Senior AI/ML Researcher (TS/SCI)

Vantor • Herndon, VA

13d • $124,000 - $228,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Vantor is forging the new frontier of spatial intelligence, helping decision makers and operators navigate what’s happening now and shape what’s coming next. Vantor is a place for problem solvers, changemakers, and go-getters—where people are working together to help our customers see the world differently, and in doing so, be seen differently. Come be part of a mission, not just a job, where you can: Shape your own future, build the next big thing, and change the world. To be eligible for this position, you must be a U.S. Person, defined as a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, Asylee, or Refugee. Note on Cleared Roles: If this position requires an active U.S. Government security clearance, applicants who do not currently hold the required clearance will not be eligible for consideration. Employment for cleared roles is contingent upon verification of clearance status. Export Control/ITAR: Certain roles may be subject to U.S. export control laws, requiring U.S. person status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). Please review the job details below. Do you enjoy turning real-world problems into mathematical solutions and applying AI/ML to geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) data? We tackle our customers’ toughest challenges with innovative approaches and custom tools. We’re seeking an experienced AI/ML researcher to work across the full workflow—from data acquisition and model development to pipeline evaluation, application prototyping, and hardware-based solution implementation.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen with an active TS/SCI and the ability to obtain a CI polygraph.
• Bachelor’s degree in Data Science, Engineering, Math, Physics, Computer Science, Applied Geography, or related field, with 7+ years of experience designing, developing, testing, and deploying AI/ML models across diverse data types.
• Minimum 2 years of experience with synthetic training data generation, low-shot learning, and robust ML, as well as cloud-based platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure) and AI/ML services (e.g., SageMaker, Watson Studio).
• Experience working with remote sensing and GEOINT datasets, including EO, RF, and SAR imagery, and familiarity with government collection platforms.
• Ability to work effectively with geographically distributed teams and onsite in Herndon, VA or Westminster, CO.
• Strong communication skills demonstrated through technical writing (e.g., proposals, white papers, academic publications) and speaking engagements (e.g., briefings, conference presentations), with excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Data Science, Engineering, Math, Physics, Computer Science, Applied Geography, or a related field.
• Proficiency with the Python data science stack (e.g., numpy, pandas, matplotlib, sklearn) and geospatial libraries (e.g., gdal, geopandas, shapely).
• Experience with deep learning algorithms for image science (e.g., YOLO, SSD, DetectNet) and containerization platforms (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes, OpenShift, Cloud Foundry).
• Strong background working in Linux environments and using version control tools such as Git and GitLab.
• Ability to design and implement compute hardware and infrastructure solutions to support both edge and backend AI/ML applications.
• Experience with communication hardware and signal processing, including antenna design/implementation, RF signal propagation, and software-defined radios.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to multi-discipline AI/ML research teams using multi-INT data (with emphasis on GEOINT) to design, implement, and evaluate machine learning solutions.
• Engineer and transform diverse data types to support all phases of the AI/ML workflow.
• Architect, develop, and integrate novel AI/ML models (e.g., computer vision, semantic activity detection, geospatial analytics, signal processing).
• Design, implement, and assess edge-based AI/ML solutions across hardware and software stacks.
• Stay current on AI/ML advances from industry and academia, applying them to government mission challenges.
• Provide subject matter expertise, mentoring, and strategic advice to government and internal teams on AI/ML trends, approaches, and delivery strategies.
• Communicate progress, results, risks, and challenges to government clients, partners, and project leadership.
• Support program execution by integrating diverse data science skillsets, managing sprint projections, assessing risks, and occasionally traveling for meetings and demonstrations.

Benefits

• Vantor offers a competitive total rewards package that goes beyond the standard, including a robust 401(k) with company match, mental health resources, and unique perks like student loan repayment assistance, adoption reimbursement and pet insurance to support all aspects of your life.
• You can find more information on our benefits at: https://www.Vantor.com/careers

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior