Generative AI Specialist / AI & ML Developer

Peraton is currently seeking to hire an experienced Generative AI Specialist. 

Location: Remote

Clearance Required: Active Secret Clearance with TS/SCI Eligibility

Role: 

• The Generative AI Specialist will serve as a key technical contributor on Internal Research and Development (IRAD) initiatives focused on AI/ML-driven platforms for Operations in the Information Environment (OIE).
• This role requires deep expertise in large language models (LLMs), prompt engineering, agentic AI workflows, and generative AI application development to deliver innovative solutions supporting Combatant Command (COCOM) information operations across CENTCOM, NORTHCOM, INDOPACOM, AFRICOM, and EUCOM.
• This is a high-visibility role with direct impact on Peraton's competitive positioning in the defense AI market.

Responsibilities - you will: 

• Design, develop, and optimize generative AI solutions leveraging GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, and Azure OpenAI Service, including advanced prompt engineering, fine-tuning strategies, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) implementations.
• Implement agentic LLM architectures with structured output schemas (JSON/GeoJSON), chain-of-thought/chain-of-debate methodologies, and multi-agent orchestration to generate reliable, mission-relevant outputs.
• Develop and maintain prompt libraries, evaluation frameworks, and quality assurance pipelines to ensure consistent, accurate, and secure AI-generated content for defense applications.
• Build and integrate generative AI capabilities into existing platforms, ensuring seamless interoperability with DoW systems including Maven, C2IE, and IRIS through well-documented APIs.
• Conduct research and experimentation on emerging generative AI techniques including multimodal models, synthetic data generation, and AI-assisted analysis for information operations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate COCOM operational requirements into generative AI solutions, supporting tabletop exercises (TTX) and platform demonstrations.
• Implement responsible AI practices including bias detection, output validation, hallucination mitigation, and human-in-the-loop (HITL) review workflows for mission-critical applications.
• Support quarterly milestone delivery aligned with MVP development approach, contributing to TRL progression and measurable ROI metrics.
• Document novel prompting techniques, model configurations, and AI workflows that may constitute intellectual property (IP) or trade secrets.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Computational Linguistics, or related technical field and 5 years of related experience. Additional 4 years of equivalent professional experience will be considered in lieu of the degree requirement. 
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in software development or data science, with at least 2 years focused specifically on generative AI, LLM applications, or natural language processing (NLP).
• Demonstrated hands-on expertise with foundation models (GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, Llama, Mistral) including prompt engineering, few-shot learning, fine-tuning, and API integration.
• Strong proficiency in Python with experience in LLM frameworks and libraries (LangChain, LlamaIndex, Hugging Face Transformers, OpenAI API, Anthropic API).
• Experience implementing retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems including vector databases (Pinecone, Weaviate, ChromaDB, pgvector), embedding models, and semantic search.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Microsoft Azure) and experience deploying AI/ML models in production environments, including Azure OpenAI Service.
• Understanding of AI safety, responsible AI principles, and techniques for mitigating hallucinations, bias, and prompt injection vulnerabilities.
• Experience with version control (Git), CI/CD pipelines, and collaborative development practices in DevSecOps environments.
• U.S citizenship required. 
• Active Secret clearance required with eligibility for a final TS/SCI security clearance.
• Valid U.S. passport required for potential OCONUS travel to customer sites.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree preferred. 
• Experience with agentic AI architectures, multi-agent systems, autonomous AI workflows, and tool-use capabilities in LLM applications.
• Hands-on experience with model fine-tuning, RLHF (Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback), DPO, or parameter-efficient fine-tuning methods (LoRA, QLoRA).
• Familiarity with multimodal AI models (vision-language models, image generation, audio/video processing) and their application to defense use cases.
• Experience with IRIS platform, OMEGA systems, or similar defense/intelligence operational platforms.
• Background in information operations, PSYOP, influence analysis, or supporting Combatant Commands (COCOMs) in technical capacity.
• Knowledge of MLOps practices including model monitoring, A/B testing, performance optimization, and LLM evaluation frameworks (RAGAS, DeepEval).
• Experience with synthetic data generation, simulation environments, or Monte Carlo methods for outcome prediction.
• Understanding of geospatial data formats (GeoJSON, KML) and visualization libraries (Plotly, D3.js) for operational applications.
• Strong communication skills with ability to explain complex AI concepts to non-technical stakeholders and support customer demonstrations.
• Relevant certifications such as AWS Machine Learning Specialty, Azure AI Engineer, Google Cloud Professional ML Engineer, or DeepLearning.AI certifications.

Key Technologies & Platforms:

GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, Azure OpenAI Service, LangChain, LlamaIndex, Hugging Face Transformers, Python, Pinecone, ChromaDB, Weaviate, pgvector, AWS, Microsoft Azure, Docker, Kubernetes, REST APIs, GeoJSON, JSON Schema, Plotly, D3.js, IRIS Platform, Maven, C2IE, OMEGA, FedRAMP IL2-4