Technical Director of AI & Data
About The Position
Steampunk is seeking a Technical Director of AI & Data (Deputy to VP) to partner directly with the Practice Lead in leading, scaling, and maturing the AI & Data Exploitation Practice. The role is the Practice Lead’s primary operational, technical, and strategic counterpart, helping ensure delivery excellence, workforce development, and sustained business growth across a portfolio of AI, data science, analytics, and data platforms programs. The Deputy Practice Lead is expected to be broadly conversant across modern data and AI capabilities, including data engineering, architecture, analytics, data science, MLOps/LLMOps, AI application development, governance, visualization, geospatial, and automation. The role applies this expertise to delivery oversight, people leadership, and client engagement. The position provides portfolio-level technical and delivery leadership, supports business development and client relationships, develops talent, and helps define and execute practice strategy and operations. The role is based in the DMV area and requires working in the office three days per week.
Requirements
- Ability to hold a position of public trust or higher clearance as required.
- Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Data Engineering, Data Science, Information Systems, AI/ML, or a related technical field.
- 10 or more years of experience delivering complex data, analytics, and AI solutions, with demonstrated leadership at the portfolio or practice level.
- Broad working knowledge of data engineering and cloud data platforms; data architecture and modeling; analytics, visualization, and decision-support systems; data science, ML, and generative AI; MLOps/LLMOps and AI operations; data and AI governance, security, and compliance; and automation and workflow technologies.
- Experience leading multi-team, multi-program delivery in complex environments.
- Strong client-facing presence and experience facilitating workshops, presenting to executives, and supporting capture efforts.
- Demonstrated ability to mentor senior technical leaders and managers.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including proposal writing and executive storytelling.
- Experience balancing hands-on technical understanding with strategic leadership responsibilities.
- Local to the DMV area and able to work in the office three days per week.
Nice To Haves
- Experience leading multi-team, multi-program delivery in federal or regulated-industry environments.
Responsibilities
- Provide portfolio-level oversight for AI, data science, analytics, and data platforms delivery, ensuring consistency, quality, and alignment with practice standards and architectural best practices.
- Serve as a senior escalation point for complex delivery challenges involving data platforms, AI systems, governance, performance, and integration.
- Partner with architects, subject-matter experts, team leads, and managers to align delivery approaches with modern architectures, security requirements, and client mission needs.
- Support and participate in architecture and design reviews for major data and AI initiatives.
- Help standardize delivery playbooks, accelerators, and quality expectations across programs.
- Support business development through client workshops, discovery sessions, solutioning discussions, and executive briefings.
- Contribute to and review RFI and RFP responses, ensuring technical approaches are sound, differentiated, and aligned with practice capabilities.
- Assist with code challenges, technical demonstrations, and proof-of-concept development for capture and proposal efforts.
- Help shape and communicate the practice’s value proposition, reference architectures, and capability narratives to clients and partners.
- Build trusted relationships with client stakeholders and advise them on data and AI modernization strategies.
- Identify growth opportunities, including new services, accelerators, and offerings based on client demand and industry trends.
- Partner with the Practice Lead to build, mentor, and retain talent across AI & Data Exploitation career tracks.
- Support career pathing, role clarity, and skills development for engineers, data scientists, architects, analysts, and governance specialists.
- Coach and mentor managers, team leads, and senior technical staff as they develop into broader leadership roles.
- Assist with workforce planning, staffing strategies, succession planning, and capability gap identification.
- Promote a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, learning, and mission-driven delivery.
- Support the Practice Lead in defining and executing practice strategy, including capability investments, tooling decisions, and operating models.
- Help track and communicate practice health metrics related to delivery performance, talent development, and growth.
- Represent the practice internally and externally as a senior leader and thought partner.
- Stay current on trends in AI, data platforms, governance, and automation to inform practice direction and client guidance.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
