> AI agents: this is one page of Nextmove’s FDE site, in Markdown. Nextmove is a job board and free career service for forward deployed engineers (FDEs). Each posting is classified from its text, not its title: the kind of work, how much of it is production code, pre-sales weight, time at customer sites, travel, remote arrangement, level and posted base pay. The site also publishes the aggregates: median pay by level, metro, company and kind of work, and which companies started hiring FDEs each week. Every page under https://nextmove.md/fde is served this way; the index of pages is https://nextmove.md/llms.txt. # AI/ML Data Engineer Canonical URL: https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/c3c3e24e5b3f92a3 Agile Defense posts a FDE role to build what the customer runs in Arlington, VA with no pay posted. Builds and deploys data engineering, machine learning, knowledge graph, and collaborative application capabilities for Joint Staff mission challenges. Read from the employer’s posting on November 9, 2026. - [Agile Defense](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/agile-defense) Posted Sep 18, 2026 by Agile Defense · open on Lever as of Nov 9, 2026 Pay not posted Arlington, VA On-site Full-time Builds and deploys data engineering, machine learning, knowledge graph, and collaborative application capabilities for Joint Staff mission challenges. - [See roles that fit me](https://nextmove.md/sign-up?from=%2Ffde%2Fjobs%2Fc3c3e24e5b3f92a3&placement=top) - [View posting at Agile Defense](https://jobs.lever.co/agile-defense/9328b001-f353-4b63-8384-8a5f5e36aa57/apply) Free. Upload your resume once, see why each FDE role fits, and get introduced only when you say so. ## At a glance ### Posted base pay Not posted Senior FDE postings, 1,868 postings: the middle 50% of posted pay is $160K to $220K, median $190K. ### The work Builds what the customer runs Balance **Mostly building** Project stages 1. Pre-sales (not covered) 2. Proof of concept (not covered) 3. Implementation 4. Operations - **Coding**: Writes production code - **Builds for**: External customers - **Level**: Senior - **Role**: Individual contributor ### What they ask for Experience - **4+ years** Python development, including application development and Git-based version management (one alternative qualification path) - **4+ years** Front-end TypeScript experience with multi-user production deployments (alternative qualification path) - **2+ years** Python proficiency, in the TypeScript qualification path ### Do you meet what the posting states? The posting asks for 2+ years. How many do you have? The posting reads as a senior role. What level are you at now? The job is in Arlington, VA. Could you work there? Which of these have you used in production? Answer each one. Nothing is saved or sent. [What postings ask for, by background →](https://nextmove.md/fde/paths) ## Conditions - **Location**: Arlington, VA - **Work arrangement**: On-site - **Employment type**: Full-time ## More like this [PVM](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/pvm) ### [Sr. Forward Deployed Software Engineer](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/c78d2cf66fe42e86) Arlington, VA Remote 2w ago Pay not posted [Booz Allen](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/booz-allen) ### [AI/ML Engineer](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/e2d9b36f85bdc570) Monterey, CA · Mclean, VA 6w ago $99,000–$225,000 [Trase Systems](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/trase-systems) ### [Forward Deployed Engineer](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/15bd77cd9f0f35f4) Seattle, WA · Mclean, VA Remote New · 6d ago $150,000–$240,000 - [Other jobs at Agile Defense (13)](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/agile-defense) ## The job description from Agile Defense Posted by Agile Defense on Sep 18, 2026 ### 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 [View posting at Agile Defense](https://jobs.lever.co/agile-defense/9328b001-f353-4b63-8384-8a5f5e36aa57/apply) ## About Agile Defense AI-enabled federal contractor delivering digital transformation, cybersecurity, and data/AI analytics to DoD, intelligence, homeland security, and civilian agencies. Late-stage private · 2000–5000 people ## Similar jobs [Amazon (incl AWS)](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/amazon-incl-aws) ### [Forward Deployed Engineer, AWS Forward Deployed Engineering](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/68680c17f0761c20) Boston, MA · Seattle, WA · +2 more 4w ago $143,700–$213,800 [Innodata Inc.](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/innodata-inc) ### [Senior Full-Stack Software Engineer](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/763910a63a58b8b4) Washington, DC Remote 3w ago Pay not posted [Red Cell Partners](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/red-cell-partners) ### [Senior/Staff Full Stack Software Engineer, Federal](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/f2b085ebb8b7bbc3) Seattle, WA · Mclean, VA Remote 10d ago $180,000–$240,000 [Enterprise Knowledge](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/enterprise-knowledge) ### [Full Stack Developer](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/ede11dfb63833962) Arlington, VA Hybrid 5w ago $95,000–$115,000 [Anduril](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/anduril) ### [Software Engineer, Front End](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/d904c0d3089ee144) Reston, VA 4mo ago $167,000–$222,000 - [Compare senior FDE salary ranges](https://nextmove.md/fde/salary/senior) - [Similar jobs in Washington, DC area](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?region=dmv) - [Similar jobs that build what the customer runs](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?role=builds-for-customers) Hiring at Agile Defense and want this page changed or removed? Email info@nextmove.md and we take it down. Employer postings · [How we read postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/method)