{"id":1629225,"url":"https://alion.io/job/arka-principal-aiml-engineer-large-language-model-tssci-s","title":"Principal AI/ML Engineer (Large Language Model) (TS/SCI) {S}","company":{"id":2226679,"name":"Arka","domain":"arka.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/arka-com","size_band":"501-1000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"UltiPro","truth_index":{"grade":"D","score":40,"open_postings":69,"ghost_share":1,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":null,"computed_at":"2026-10-21T05:46:15Z"}},"role":"AI/ML","role_family":"AI/ML","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Aurora, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":180000,"max":210000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":210000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":10,"visa_sponsorship":true,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"AWS","optional":false},{"name":"AWS Bedrock","optional":false},{"name":"Chain-of-Thought","optional":false},{"name":"DSPy","optional":false},{"name":"Fine-tuning","optional":false},{"name":"Keras","optional":false},{"name":"Kubernetes","optional":false},{"name":"LangChain","optional":false},{"name":"LLaMA-Factory","optional":false},{"name":"llama.cpp","optional":false},{"name":"LLM","optional":false},{"name":"Machine Learning","optional":false},{"name":"NumPy","optional":false},{"name":"OpenAI","optional":false},{"name":"OpenCV","optional":false},{"name":"Pandas","optional":false},{"name":"PEFT","optional":false},{"name":"Polars","optional":false},{"name":"Prompt Engineering","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"PyTorch","optional":false},{"name":"RAG","optional":false},{"name":"Reinforcement Learning","optional":false},{"name":"Scikit-learn","optional":false},{"name":"TensorFlow","optional":false},{"name":"TensorFlow C++","optional":false},{"name":"TGI","optional":false},{"name":"Weaviate","optional":false},{"name":"Amazon Aurora","optional":true},{"name":"Amazon EC2","optional":true},{"name":"Amazon S3","optional":true},{"name":"AWS Lambda","optional":true},{"name":"BERT","optional":true},{"name":"C#","optional":true},{"name":"C++","optional":true},{"name":"Computer Vision","optional":true},{"name":"CUDA","optional":true},{"name":"Docker","optional":true},{"name":"Gymnasium","optional":true},{"name":"Hugging Face","optional":true},{"name":"Java","optional":true},{"name":"Linux","optional":true},{"name":"NLP","optional":true},{"name":"Podman","optional":true},{"name":"Rancher","optional":true},{"name":"RLlib","optional":true},{"name":"Rust","optional":true},{"name":"Stable-Baselines3","optional":true},{"name":"Transformers","optional":true},{"name":"YOLO","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2025-04-05T18:21:11Z","employer_posted_date":"2025-04-05","last_verified_at":"2026-10-21T15:03:35Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":564,"trust":{"level":"ghost","repost_count":0,"flags":["stale","company_stale"],"days_open":563},"description":"ARKA Group L.P. (“ARKA”) is an advanced technologies company serving the U.S. military, intelligence community, and commercial space industry delivering next-generation solutions to support the national security space enterprise. Built on more than six decades of excellence, ARKA brings modern approaches and a culture of innovation to the challenges of today.\nJoin the ARKA team to learn how Beyond Begins Here. Discover your next career opportunity now!\nPosition Overview:\nThe Principal AI/ML Engineer will support the development of AI/ML algorithms in a multitude of disciplines from object detection/classification, natural language processing, reinforcement learning, and large language models.\nWe offer generous relocation benefits for eligible candidates.\nIn support of work/life balance, many positions are available for a flexible schedule within the pay period. Ask us about the opportunity for flex scheduling if that’s of interest to you.\nResponsibilities:\nLead and mentor a multidisciplined team consisting of developers and researchers to implement machine learning algorithms to solve a broad set of challenges for our various customers\nApply Large Language Models (LLMs) to a variety of applications within remote sensing such as tasking collections, identifying gaps in collection plans, analyzing patterns of life, and more.\nFine tune foundation models and building adaptors for new applications (llama factory, PEFT)\nApply retrieval augmented generation (RAG) techniques to data to populate and query vector databases (e.g. Weaviate)\nBuild custom applications with LLM frameworks such as LangChain, DSPy\nDeploy LLM solutions across cloud-based and local resources using kubernetes (llama.ccp, vllm etc)\nAnalyze large multi-domain datasets such as images, text and/or graph data, to identify statistically relevant features to build models that provide analysts with actionable data\nReview relevant publications to understand and apply cutting edge concepts to defense and commercial applications\nInterface with both internal and external leadership to communicate technical status\nRequired Qualifications:\nBS in machine learning, computer science, mathematics, or related fields.\n10+ years of experience, preferably in software development or as a data scientist with 2+ years of building LLM applications using some of the following:Fine-tuning foundational modelsSteering Techniques (e.g Sparse auto encoders, representation tuning)\nBuilding adapters to use foundational models (e.g. PEFT, llama factory)\n\nPrompt engineering techniques / Inference time techniques (e.g. chain of thought, tree of thoughts, etc.)\nUsing Retrieval Augmented Generation techniques to populate and query vector databases (e.g. Weaviate, pinecone)\nUsing LLM Frameworks (e.g. LangChain, DSPy)\nUsing AI APIs ( e.g AWS Bedrock, OpenAI)\nUsing LLM deployment frameworks (eg llama.cpp, vllm, tgi)\nDeveloping UIs with ReAct\n\nExperience leading an interdisciplinary team of researchers and software developers and working with a program manager to define project scope and schedule to ensure we meet project milestones as defined by our customers\nExperience with Python and data science / machine learning libraries (e.g. PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras, OpenCV, NumPy, Pandas, Polars, scikit-learn, etc.)