Senior Artificial Intelligence Specialist - Federal Aviation Programs

About the role

MicroTheory Engineering (MTE) is hiring a Senior Artificial Intelligence Specialist to serve as the resident AI subject-matter expert supporting a federal aviation customer. In this role you will help the customer adopt and operate AI to its fullest and most appropriate extent: surfacing high-value use cases, guiding sound technical and architectural decisions, and ensuring every deployment is effective, defensible, and compliant with federal responsible-AI requirements.

This is a senior individual-contributor advisory role. You will work at the intersection of mission stakeholders, government leadership, and technical delivery teams by translating operational needs into AI solutions, and translating AI capabilities, limitations, and risks back into terms decision-makers can act on. Deep, current expertise in modern AI/ML is required. Knowledge of the FAA and the National Airspace System is a strong advantage but is not required.

What you'll do

• Serve as the trusted AI advisor to the customer: assess current AI maturity and build a practical roadmap to expand responsible AI adoption.
• Identify, scope, and prioritize AI/ML use cases by mission value, feasibility, and risk, including advising when AI is not the right tool.
• Evaluate models, tools, platforms, and vendor offerings; advise on build-vs-buy, architecture, data readiness, and integration.
• Establish and apply rigorous model evaluation and validation practices covering accuracy, robustness, bias and fairness, security, and fitness for purpose.
• Implement responsible-AI and AI-governance practices consistent with current federal guidance (e.g., OMB M-25-21 and M-25-22) and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, including impact assessments, human oversight, and ongoing monitoring for higher-impact use cases.
• Guide safe, well-documented paths to production, including performance thresholds and clear criteria to pause or roll back underperforming systems.
• Partner with data, engineering, security, and program teams to ensure AI work operates within existing security, privacy, and compliance boundaries.
• Brief technical and non-technical audiences and produce clear documentation, decision memos, and recommendations.
• Track the federal AI policy landscape, AI safety/assurance practices, and relevant aviation technology developments, and advise the customer accordingly.

Required qualifications (must-have)

• 6+ years of hands-on experience in AI/ML, data science, or applied AI engineering, including production or operational deployments.
• Strong command of core machine learning and deep learning, plus practical experience with generative AI / large language models and their appropriate, safe use.
• Demonstrated experience across the AI lifecycle: data preparation, model development and selection, evaluation and validation, deployment, and monitoring (MLOps).
• Working knowledge of responsible/trustworthy AI and AI governance: model risk, bias and fairness, human-in-the-loop design, and the NIST AI RMF or a comparable framework.
• Ability to critically assess AI tools, models, and vendor claims and recommend the right solution for a given mission need.
• Proven ability to translate between mission/operational stakeholders and technical teams, and to communicate clearly with senior decision-makers.
• Proficiency in Python and common AI/ML libraries and tooling.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; comfortable briefing leadership and producing clear documentation.

Preferred qualifications (nice-to-have)

• Working knowledge of the FAA: its organization, processes, and how programs and decisions move through the agency.
• Familiarity with the National Airspace System (NAS) and its modernization, including the FAA's air traffic control modernization effort and AI-enabled air traffic management initiatives (e.g., SMART, FMDS), as well as core NAS systems such as ADS-B, ERAM, SWIM, and TBFM.
• Familiarity with the FAA Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence Safety Assurance and aviation safety-assurance concepts.
• Exposure to Safety Management Systems (SMS), air traffic or airport operations, UAS or Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) integration, or autonomous systems in operational environments.
• Experience supporting federal customers or working with/as a federal contractor.
• Background in defense/DoD aviation or other high-consequence, safety-critical AI domains.
• Relevant graduate degree or certification in AI/ML, data science, or AI governance.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field, plus relevant experience; advanced degree preferred. Equivalent experience considered in lieu of a degree.

Clearance & eligibility

• Must be able to obtain and maintain a federal Public Trust suitability determination.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.
• Must be able to pass any customer-required onboarding, background, and suitability checks.

Equal opportunity

MicroTheory Engineering is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Pay: From $95,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Application Question(s):

• This position requires a Public Trust clearance, which requires three consecutive years of US residency. Have you resided in the United States continuously for the past three years? (Yes/No)

Education:

• Master's (Preferred)

Experience:

• AI: 6 years (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Washington, DC 20024