Director of Platform Engineering (VOR)

Expression•Washington, DC

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Expression is seeking a Director Platform Engineering to lead the architecture, development, and scaling of VOR, our flagship platform that unifies data, workflows, and AI agents to drive decision-making in complex, high-stakes environments. This is not a management-only role. You will write code, review pull requests, debug production issues, and make hands-on architectural decisions alongside the team you build. You will own VOR's technical direction end-to-end from system design and infrastructure to adoption and mission impact while personally contributing to the codebase in meaningful ways. You will lead cross-functional teams to deliver a platform that integrates seamlessly into client environments, operationalizes AI, and drives measurable outcomes across government and enterprise programs.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related discipline
10+ years of experience in platform engineering, data systems, or AI/ML delivery, with progressive leadership responsibility
Currently hands-on: you write production code today, not five years ago
Proven track record of building and scaling platforms not just managing teams that do
Deep proficiency in Python, Go, NodeJS and modern cloud-native development (AWS required; Azure/GCP a plus)
Experience with containerization, orchestration (Kubernetes/ECS), and infrastructure-as-code
Working knowledge of data platforms (e.g., Databricks, Snowflake, Spark) and workflow orchestration frameworks
Experience with AI/ML lifecycle and operationalization — MLOps, model serving, LLM integration, agent architectures
Experience working in complex, regulated, or mission-driven environments (government, defense, or national security preferred)
Ability to bridge deep technical execution with executive communication and client engagement
Experience in client-facing roles including pre-sales and delivery engagements

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field
Active TS/SCI clearance
Experience with FedRAMP, IL4/IL5+, or ATO processes
Hands-on experience with generative AI, multi-agent systems, or retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)
Contributions to open-source projects or a visible engineering track record
Relevant certifications (AWS Solutions Architect, Kubernetes, etc.)
Working knowledge of Agentic AI frameworks (e.g., LangChain, LangGraph, CrewAI, or similar).
Familiarity with retrieval and context engineering systems and vector search systems/vector database integration.

Responsibilities

Personally architect and code critical platform components you set the technical standard by building, not just directing
Own system design decisions across VOR's data integration, workflow orchestration, and AI agent layers
Conduct code reviews, set engineering standards, and establish patterns that scale across the platform
Debug and resolve complex production issues spanning cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, and AI pipelines
Maintain deep technical fluency in the full stack: Python, NodeJS, Go, cloud-native services (AWS GovCloud), container orchestration, data pipelines, and LLM/agent frameworks
Own the end-to-end strategy, roadmap, and delivery of the VOR platform
Drive the evolution of VOR across data integration, workflow orchestration, and AI/agent capabilities
Ensure alignment between product vision, engineering execution, and mission needs
Make build-vs-buy decisions grounded in hands-on technical evaluation, not slide decks
Lead the transition from services-driven delivery to a scalable, repeatable platform model
Define deployment models across hybrid cloud, enterprise, and edge environments
Establish platform standards for interoperability with systems like Palantir, Databricks, and Snowflake
Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines, testing infrastructure, and release processes that support rapid, reliable delivery
Drive the "last mile" of AI ensuring models and data systems are embedded into real workflows, not just prototyped
Architect and implement human-in-the-loop systems that balance automation with control, explainability, and trust
Oversee VOR Agents development, ensuring mission alignment and compliance through auditable, explainable, and traceable actions.
Drive the implementation of evaluation frameworks, agent behavior monitoring, and red-teaming to ensure agentic systems behave safely and predictably within mission constraints.
Stay current with and personally evaluate emerging AI/ML frameworks, tools, and techniques
Partner with program teams and clients to implement VOR in real-world environments
Translate complex mission requirements into platform capabilities
Ensure successful deployment from pilot to production, personally engaging at breakdown points when needed
Build and lead a high-performing team of engineers, architects, and product leaders
Foster a culture of technical excellence, ownership, and shipping — lead by example at the keyboard
Mentor engineers through pairing, code review, and architectural guidance
Align cross-functional teams across engineering, delivery, and business units