Senior AI Solutions Engineer

Department: Engineering

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: San Diego, CA

Compensation: $135,000 - $273,000 / year

About The Role: Innovative Defense Technologies (IDT), a leading defense technology company, is seeking a Senior AI Solutions Engineer to be part of our Missile Defense team and based out of our Mount Laurel, NJ, Arlington, VA or San Diego, CA locations.

• All applicants must be able to obtain/maintain an active Secret U.S. Security Clearance.
• This is an on-site position. Requiring at least 5 days in office, based out of our San Diego, CA location.

• Apply AI technologies to improve productivity, decision-making, and automation across engineering and business functions
• Research, evaluate, and prototype AI tools, frameworks, and platforms to address internal operational challenges
• Implement practical AI-enabled solutions that integrate into existing workflows and systems
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders across engineering, security, program management, and business teams to understand problems and deliver impactful solutions
• Integrate AI capabilities into existing development and operational processes while ensuring usability, reliability, and maintainability
• Support internal adoption of AI technologies by providing guidance, demonstrations, and knowledge sharing
• Guide the organization on emerging AI trends, platforms, and best practices
• Work closely with security and compliance teams to ensure AI solutions meet relevant policies and regulations, particularly in sensitive and classified environments
• Continuously evaluate and refine AI adoption strategies to align with evolving business needs and technology landscapes

Who You Are (Required):

• 7+ years of professional software or technical experience
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
• U.S. citizenship
• Ability to travel up to 10% as needed
• Strong understanding and experience in applying of modern AI technologies—particularly large language models (LLMs), generative AI tools, and AI-assisted development workflows—and practical approaches for integrating them into real-world systems
• Lead designing and implementing technical solutions that leverage AI technologies to improve productivity, automation, or decision-making
• Ability to rapidly prototype and evaluate new technologies to determine their potential value to the organization
• Understanding of secure software development practices and AI-specific security considerations
• Familiarity working within environments that require strong security and compliance controls
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to independently define requirements, scope initiatives, and deliver practical solutions
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical concepts to diverse audiences
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across engineering, security, compliance, and business teams
• Comfortable balancing innovation with security, compliance, and operational constraints

• Knowledge of Naval tactical systems like Aegis, SSDS, SLQ-32, or other similar systems
• Familiarity with MLOps practices such as model lifecycle management, monitoring, and CI/CD integration
• Experience integrating AI capabilities into Dev Sec Ops  or CI/CD pipelines
• Hands‑on experience deploying AI-enabled tools or applications into production environments
• Experience working with generative AI technologies, large language models, or natural language processing tools
• Knowledge of NIST 800-53, DISA STIGs and Risk Management Framework processes, or other compliance frameworks specifically on AI…