Mid AI/ML Engineer

Ignite Digital•Columbia, WA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Ignite Digital is seeking an AI/ML Engineer to join their team. This role involves independently developing and optimizing advanced AI/ML systems and components to support a large federal enterprise multi-domain data ecosystem. The engineer will operate with autonomy, apply creative solutions, and influence major technical deliverables while working within a larger team project management environment. The position is located in the National Capital Region, on client site with potential for hybrid telework.

Requirements

Deep experience building LLM-based systems and RAG architectures.
Strong proficiency in MLOps tools (e.g. MLFlow, Kubeflow, Airflow).
Advanced scripting (e.g. Python, JavaScript, Rust).
Expertise deploying models on AWS, Azure, or GCP.
Ability to work independently with broad responsibilities.
Bachelor’s degree in CS, engineering, mathematics, or related field.
3+ years AI/ML professional experience.
U.S. Citizen — Secret or TS/SCI eligible
Intermediate certifications (CCSP, CFR, FITSP-M, GSEC, Security+ , SSCP) or advanced certifications (SecurityX / CASP+, GCSA, GSLC, CISSP).

Nice To Haves

Experience with scientific datasets or multi-domain research workflows.
Familiarity with AWS Bedrock, Databricks, vector databases or comparable technologies.
Strong foundation in prompt engineering or AI agents.
Experience working with federal clients.

Responsibilities

Independently develop and optimize ML models, pipelines, and platform components.
Build RAG architectures and high-performing inference systems.
Create scalable infrastructure to support training, experimentation, and deployment.
Lead integration of AI/ML models into production systems.
Conduct advanced troubleshooting and performance tuning.
Collaborate with stakeholders to accelerate mission-driven insights.