AI/ML Data Engineer

About Agile Defense

At Agile Defense we know that action defines the outcome and new challenges require new solutions. That’s why we always look to the future and embrace change with an unmovable spirit and the courage to build for what comes next.

Our vision is to bring adaptive innovation to support our nation's most important missions through the seamless integration of advanced technologies, elite minds, and unparalleled agility—leveraging a foundation of speed, flexibility, and ingenuity to strengthen and protect our nation’s vital interests.

Requisition #: 1862

Job Title: AI/ML Data Engineer

Location: Arlington, VA

Clearance Level: TS/SCI, Must Have Clearance to Start

Job Description

Engineers in this role will design, build, and deploy analytical tools, machine learning workflows, knowledge systems, and multi user applications that enable the customers to transform siloed data into accessible, actionable insight. This position requires a blend of modern software engineering, applied machine learning, data integration, and rapid prototyping skills. The engineers will operate in highly dynamic environments with limited supervision, adapting to customer-specific technologies and methodologies to mission specific Joint Staff challenges.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and deploy Python based natural language processing and machine learning workflows, including text analytics, topic modeling, embedding based classification, and entity extraction.
• Build network analysis and knowledge graph systems, including architectures similar to GraphRAG for complex, multi source analytic problems.
• Design and implement collaborative front end applications in TypeScript that support multiple users in real time analytic, planning, and decision environments.
• Build APIs, integrate data feeds, and support end to end data application pipelines within secure JS environments.
• Evaluate emerging tools and methods, adapting customer capabilities for Joint Staff missions with minimal supervision.
• Provide technical support, documentation, and iterative solution development in partnership with customer personnel and operators.
• Work as part of an embedded technical team, ensuring solutions align with DoW priorities and mission objectives.
• Uphold security and access policies while developing in SIPRNet and JWICS environments.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, data science, engineering, information systems, mathematics, or a related technical field.
• Equivalent combinations of education, advanced technical certification, and relevant professional experience may be considered
• 4+ years of Python development experience, including application development and Git based version management OR;
• 4+ years of front end TypeScript experience with multi user production deployments, plus at least 2 years of Python proficiency.
• Demonstrated experience building in new or ambiguous environments with minimal oversight
• Must have an active TS/SCI clearance (SCI eligibility)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with modern NLP libraries and frameworks (Transformers, spaCy, HuggingFace, etc.).
• Experience designing or using graph databases, GraphML, or other graph centric analytic tooling.
• Familiarity with deploying software in secure or classified environments.
• Experience adapting engineering methods to operational or analytical workflows.
• Knowledge of DoD data architectures, decision processes, or operational planning cycles (not required, but valuable).

Our Core Values

Employees of Agile Defense are our number one priority, and the importance we place on our culture here is fundamental. Our culture is alive and evolving, but it always stays true to its roots. Here, you are valued as a family member, and we believe that we can accomplish great things together. Agile Defense has been highly successful in the past few years due to our employees and the culture we create together.

What makes us Agile? We call it the 6Hs, the values that define our culture and guide everything we do. Together, these values infuse vibrancy, integrity, and a tireless work ethic into advancing the most important national security and critical civilian missions. It's how we show up every day. It's who we are.

• Happy - Be Infectious. Happiness multiplies and creates a positive and connected environment where motivation and satisfaction have an outsized effect on everything we do.
• Helpful - Be Supportive. Being helpful is the foundation of teamwork, resulting in a supportive atmosphere where collaboration flourishes, and collective success is celebrated.
• Honest - Be Trustworthy. Honesty serves as our compass, ensuring transparent communication and ethical conduct, essential to who we are and the complex domains we support.
• Humble - Be Grounded. Success is not achieved alone, humility ensures a culture of mutual respect, encouraging open communication, and a willingness to learn from one another and take on any task.
• Hungry - Be Eager. Our hunger for excellence drives an insatiable appetite for innovation and continuous improvement, propelling us forward in the face of new and unprecedented challenges.
• Hustle - Be Driven. Hustle is reflected in our relentless work ethic, where we are each committed to going above and beyond to advance the mission and achieve success.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities