Director/Chief Architect-AI

Position Overview - We are seeking a visionary and execution-focused Director - AI /Chief Architect to lead the design, deployment, and growth of mission-driven AI ecosystems across federal and enterprise markets.

This executive will operate at the intersection of:

• Advanced AI/ML and Generative AI architectures
• Scientific and engineering modeling
• Innovation experimentation, including digital twins and robotics
• Technical solutioning and business capture for new funding
• Agile DevSecOps and cloud-native engineering
• Enterprise modernization strategy

The ideal candidate engages potential customers with a vision of the future of scientific computing backed by modern architectures and coordinates the strategic capture of multi-million dollar growth opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

1. Innovation & Emerging Technology Strategy

• Establish and lead AI & Innovation Labs.
• Forecast emerging technologies and assess mission relevance.
• Develop enterprise AI roadmaps and modernization strategies.
• Guide patent development, IP strategy, and technology differentiation.
• Serve as executive advisor to C-suite and senior government stakeholders on AI transformation.
• Domain Expertise in Scientific and Engineering Modeling for Energy or Materials

2. AI/ML & LLM Architecture Leadership

• Define enterprise AI/ML architecture strategy aligned to mission outcomes.
• Architect secure, scalable LLM and ML platforms (cloud, hybrid, and classified environments).
• Lead development of:
  • Generative AI architectures
  • MLOps pipelines
  • Model governance and responsible AI frameworks
  • AI-enabled decision support systems
• Oversee model lifecycle management from experimentation through production deployment.
• Establish secure data ingestion, validation, and labeling ecosystems.
• Drive AI adoption across energy mission systems and enterprise platforms.

3. DevSecOps & Cloud Stack Engineering

• Architect secure cloud-native platforms leveraging Kubernetes, containers, and microservices.
• Lead DevSecOps CI/CD pipeline design and automation
• Design Zero Trust-aligned cloud and hybrid architectures.
• Modernize legacy systems into scalable, resilient, cloud-native ecosystems.
• Ensure compliance with federal security standards and classified environments.

4. Business Capture & Growth Enablement

• Lead strategic capture team efforts
• Shape opportunities with solution architectures, MVPs, white papers, and RFIs
• Lead technical volumes for high-value proposals.
• Align AI/ML and cloud architecture strategies with funding narratives and agency priorities.
• Mentor solution architects, capture managers, and pre-award teams.
• Identify emerging funding pathways tied to AI modernization and secure cloud adoption.

5. Organizational Leadership & Talent Development

• Build and lead high-performance AI/ML development teams.
• Establish best practices for AI/ML governance.
• Mentor senior architects and engineering leaders.
• Foster interdisciplinary collaboration across engineering, BD, and operations.

Preferred Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship
• 10+ years of experience in Agile DevSecOps engineering, physics-based modeling systems, engineering design principles, modeling & simulation, high-performance computing, and integration of AI/ML into complex mission-driven environments.
• 10+ years in senior technical leadership roles.
• Demonstrated experience architecting and deploying AI/ML systems at scale.
• Deep expertise in cloud-native architectures (AWS, Azure, GCP, hybrid)
• Experience in federal or regulated environments (DOE, civilian agencies, or equivalent).
• Proven track record supporting or leading technical capture efforts.
• Strong executive communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Background in high-performance computing and advanced analytics ecosystems.
• Applied knowledge of physics-based modeling, materials science, and engineering systems, with experience integrating AI/ML into modeling & simulation of physical systems.
• Patent contributions or innovation leadership experience.
• Direct experience increasing revenue pipeline through technical growth strategy.

Key Competencies

• Visionary systems thinker
• Innovation catalyst
• Executive presence with technical depth
• Secure AI architecture authority
• Growth-minded technologist
• Cross-functional integrator
• Strategic communicator and networker

Strategic Impact of This Role

This role will:

• Accelerate AI adoption across mission-critical systems.
• Strengthening integration between engineering excellence and business growth.
• Drive differentiated technical capabilities in competitive pursuits.
• Position the company as a leader in AI for scientific and engineering modeling