SAIC

Senior Principal AI/ML Systems Engineer

SAIC$160K — $200K *
Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree plus 14+ years of experience, or Master's with 9+ years, or PhD/JD with 4+ years, relevant experience may substitute for degree.
  • Active Top Secret Clearance with Polygraph required.
  • Industry experience in designing and implementing AI/ML solutions.
  • Strong knowledge of ML frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch, and programming languages such as Python and R.
  • Experience with cloud computing platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
  • Proficient in data modeling, pipeline creation, and deploying ML models in production.
  • Familiarity with DevOps practices including MLOps and CI/CD pipelines.
  • SECURE Plus Certification required.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, particularly for complex issues.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to establish AI/ML project goals and development roadmaps aligned with mission priorities.
  • Guide the design of advanced AI/ML models and algorithms to address complex mission challenges.
  • Translate mission challenges into AI/ML opportunities, clearly presenting benefits and risks to non-technical stakeholders.
  • Introduce best practices and methodologies in emerging AI/ML technologies to enhance the customer's technical capabilities.
  • Mentor and provide technical leadership to junior AI/ML practitioners, promoting a culture of innovation.
  • Work with customer and vendor data teams to optimize data infrastructure for model development.
  • Support vendor teams in validating and testing AI/ML models to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health and wellness programs.
  • Retirement plans with company match.
  • Flexible work arrangements and telecommuting options.
  • Professional development opportunities including training and certifications.
  • Generous paid time off policy.
Full Job Description
Job Description

Description

SAIC is seeking a highly skilled AI/ML Systems Engineer to provide Systems Engineering and Technical Advisory (SETA) support to a mission critical program in any of the following locations El Segundo, CA, Chantilly, VA, or Cape Canaveral, FL. In this role, candidate will directly support the National Reconnaissance Office's (NRO) Office of Space Launch (OSL)-the organization responsible for launch system acquisitions, mission planning, integration and on-orbit operations across the mission full lifecycle.

As an AI/ML Systems Engineer, candidate will play a pivotal role in shaping the customer's AI/ML strategy, help drive innovation, guide technical direction, and ensure the delivery of cutting edge, mission aligned AI/ML capabilities. This position is ideal for engineers who thrive at the intersection of advanced analytics, system engineering, and strategic advisory work.
Active Top Secret Clearance with Polygraph is required.

Key Responsibilities to include:
  • Collaborate with cross functional teams to define AI/ML project goals, success criteria, and development roadmaps that align with mission priorities.
  • Understand and guide the design of advanced AI/ML models and algorithms, ensuring solutions effectively address complex mission challenges and deliver measurable value.
  • Translate mission and business challenges into AI/ML opportunities, clearly articulating benefits, risks, and trade offs to non technical stakeholders.
  • Stay current on emerging AI/ML technologies, introducing best practices, tools, and methodologies to strengthen the customer's technical posture.
  • Provide mentorship and technical leadership to junior AI/ML practitioners, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning.
  • Work closely with customer and vendor data engineers and architects to ensure data pipelines, infrastructure, and compute environments are optimized for model development and deployment.
  • Support vendor teams in rigorous model validation and performance testing, ensuring AI/ML solutions meet mission requirements for accuracy, reliability, and robustness.

Qualifications
  • Bachelors and nine (14) years or more experience; Masters and seven (9) years or more experience ; PhD or JD and four (4) years or more experience. Relevant experience to be substituted in lieu of degree.
  • Active Top Secret Clearance with Polygraph.
  • Relevant industry experience in designing and implementing AI/ML solutions.
  • Strong knowledge of ML frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch) and programming languages (e.g., Python, R).
  • Experience with cloud computing services (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and their AI/ML offerings.
  • Proficient in data modeling, data pipeline creation, and deployment of ML models in production environments.
  • Familiarity with DevOps practices, including MLOps, and CI/CD pipelines for AI/ML.
  • Must have SECURE Plus Certification.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to work on complex issues where analysis of situations requires an in-depth evaluation of variable factors.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a proven record of engaging stakeholders and mentoring teams.

Target salary range: $160,001 - $200,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.

Overview

SAIC accepts applications on an ongoing basis and there is no deadline.

About SAIC

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) is a technology integrator in the technical, engineering, intelligence, and enterprise information technology markets. SAIC has approximately 26,000 employees and operates in more than 70 countries. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Reston, Virginia. SAIC provides services to the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, and civilian agencies. The company also serves commercial customers in the healthcare, energy, and financial services sectors.
Learn more about SAIC
Size
26,000 employees
Market Cap
$6 billion
Industry
Net Income
$206 million
Founded
1969
5 Year Trend
+10.7%
Revenue
$6.8 billion
NASDAQ

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