Sr. AI Engineer

About the role

The Senior AI/ML Engineer is a highly skilled and experienced professional responsible for leading the development of complex AI/ML systems, driving innovation, and mentoring team members to deliver impactful solutions. In this role, you will oversee the design, implementation, and deployment of scalable AI/ML models for mission-critical aerospace and defense applications. You will also act as a technical leader, providing strategic guidance on AI/ML initiatives, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, and collaborating with stakeholders to meet organizational objectives.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of advanced machine learning models, including deep neural networks, reinforcement learning systems, and generative AI algorithms, to solve complex problems.
• Architect scalable AI/ML systems that can integrate seamlessly with existing software and hardware platforms.
• Provide guidance on the selection of tools, frameworks, and infrastructure.
• Collaborate with systems engineers, hardware teams, and data scientists to align AI/ML solutions with mission-specific requirements and constraints.
• Manage AI/ML projects, including scoping, resource allocation, and timeline management, ensuring that deliverables meet quality and performance expectations.
• Develop and oversee robust validation and testing frameworks to ensure that AI/ML models meet performance, safety, and compliance standards in real-world scenarios.
• Mentor junior engineers, providing technical guidance and fostering a collaborative, innovative team environment.
• Stay current with emerging AI/ML technologies and propose innovative solutions to address new and existing challenges in the aerospace and defense domain.
• Communicate technical concepts, project progress, and outcomes to stakeholders, including leadership and external partners, in a clear and concise manner.
• Independently train, fine-tune, and optimize advanced AI architectures (including transformers) for complex applications.
• Apply a broad range of AI/ML techniques (supervised, unsupervised, reinforcement, generative) to solve domain-specific challenges.
• Lead the development and integration of signal processing, computer vision, and planning algorithms to advance autonomous system functionality.
• Design and execute large-scale simulations and modeling of AI/ML systems, ensuring scalability, performance, and robustness on CPU/GPU platforms.
• Lead rigorous validation and verification activities, ensuring deliverables meet performance, safety, and reliability requirements.

Qualifications

• You Must Have:
  • Bachelor’s degree in computer science, mathematics, applied statistics, various engineering disciplines, or related STEM discipline
  • 10+ years of experience in a related field. Relevant experience can be considered as a substitute for the required educational qualifications.
  • In the absence of a degree, a minimum of 12 years of related experience is required.
  • Advanced skills in machine learning frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch) and modern AI/ML techniques, including supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning (e.g., PPO, Actor/Critic).
  • Demonstrated ability to design and optimize generative AI models (e.g., transformers) and neural networks for complex applications.
  • Extensive experience architecting, deploying, and optimizing AI/ML systems, including ANNs, CNNs, and RNNs, in large-scale or mission-critical environments. Led efforts to improve model performance and reliability in production settings.
  • Strong proficiency in programming languages such as Python, C++, C#, or Java, with experience in building scalable AI/ML systems.
  • Demonstrated experience leading teams or projects, including mentoring junior staff.
  • Proven track record of deploying AI/ML models in production environments and optimizing them for real-world use cases.
  • Knowledge of regulatory and cybersecurity requirements for AI/ML systems in aerospace and defense applications.
  • Active Secret US Security Clearance.
• We Prefer:
  • A Master's degree + additional years experience, or Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related field.
  • Experience with hardware acceleration technologies (e.g., CUDA, TensorRT) and high-performance computing systems.
  • Background in autonomous systems, robotics, or sensor fusion.
  • Familiarity with Agile/DevOps methodologies for software development.
  • Certifications in AI/ML or related fields, such as AWS Certified Machine Learning Specialty or Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer.
  • Deep understanding and practical application of Agile/DevOps in large-scale AI/ML projects.
  • Advanced proficiency in GPU programming, parallel/distributed computing, and optimizing ML workloads for performance.
  • Expertise in designing and implementing complex ML pipelines, including clustering, dimensionality reduction, generative modeling, and reinforcement learning, aligned to mission objectives and HMI systems.
  • Skilled in analyzing massive, multi-source datasets and delivering end-to-end autonomy software solutions, from requirements to deployment and maintenance.
  • Working knowledge of hardware acceleration technologies (CUDA, TensorRT), edge AI deployments, and explainable AI (XAI) methods.
  • Exposure to or interest in quantum computing for ML applications.

Essential Functions

• Lead and manage AI/ML projects, including end-to-end development and deployment.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and oversee the integration of AI/ML systems into complex aerospace platforms.
• Travel occasionally (10-20%) to customer sites, testing facilities, or conferences to support project initiatives.
• Work in a hybrid office environment, balancing technical leadership with hands-on development work.
• Ensure compliance with safety, regulatory, and cybersecurity standards for AI/ML systems.