Senior Data Manager / Exploitation Specialist (NGA MAVEN Program)

Senior Data Manager / Exploitation Specialist (NGA MAVEN Program)

Location: Springfield, VA (NGA Campus)
Clearance: Active TS/SCI Required (CI Polygraph Preferred)
Position Type: Full-Time
Program: NGA MAVEN

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Data Manager / Exploitation Specialist to support the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's (NGA) MAVEN Program. This mission-critical position provides technical and operational leadership for the acquisition, preprocessing, management, and exploitation of large-scale geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) datasets derived from overhead satellite imagery and other sensor modalities.

The selected candidate will serve as the primary interface between Government leadership and contractor teams, ensuring successful execution of data operations supporting advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and computer vision initiatives. This role requires expertise in geospatial data management, imagery processing workflows, cloud-based architectures, and large-scale data pipeline operations.

The Senior Data Manager will oversee contractor personnel supporting imagery ingestion, preprocessing, transformation, quality control, metadata management, and data movement activities across NGA enterprise environments.

Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership & Data Operations

• Serve as the primary contractor lead and Government interface for MAVEN data operations activities.
• Provide technical and managerial leadership to a team supporting geospatial data acquisition, preprocessing, curation, and management.
• Coordinate task execution, resource allocation, and operational priorities to ensure mission success.
• Lead technical planning and execution of data management initiatives supporting AI/ML-enabled GEOINT exploitation.

Geospatial Data Management

• Oversee the lifecycle management of large-scale overhead satellite imagery datasets, including Electro-Optical (EO), Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Full Motion Video (FMV), and additional GEOINT data sources.
• Manage imagery acquisition, ingestion, transformation, preprocessing, and distribution workflows.
• Ensure data compliance with NGA standards, schemas, metadata requirements, and governance policies.
• Maintain data dictionaries, Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERDs), metadata repositories, and technical documentation.

Data Pipeline Engineering

• Manage and optimize enterprise-scale data pipelines supporting imagery and geospatial data processing.
• Monitor and improve ETL workflows, data movement processes, and cloud-based data architectures.
• Support integration across data acquisition systems, preprocessing platforms, storage environments, and analytical systems.
• Recommend and implement engineering best practices to improve performance, scalability, reliability, and automation.

Quality Assurance & Compliance

• Conduct regular quality control reviews of datasets and processing workflows.
• Identify data quality issues, metadata inconsistencies, schema violations, and processing anomalies.
• Assess data holdings for compliance with NGA standards and operational requirements.
• Develop reports, briefings, and executive-level presentations communicating compliance status, operational metrics, and recommendations.

AI/ML Data Enablement

• Support data preparation and management activities for AI/ML model development and operational deployment.
• Collaborate with data scientists, machine learning engineers, imagery analysts, and software development teams.
• Ensure training datasets are curated, standardized, documented, and optimized for machine learning applications.
• Support NGA MAVEN initiatives leveraging advanced computer vision and geospatial analytics technologies.

Required Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI Security Clearance.
• Bachelor's degree in Geospatial Intelligence, Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• Minimum 3 years of leadership experience managing technical teams, projects, or operational programs.
• Minimum 4 years of experience supporting large-scale data management, ETL operations, data engineering, or data pipeline development.
• Experience performing quantitative analysis, data visualization, and data-driven decision support.
• Working knowledge of SQL, NoSQL, and enterprise database technologies.
• Demonstrated experience managing data pipelines, databases, and cloud-based data environments.
• Minimum 2 years of experience working with large geospatial datasets, imagery products, and geospatial data formats.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with experience briefing technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Proven ability to independently lead projects and solve complex technical challenges.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting NGA, DoD, Intelligence Community (IC), or GEOINT mission environments.
• Experience with NGA CORE, MLOps platforms, and NGA enterprise technologies.
• Experience applying AI/ML technologies to geospatial intelligence and imagery exploitation workflows.
• Familiarity with cloud environments including AWS, Azure, or hybrid cloud architectures.
• Experience supporting Agile and SAFe development methodologies.
• GEOINT Professional Certification – Fundamentals (GPC-F).
• Experience supporting computer vision, object detection, image classification, or automated exploitation initiatives.
• Knowledge of GEOINT data standards, metadata frameworks, and imagery processing techniques.
• Experience with DevSecOps, automation frameworks, and modern data engineering practices.

Desired Technical Skills

• Geospatial Data Management
• GEOINT Analysis Support
• EO/SAR Imagery Processing
• Data Engineering & ETL Development
• SQL & NoSQL Databases
• Cloud Computing Architectures
• Data Governance & Quality Assurance
• Metadata Management
• AI/ML Data Preparation
• MLOps Platforms
• Python, R, or Similar Data Processing Languages
• Agile / SAFe Methodologies
• Enterprise Data Pipeline Operations

Why Join the MAVEN Mission?

The NGA MAVEN Program is transforming how artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities are applied to geospatial intelligence. This position offers the opportunity to directly support national security missions by enabling advanced GEOINT analytics, AI-driven exploitation, and next-generation data management capabilities supporting the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense.

Pay: $175,000.00 - $177,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Disability insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Experience:

• working with large geospatial datasets, imagery products: 3 years (Required)

Security clearance:

• Top Secret (Required)

Work Location: In person