team Building & Mentorship

Strategic Problem Solving

Mission-Focused Innovation

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Required Qualifications

17 years with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Advanced Mathematics, or related technical field, or 10 years with a Master's Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Advanced Mathematics, or related technical field, or 7 years with a Ph.D in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Advanced Mathematics, or related technical field

Strong proficiency with Python and AI/ML frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, or Keras

Experience with cloud platforms including AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform

Experience with MLOps, CI/CD pipelines, Docker, Kubernetes, and distributed systems

Strong understanding of data pipelines, model lifecycle management, and scalable AI architectures

Experience operating within Agile or DevSecOps environments

Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills

Active/current TS/SCI security clearance with a current polygraph is required.

Preferred Qualifications Experience supporting Intelligence Community (IC), DoD, or federal government programs

Experience with Large Language Models (LLMs), Generative AI, RAG architectures, and vector databases

Familiarity with AI governance, explainable AI (XAI), and responsible AI practices

Experience with Spark, Kafka, Hadoop, or GPU-enabled distributed computing platforms

Benefits: Peraton offers enhanced benefits to employees supporting this critical National Security program, which include heavily subsidized employee benefits coverage for you and your dependents, 25 days of PTO accrued annually up to a generous PTO cap, and eligibility to participate in an attractive bonus plan.

Investing in Your Growth: Selected candidates may be eligible for enhanced professional development opportunities, including training, certification programs, and skill-building experiences tailored to individual strengths, career goals, and role-specific requirements.

Peraton Overview

Peraton is a next-generation national security company that drives missions of consequence spanning the globe and extending to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. As the world's leading mission capability integrator and transformative enterprise IT provider, we deliver trusted, highly differentiated solutions and technologies to protect our nation and allies. Peraton operates at the critical nexus between traditional and nontraditional threats across all domains: land, sea, space, air, and cyberspace. The company serves as a valued partner to essential government agencies and supports every branch of the U.S. armed forces. Each day, our employees do the can't be done by solving the most daunting challenges facing our customers. Visit peraton.com to learn how we're keeping people around the world safe and secure.

Target Salary Range

$229,000 - $366,000. 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

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