Intermediate AI Research Engineer job at MITRE in McLean, VA

Intermediate AI Research Engineer

Job Id R116229

Location McLean, Virginia, United States of America

Job Type Full time

Engineering GroupArtificial Intelligence

Job Description:

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.

Department Summary:

MITRE's Trustworthy & Secure AI (TSAI) Department within the AI, Autonomy, & Data Tech Division consists of a diverse team united by a passion and a sense of urgency to harness trustworthy and assured artificial intelligence (AI) to help solve problems in the public interest. The TSAI Department supports our sponsors' missions by delivering capabilities for securing and increasing trust in AI-enabled systems, including data driven AI risk awareness and mitigation, AI red teaming, and trusted tools and techniques for applying AI in high consequence environments. The TSAI Department works across government, industry, and academia to provide, assess, and shape trustworthy and secure AI systems to address complex mission needs for our sponsors. Our work provides opportunities to address real-world challenges in the rapidly developing field of AI assurance, and to research and prototype new methods to address mission needs. We are looking for highly motivated, adaptive, and self-directed candidates to perform research, development, engineering, evaluation, and integration of AI and large language models (LLMs). We are looking for expertise in AI and machine learning (ML), particularly the development, training, and use of LLMs and/or agentic AI.

Roles & Responsibilities:

The position involves researching, developing, evaluating, and integrating AI capabilities, with a particular focus on securing AI systems and integrating AI across cyber operations, especially for LLMs and agentic AI. Specific responsibilities will include:

Work in and provide technical leadership to cross-functional teams to develop and implement AI/ML solutions, including capabilities that leverage LLM and/or agentic AI technology

Analyze AI use cases and recommend secure and trustworthy solutions to sponsors

Evaluate technology solutions in the context of mission data and workflow needs, and provide actionable recommendations

Convey complex ideas to non-technical audiences through briefings and/or white papers

Contribute to projects or small teams to solve complex AI security problems for our sponsors

Contribute to the innovation of new AI capabilities applied to cyber operational challenges

Basic Qualifications:

Typically requires a Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 2 years of artificial intelligence experience; or an advanced degree with relevant experience who can immediately contribute at this job step; or equivalent combination of AI-related education and work experience

Hands-on experience in one of the following technical areas: AI security, AI-enhanced cybersecurity, AI-accelerated cyber operations, or agentic AI

Demonstrated advanced skills with Python and the standard AI technical stack

Ability to work independently to learn new technologies, methods, processes, frameworks/platforms, and systems

Ability and willingness to obtain maintain a TS/SCI Clearance with a CI poly

This position requires a minimum of 50% hybrid on-site

Per the U.S. Government's eligibility requirements, you must be a U.S Citizen to be considered for a security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

Advanced degree in computer science, engineering, or related disciplines

Track record of successful deployment of AI/ML systems or components that have been used by customers or stakeholders outside of a lab/experimental setting

Active IC or DOD TS/SCI security clearance with CI Poly

Knowledge of advances in AI for cyber or AI security capabilities in industry and academia Excellent written and verbal communication skills to articulate challenging technical concepts to both lay and expert audiences

This requisition requires the candidate to have a minimum of the following clearance(s):

None

This requisition req