AI Engineer – Senior System Integrator

3 Reasons Consulting (3RC) is seeking a Senior AI Engineer – System Integrator to help integrate advanced AI capabilities into secure, enterprise environments in support of the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) in San Diego, CA (onsite). This role bridges AI/ML, infrastructure, data engineering, cybersecurity, and mission stakeholder needs, with a focus on deployment, MLOps, monitoring, scaling, and compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, integrate, deploy, and maintain AI/ML capabilities within enterprise and mission environments.
• Translate AI/ML requirements into scalable technical architectures and integration solutions.
• Integrate machine learning models, data pipelines, APIs, applications, and infrastructure into production environments.
• Support the transition of AI/ML prototypes and research efforts into reliable operational capabilities.
• Evaluate emerging AI technologies and recommend options aligned with mission and technical requirements.
• Troubleshoot complex integration issues across AI applications, infrastructure, data, networking, and security components.
• Develop and support MLOps pipelines for model development, testing, deployment, monitoring, and lifecycle management.
• Automate model deployment and operational workflows using modern DevSecOps practices.
• Implement version control, model versioning, automated testing, and reproducible deployment processes.
• Monitor model and system performance and support model lifecycle management.
• Integrate AI/ML workloads with containerized and cloud or hybrid infrastructure.
• Support deployment of AI workloads using Kubernetes and container technologies.
• Develop and maintain technical architectures for AI-enabled applications.
• Integrate AI services with existing enterprise systems, applications, databases, APIs, and infrastructure.
• Evaluate system dependencies, interfaces, data flows, and performance requirements.
• Develop and maintain system integration documentation, architecture diagrams, interface specifications, and technical procedures.
• Support system testing, integration testing, performance testing, and production deployment.
• Identify integration risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Work with data engineering and AI/ML teams to support data ingestion, processing, transformation, and availability.
• Integrate AI workloads with structured and unstructured data sources.
• Support scalable compute, storage, networking, and GPU infrastructure required for AI workloads.
• Optimize AI/ML environments for performance, scalability, reliability, and resource utilization.
• Support data and model pipelines across development, test, and production environments.
• Integrate AI/ML capabilities into secure CI/CD and DevSecOps pipelines.
• Automate infrastructure provisioning, configuration, testing, and deployment using Infrastructure as Code and configuration-management practices.
• Implement automated security, vulnerability, and compliance checks throughout the development lifecycle.
• Collaborate with DevSecOps engineers to establish repeatable and secure deployment processes.
• Ensure AI/ML systems and supporting infrastructure comply with applicable DoD cybersecurity requirements.
• Support Risk Management Framework (RMF), NIST 800-53, DISA STIG, and security authorization activities.
• Implement security controls around AI applications, models, APIs, containers, data, and infrastructure, and support vulnerability assessment and remediation activities.
• Maintain technical and security documentation needed for authorization and operational support.
• Collaborate with cybersecurity teams, ISSOs, ISSMs, and system administrators to address security requirements.
• Serve as a senior technical advisor for AI system integration initiatives, providing technical guidance across engineering, development, data science, and infrastructure teams.
• Participate in architecture reviews, technical design sessions, and engineering working groups.
• Communicate complex AI and technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Help establish engineering standards, best practices, and repeatable processes for AI system integration.

Required Qualifications

• Security+ or other DoD 8570/8140-compliant certification.
• Active Secret clearance as required by the contract.
• 3+ years of experience in software engineering, systems integration, AI/ML engineering, or a related technical field.
• Demonstrated experience integrating complex software, data, and infrastructure components.
• Strong understanding of AI/ML concepts, model lifecycle management, and production AI systems.
• Experience with Python and modern software development practices.
• Experience with REST APIs, microservices, databases, and distributed systems.
• Experience with containers and Kubernetes or comparable orchestration platforms.
• Experience with CI/CD and DevSecOps methodologies.
• Strong Windows/Linux systems experience.
• Experience troubleshooting complex systems across application, infrastructure, data, and network layers.
• Excellent technical documentation and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience supporting Department of Defense or Navy programs.
• Experience operationalizing generative AI, machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, or other advanced AI capabilities.
• Experience with PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn, Hugging Face, or comparable AI/ML frameworks.
• Experience with LLMs, RAG architectures, vector databases, embeddings, and AI agents.
• Experience with GPU infrastructure and accelerated computing.
• Experience with MLflow, Kubeflow, Airflow, or comparable MLOps platforms.
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, Helm, GitLab, Jenkins, Argo CD, Terraform, or Ansible.
• Experience with PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Elasticsearch/OpenSearch, or vector databases.
• Familiarity with AI security, responsible AI, model governance, and AI/ML vulnerability management.
• Experience with NIST AI Risk Management Framework or comparable AI governance/security frameworks.
• Familiarity with RMF, NIST 800-53, DISA STIGs, and DoD 8140/8570 requirements.
• Security+ or other DoD-compliant cybersecurity certification.

Technologies

AI/ML, MLOps, DevSecOps, CI/CD, Python, REST APIs, microservices, Kubernetes, containers, Infrastructure as Code, configuration-management, RMF, NIST 800-53, DISA STIG, Security+, Windows, Linux, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Elasticsearch/OpenSearch, PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn, Hugging Face, LLMs, RAG architectures, vector databases, embeddings, AI agents, GPU infrastructure, MLflow, Kubeflow, Airflow, Docker, Helm, GitLab, Jenkins, Argo CD, Terraform, Ansible

Compensation and Employment Details

• Salary: USD 120,000 - 135,000 per year
• Employment type: Full-Time On-site
• Location: San Diego, CA
• Customer: Naval Health Research Center (NHRC)
• Clearance: Active Secret Clearance required based on contract requirements

Benefits

• Short/Long Term Disability
• Basic Life Insurance
• Direct Payroll Deposit
• Leave Accrual
• Holidays
• 401(k) Match
• Additional (Voluntary) Life Insurance
• 401(k)
• Medical Coverage
• Dental Coverage
• Vision Care Plan
• Flexible Spending Account Plan