Space Protection AI Mission Engineer

Space Protection AI Mission Engineer

Job ID: 2614720

Location: Chantilly, VA, United States

Date Posted: Jul 20, 2026

Category: Engineering and Sciences

Subcategory: Systems Engineer

Schedule: Full-Time

Shift: Day Job

Travel: Yes - 10% of the time

Minimum Clearance Required: TS/SCI with Poly

Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: None

Potential for Remote Work: On-Site

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Job Description

Description

SAIC is seeking a Space Protection Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) Mission Engineer to join the Air Force, Space and Intelligence Business Group providing systems engineering and technical advisory services to a rapidly expanding Government Intelligence Community (IC) customer. The customer is developing the next generation of space and ground systems, architectures, and hardware/software solutions.

The Space Protection AI/ML Mission Engineer will serve as the subject matter expert (SME) and System Program Office (SPO) representative coordinating with the development contractor and stakeholders (including end user operators) for deployment of new protection capabilities into space operations. The Space Protection AI/ML Mission Engineer leads development of AI/ML strategies and models and leverages them to identify integration opportunities for novel AI/ML solutions to enable accelerating, streamlining, and automating processes and activities, while simultaneously assisting the third-party contractor to identify AI/ML solutions that infuse real-time autonomy, intelligent data filtering, and big data analysis capabilities into their development strategies and designs.

The Space Protection AI/ML Mission Engineer responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Serves as the SPO's technical expert leading AI/ML adoption to improve acquisition management, guide third-party contractor's system development, and enable delivery of next-generation Space Indication and Warning (I&W) capabilities to protect the customer's high value space assets.
• Develops near-term and long-term strategies to improve workforce awareness of AI/ML capabilities and the application of AI/ML techniques to meet space protection requirements.
• Advocates for and recommends AI/ML governance methods that enable the SPO to ensure trusted application of AI/ML techniques that provide actionable results with full data lineage for operational validation of models.
• Authors phased, long-term roadmaps for AI/ML application development and integration with existing customer systems to automate processes, enhance capabilities, and provide novel solutions to "hard problems".
• Leads the development of an AI/ML lab environment for rapid model development, evaluation, and validation to address space protection operational needs.
• Collaborates with other SMEs to develop technical plans and documentation, advises the customer on AI/ML integration progress, and supports the Contracting Officer Technical Representative(s) (COTR(s)) and system developers to refine requirements, designs, and testing capabilities to meet user needs.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's and 9 or more years of experience; master's and 7 or more years of experience; PhD and 5 or more years of experience.
• Active Top Secret/SCI clearance with Poly.
• Experience developing, testing, fielding, or operating space or ground systems.
• Experience with large language models (LLMs) and Natural Language Processing (NLP).
• Experience developing AI/ML software or integrating AI/ML capability into other systems.
• Experience applying AI/ML techniques or advanced analytical methods to complex technical problems.

Desired:

• Experience in space domain awareness system development and/or operations.
• Extensive knowledge of Cloud architecture, application, and integration (e.g., DataBricks, AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Experience in Government System Engineering disciplines, including requirement development and management, readiness, or testing.
• Familiarity with Agile development methodologies to include participation in scrums, development of solution epics/features, and continuous integration/continuous deployment.
• Familiarity with Confluence and JIRA.

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.

SAIC is a premier mission integrator focused on advancing the power of technology and innovation to serve and protect our world. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, intelligence, and civilian markets includes secure high-end solutions in mission IT, enterprise IT, engineering services, and professional services. We integrate emerging technology, rapidly and securely, into mission critical operations that modernize and enable critical national imperatives.

We are approximately 23,000 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. SAIC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $7.3 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom.

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