AI Engineer - Entry to Expert Level (Maryland)

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AI Engineer - Entry to Expert Level (Maryland)

Department of Defense

National Security Agency/Central Security Service

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• Summary
• This job is open to
• Duties
• Requirements
• How you will be evaluated
• Required documents
• How to apply

Summary

As an AI Engineer at NSA, you will design & implement mission-critical AI systems that keep the agency at the cutting edge of intelligence collection, processing & reporting to keep the nation safe. Youll apply expertise in data science, plus software, data & systems engineering to build, deploy & maintain AI systems while addressing entire AI life cycle, including infrastructure management, efficient model training, production deployment, performance monitoring & continuous optimization.

Learn more about this agency

Summary

As an AI Engineer at NSA, you will design & implement mission-critical AI systems that keep the agency at the cutting edge of intelligence collection, processing & reporting to keep the nation safe. Youll apply expertise in data science, plus software, data & systems engineering to build, deploy & maintain AI systems while addressing entire AI life cycle, including infrastructure management, efficient model training, production deployment, performance monitoring & continuous optimization.

Learn more about this agency

Overview

Help

Accepting applications

Location

many vacancies in the following location:

Fort Meade, MD

No matching locations found.

Work site options

Telework eligible No Remote job No Relocation expenses reimbursed Yes-You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy. Salary $87,362 - $197,200 per year Pay scale & grade

GG 7 - 15

Promotion potential None

Learn more about pay scale and grade

Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.

Work schedule Full-time Travel Required Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Appointment type Permanent

Occupations and job series

• 0132 Intelligence

Supervisory status No Federal service type This job is in the Excepted Service Represented by a union No

Drug test No Security clearance Top Secret Position sensitivity and risk Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.

Background check type

• National security

Financial disclosure required Yes

Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.

Announcement number 1262729 Control number 884897900

This job is open to

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The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

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Duties

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AI Engineers will:

• Lead or contribute to cross-functional teams to develop and operationalize AI solutions that help solve our most challenging problems.
• Apply modern engineering techniques to design, develop, deploy and maintain end-to-end AI workflows spanning model training, inference and performance monitoring.
• Adapt and integrate diverse AI model architectures, including computer vision systems, natural language processors, audio processors, large language models (LLMs) and multi-modal frameworks to address complex mission-critical challenges.
• Monitor and maintain AI products through systematic identification of performance degradation and computational inefficiency and address these challenges through regular fine-tuning to ensure continued alignment with evolving mission needs and organizational goals.
• Maintain knowledge of current AI research and adapt emerging techniques to intelligence applications.
• Test and evaluate AI solutions against mission requirements and produce actionable recommendations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• All applicants and employees are subject to random drug testing in accordance with Executive Order 12564.

Qualifications

ENTRY

Note that different degree fields have different requirements as described below. For degrees in Computer Science or Engineering, entry is with an Associates degree plus 2 years of relevant experience, or a Bachelors degree and no experience, or a Masters degree and no experience. For degrees in Information Systems, Information Technology, Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Applied Statistics, Operations Research, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, or Physical or Biological Sciences, entry is with an Associates degree plus 3 years of relevant experience, or a Bachelors degree and 1 year of relevant experience. Relevant experience must be in one or more of the following: implementing production scale AI/ML (Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning) solutions, distributed model training, distributed AI/ML systems, AI/ML performance monitoring, platform engineering, cloud engineering, developing deep learning models, neural networks, sustaining/maintaining AI/ML models, implementing AI/ML algorithms, AI/ML model development and deployment, DevOps, MLOps, cloud infrastructure management, software engineering, automated testing, or containerization.

FULL PERFORMANCE Note that different degree fields have different requirements as described below. For degrees in Computer Science or Engineering, entry is with an Associates degree plus 5 years of relevant experience, or a Bachelors degree plus 3 years of relevant experience, or a Masters degree plus 1 year of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree and no experience. For degrees in Information Systems, Information Technology, Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Applied Statistics, Operations Research, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, or Physical or Biological Sciences, entry is with an Associates degree plus 5 years of relevant experience, or a Bachelors degree plus 3 years of relevant experience, or a Masters degree plus 1 year of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree and 1 year of relevant experience. Relevant experience must be in one or more of the following: implementing production scale AI/ML solutions, distributed model training, distributed AI/ML systems, AI/ML performance monitoring, platform engineering, cloud engineering, developing deep learning models, sustaining/maintaining AI/ML models, implementing AI/ML algorithms, AI/ML model development and deployment, DevOps, MLOps, cloud infrastructure management, software engineering, automated testing, or containerization.

SENIOR

Entry is with an Associates degree plus 8 years of relevant experience, or a Bachelors degree plus 6 years of relevant experience, or a Masters degree plus 4 years of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree plus 2 years of relevant experience. Degree must be in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Information Technology, Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Applied Statistics, Operations Research, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, or Physical or Biological Sciences. Relevant experience must be in two or more of the following: implementing production scale AI/ML solutions, distributed model training, distributed AI/ML systems, AI/ML performance monitoring, platform engineering, cloud engineering, developing deep learning models, sustaining/maintaining AI/ML models, implementing AI/ML algorithms, AI/ML model development and deployment, DevOps, MLOps, cloud infrastructure management, software engineering, automated testing, or containerization.

