Cleared AI Engineer - SME

About Accenture Federal Services

Accenture Federal Services is a technology company within global Accenture dedicated to helping the US federal government make the nation stronger and safer and life better for people. Our 13,000+ people are united in a shared purpose to pursue the limitless potential of technology and ingenuity for clients across defense, national security, public safety, civilian, and military health organizations.

Recognized as a Glassdoor Top 100 Best Place to Work, we offer a collaborative and caring community where you feel like you belong and are empowered to grow, learn and thrive through hands-on experience, certifications, industry training and more.

The Role

We are seeking a highly skilled AI Engineer Subject Matter Expert (SME) to support mission-critical programs within the federal and national security community. In this role, you will lead the design, development, and deployment of advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Generative AI (GenAI) solutions that drive operational impact and innovation.

Responsibilities

• Architect, develop, and deploy enterprise-scale AI, ML, and Generative AI solutions supporting mission objectives.
• Design and maintain robust data pipelines to support model training, evaluation, deployment, and inference.
• Develop advanced AI/ML applications using Python and industry-leading frameworks.
• Operationalize machine learning models through MLOps best practices, CI/CD pipelines, and containerized deployment strategies.
• Design, develop, and maintain APIs, microservices, and scalable AI services.
• Optimize AI models for accuracy, performance, latency, reliability, and scalability.
• Integrate Large Language Models (LLMs), embeddings, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) architectures, and vector database technologies.
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to translate mission requirements into technical solutions.
• Ensure adherence to AI governance, security, compliance, and responsible AI standards.
• Provide technical leadership, engineering guidance, and subject matter expertise across AI initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, or a related technical field. Additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• 10+ years of experience designing, building, and deploying AI/ML solutions in production environments.
• Expert-level Python development experience.
• Deep understanding of algorithms, data structures, distributed computing, and software engineering principles.
• Hands-on experience deploying and supporting production Generative AI and LLM-based solutions.
• Experience with embeddings, vector databases, RAG architectures, prompt engineering, and AI orchestration frameworks.
• Strong proficiency with machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, and Scikit-learn.
• Experience deploying solutions within cloud environments including AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform.
• Experience implementing MLOps practices and tools such as MLflow, Azure Machine Learning, Vertex AI, or similar platforms.
• Experience developing scalable APIs, microservices, and containerized applications using Docker and Kubernetes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting Federal Civilian, Defense, Intelligence Community, or other highly regulated government environments.
• Knowledge of Responsible AI, AI governance frameworks, and model risk management practices.
• Experience with large-scale distributed training, GPU acceleration, and high-performance computing environments.
• Background in Natural Language Processing (NLP), Computer Vision, Reinforcement Learning, or Agentic AI architectures.
• Experience designing and implementing secure AI solutions within classified environments.

Eligibility Requirements

• US Citizenship with an at least Active Top Secret Clearance.

Compensation

The base pay range for this position in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia is:

$109,500–$224,200 USD

Compensation for roles at Accenture Federal Services varies depending on a wide array of factors, including but not limited to office location, role, skill set, and level of experience. Accenture Federal Services offers a wide variety of benefits.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

As a company wholly dedicated to serving the US federal government, we bring together the best talent to help reinvent how federal agencies operate and deliver greater value for their mission and the American people. We have an unwavering commitment to creating a culture in which all our people are respected, feel a sense of belonging, and have equal opportunity. As a business imperative, every person at Accenture Federal Services has the responsibility to create and sustain a culture where everyone feels welcomed and included.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We believe that no one should be discriminated against because of their differences. All employment decisions shall be made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other basis as protected by federal, state, or local law. Our rich diversity makes us more innovative, more competitive, and more creative, which helps us better serve our clients and our communities.

Accenture Federal Services is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Additionally, as an Affirmative Action Employer for Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities, Accenture Federal Services is committed to providing veteran employment opportunities to our service men and women.

Accommodation

Accenture Federal Services is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities or religious observances, including reasonable accommodation when needed. If you are hired by Accenture Federal Services and require accommodation to perform the essential functions of your role, you will be asked to participate in our reasonable accommodation process. Accommodations made to facilitate the recruiting process are not a guarantee of future or continued accommodations once hired.

If you are being considered for employment opportunities with Accenture Federal Services and need an accommodation for a disability or religious observance during the interview process or for the job you are interviewing for, please speak with your recruiter.

Additional Employment Information

• Applicants for employment in the US must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States.
• Candidates who are currently employed by a client of Accenture Federal Services or an affiliated Accenture business may not be eligible for consideration.
• Job candidates will not be obligated to disclose sealed or expunged records of conviction or arrest as part of the hiring process.
• The Company will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Additionally, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the Company's legal duty to furnish information.
• California requires additional notifications for applicants and employees. If you are a California resident, live in or plan to work from Los Angeles County upon being hired for this position, please click here for additional important information.