Lead Generative AI Engineer

MITRE Job Opportunity

Why choose between doing meaningful work and having a fulfilling life? At MITRE, you can have both. That's because MITRE people are committed to tackling our nation's toughest challenges—and we're committed to the long-term well-being of our employees. MITRE is different from most technology companies. We are a not-for-profit corporation chartered to work for the public interest, with no commercial conflicts to influence what we do. The R&D centers we operate for the government create lasting impact in fields as diverse as cybersecurity, healthcare, aviation, defense, and enterprise transformation. We're making a difference every day—working for a safer, healthier, and more secure nation and world. Our workplace reflects our values. We offer competitive benefits, exceptional professional development opportunities for career growth, and a culture of innovation that embraces adaptability, collaboration, technical excellence, and people in partnership. If this sounds like the choice you want to make, then choose MITRE - and make a difference with us.

The Generative and Agentic AI Engineering Department works across the full range of US Government agencies to develop, engineer, and deploy advanced AI capabilities that address complex mission needs for our sponsors. Our department applies generative AI, agentic AI, and AI/ML research and engineering to operational challenges while researching, prototyping, and transitioning innovative technologies to support critical mission objectives for our sponsors. Our work spans generative AI applications, agentic AI system design, AI model fine-tuning and adaptation, knowledge representation and extraction, AI architectures, MLOps/LLMOps, and human language technology (HLT). The department maintains deep expertise in large language models, agentic AI, autonomous AI workflows and data processing pipelines, computational linguistics, knowledge graph construction, identity resolution and AI/GenAI evaluation.

Roles & Responsibilities:

The position involves researching, developing, evaluating, and integrating generative AI and agentic AI capabilities. Specific responsibilities will include:

• Work in and provide technical leadership to cross-functional teams to develop and implement AI solutions, including prototype implementation of capabilities that leverage generative AI, large language model technology and agentic AI capabilities
• Analyze data and language processing needs and recommend innovative solutions that solve mission-critical problems
• Prototype AI/GenAI systems or components based on analysis of workflow and operational mission needs and deliver prototype solutions into operational spaces/systems using real mission-relevant data
• Evaluate technology solutions in the context of mission data and workflow needs, and provide actionable recommendations towards workable solutions for critical problems
• Convey complex ideas to non-technical audiences through briefings and/or white papers
• Lead large projects and/or small technical teams to solve complex AI/GenAI problems for our sponsors
• Leverage MITRE's Federal AI Sandbox (NVIDIA DGX SuperPod hardware) and AI Platform to support research, development and evaluation of generative AI capabilities

Basic Qualifications:

• Requires a minimum of 8 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, computational linguistics, or related disciplines; or 6 years and a Master's degree; or a PhD with 3 years' experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• 8+ years of impactful work experience in AI/GenAI
• Demonstrated recent experience with large language model (LLM) technology applications in R&D or operational settings
• Demonstrated experience in prototyping/developing AI components/systems that align with department capabilities (as described above)
• Ability to apply state-of-the-art machine learning techniques to data and natural language processing challenges
• Experience with programming languages such as Java or Python
• Ability to work independently to learn new technologies, methods, processes, frameworks/platforms, and systems
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to articulate challenging technical concepts to both lay and expert audiences
• Ability and willingness to obtain and maintain a DOD Secret clearance within 12 months from the date of hire
• Per the U.S. Government's eligibility requirements, you must be a U.S Citizen to be considered for a security clearance
• This position requires a minimum of 50% hybrid on-site

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in computer science, engineering, computational linguistics, or related disciplines
• Track-record of successful deployment of agentic, generative, and HLT systems or components that have been used by customers or stakeholders outside of a lab/experimental setting
• Experience leading mid-sized or large teams to solve complex practical technical challenges
• Active DOD security clearance

Salary compensation range and midpoint: $174,000 - $217,500 - $261,000 Annual

Work Location Type: Hybrid

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local or international law.