EXPERT

Entry is with an Associates degree plus 11 years of relevant experience, or a Bachelors degree plus 9 years of relevant experience, or a Masters degree plus 7 years of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree plus 5 years of relevant experience. Degree must be in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Information Technology, Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Applied Statistics, Operations Research, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, or Physical or Biological Sciences. Relevant experience must be in three or more of the following: implementing production scale AI/ML solutions, distributed model training, distributed AI/ML systems, AI/ML performance monitoring, platform engineering, cloud engineering, developing deep learning models, sustaining/maintaining AI/ML models, implementing AI/ML algorithms, AI/ML model development and deployment, DevOps, MLOps, cloud infrastructure management, software engineering, automated testing, or containerization. Additionally, you must have experience in serving as an AI Project Team Leader/model owner.

Education

The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position.

For all of the Engineering degrees, if program is not ABET accredited, it must include specified coursework.Specified coursework includes courses in differential and integral calculus and 5 of the following 18 areas: (a) statics or dynamics, (b) strength of materials/stress-strain relationships, (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics, (d) thermodynamics, (e) electromagnetic fields, (f) nature and properties of materials/relating particle and aggregate structure to properties, (g) solid state electronics, (h) microprocessor applications, (i), computer systems, (j) signal processing, (k) digital design, (l) systems and control theory, (m) circuits or generalized circuits, (n) communication systems, (o) power systems, (p) computer networks, (q) software development, (r) Any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, or soil mechanics.

Additional information

Pay: Salary offers are based on candidates education level and years of experience relevant to the position and also take into account information provided by the hiring manager/organization regarding the work level for the position.

Salary Range: $87,362 - $197,200 (Entry/Developmental, Full Performance, Senior, Expert) Salary range varies by location, work level, and relevant experience to the position.

Training will be provided based on the selectees needs and experience.

Benefits: NSA offers a comprehensive benefits package.

Work Schedule:This is a full-time position, Monday - Friday, with basic 8hr/day work requirement between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (flexible).

Expand Hide additional information

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Specialized skills and experience in one or more of the following is desired:

• Deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX)
• Model training, fine-tuning and optimization techniques
• Computer vision, NLP, speech/audio processing and/or multi-modal AI systems
• Large language models (LLMs) and transformer architectures
• Model evaluation, validation and performance monitoring
• Transfer learning and domain adaptation
• Python programming and other relevant languages (C++, Java, Scala, TypeScript)
• Version control (Git) and collaborative development
• API design and microservices architecture - Software testing frameworks and CI/CD pipelines - Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Data processing frameworks (Spark, Dask, Ray)
• Feature engineering and data preprocessing - Production model deployment and serving infrastructure - Monitoring, logging and observability tools
• Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and/or HPC systems
• Distributed computing and parallel processing
• GPU optimization and resource management
• Database systems (SQL and NoSQL)
• Cross-function collaboration and communication
• Technical documentation and presentation
• Ability to translate mission requirements into technical solutions

Benefits

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

Required documents

Required Documents

Help

The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the DoD Intelligence Community Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions in the NSA are in the Excepted Services under 10 United States Codes (USC) 1601 appointment authority. DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans Preference to eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are a veteran claiming veterans preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you may be asked to submit documents verifying your eligibility.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Help

https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/job-description/1262729

Agency contact information

NSA POC

Phone 1-844-424-4737 Email intelcareers@nsa.gov

Next steps

https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/job-description/1262729

Fair and transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy

Financial suitability New employee probationary period

Privacy Act Reasonable accommodation policy

Selective Service Signature and false statements

Social security number request

Required Documents

Help

The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the DoD Intelligence Community Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions in the NSA are in the Excepted Services under 10 United States Codes (USC) 1601 appointment authority. DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans Preference to eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are a veteran claiming veterans preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you may be asked to submit documents verifying your eligibility.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Help

https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/job-description/1262729

Expand Hide how to apply

Agency contact information

NSA POC

Phone 1-844-424-4737 Email intelcareers@nsa.gov

Next steps

https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/job-description/1262729

Expand Hide next steps

Fair and transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy

Financial suitability New employee probationary period

Privacy Act Reasonable accommodation policy

Selective Service Signature and false statements

Social security number request

National Security Agency/Central Security Service

Agency contact information

NSA POC

Phone 1-844-424-4737 Email intelcareers@nsa.gov

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what its like to work at National Security Agency/Central Security Service, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.nsa.gov/careers/

Summary

As an AI Engineer at NSA, you will design & implement mission-critical AI systems that keep the agency at the cutting edge of intelligence collection, processing & reporting to keep the nation safe. Youll apply expertise in data science, plus software, data & systems engineering to build, deploy & maintain AI systems while addressing entire AI life cycle, including infrastructure management, efficient model training, production deployment, performance monitoring & continuous optimization.

Learn more about this agency

Overview

Help

Accepting applications

Location

many vacancies in the following location:

Fort Meade, MD

No matching locations found.

Work site options

Telework eligible No Remote job No Relocation expenses reimbursed Yes-You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy. Salary $87,362 - $197,200 per year Pay scale & grade

GG 7 - 15

Promotion potential None

Learn more about pay scale and grade

Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.

Work schedule Full-time Travel Required Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Appointment type Permanent

Occupations and job series

• 0132 Intelligence

Supervisory status No Federal service type This job is in the Excepted Service Represented by a union No

Drug test No Security clearance Top Secret Position sensitivity and risk Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.

Background check type

• National security

Financial disclosure required Yes

Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.

Announcement number 1262729 Control number 884897900

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