\nActive TS/SCI U.S. Government Security Clearance\nPreferred Qualifications:\nMS or PhD in machine learning, computer science, mathematics, or related fields.\nExperience leading an interdisciplinary team of researchers and software developers\nExperience with any of the following Computer Vision domains: Large Language Models and experience identifying ways to incorporate them into new areas and applications\nApplying Transformer-based architectures to domains in other areas outside of Natural Language Processing (NLP) such as computer vision\nObject detection algorithms such as YOLO and Faster-RCNN\nNatural Language Processing algorithms such as BERT\nGenerative Adversarial Networks and Variational Autoencoders\nReinforcement learning and familiarity with Gymnasium Gym, RLlib, and Stable Baselines\nApplying clustering algorithms and/or deep neural networks to real life problems\nImplementing tracking and pattern-of-life algorithms\n\nExperience with Machine Learning libraries and frameworks such as HuggingFace and LangChain\nExperience with Computer Vision libraries such as OpenCV, Nerfstudio, FiftyOne, etc.\nExperience with Linux\nFamiliarity with using AWS cloud computing resources such as EC2, S3, Lambda, etc.\nExperience with any of the following additional languages: Java, C++, Rust, Go, and/or C#\nExperience implementing algorithms on the GPU in Python or C++ using CUDA and other CUDA libraries\nExperience with implementing tracking and pattern-of-life algorithms\nExperience in application deployment, virtualization, and containerization (e.g. Podman, Docker, Kubernetes, Rancher)\nExperience working with various Remote Sensing datasets (e.g. EO/OPIR/SAR images, passive RF, etc.)\nExperience shaping and writing proposals\nPay Range: $180,000 - $210,000\nYour actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.\nThe application window will close in 330 days for this position.\nLocation:Aurora, CO\nBeing situated at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, Aurora provides opportunities to enjoy all the beautiful nature that Colorado has to offer, while also being a 20-minute drive from downtown Denver and 15-minutes to the Denver International Airport.\nWhat We Offer:\nComprehensive medical/vision/dental insurance packages\nCompany contributions to qualified HSA accounts\n401k retirement plan with industry leading company contributions\n3 weeks of vacation accrual per year plus time off for sick leave and unscheduled life events\n13 paid holidays\nUpfront tuition assistance for approved degree programs\nAnnual bonus program based on company and employee performance\nCompany paid life insurance, AD&D, Short-Term and Long-Term disability insurance\n4 weeks paid Parental Leave\nEmployee assistance program (EAP)\nEHS/Environmental Requirements:\nThis job operates in a professional office environment. While performing the duties of this job, the employee routinely is required to use hands to keyboard, communicate, listen to, and interpret instructions and remain stationary for extended periods of the time. This would require the ability to move around the campus and occasionally move/lift items weighing up to 25 lbs. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.\nApplicants are invited to apply for a reasonable accommodation to perform the essential duties of the job. To apply, send a request to  or contact 203-797-5000 and press 2 for Human Resources.\nITC & Security Clearance Requirements:\nThis position requires an active TS/SCI U.S. Government Security Clearance.\nVisa Restrictions:\nNo visa sponsorship is available for this position.\nPre-employment Screenings:\nEmployment with any ARKA companies in the U.S. is contingent upon satisfactory completion of several pre-employment requirements to include a credit check, background check, and drug screen.","description_format":"text","description_chars":7289,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":10,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":true},"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":["401k plan","Dental insurance","Flexible schedule","Life insurance","Parental leave","Retirement plans"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":true,"industries":["Consumer Goods","Transportation & Logistics"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-01T21:16:18Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"green card filings: 1","filings_12m":0,"filings_prev_12m":4,"green_card_filings_12m":1,"median_offered_wage_usd":82500,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-15T11:24:14+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)","US Department of Labor: PERM disclosure data (green cards)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":5,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.183,"p_room":0.28,"age_days":563,"expected_fill_days":31,"reasons":["conf:0","stale_co","ghost","win:tail","crowd:"],"computed_at":"2026-10-21T05:46:15Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":210000,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/arka-principal-aiml-engineer-large-language-model-tssci-s","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/arka-principal-aiml-engineer-large-language-model-tssci-s.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-21T19:43:07Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":27970,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-22T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":2226679},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=2226679"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Farka-principal-aiml-engineer-large-language-model-tssci-s"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Farka-principal-aiml-engineer-large-language-model-tssci-s"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Farka-principal-aiml-engineer-large-language-model-tssci-s"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/arka-principal-aiml-engineer-large-language-model-tssci-s\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Farka-principal-aiml-engineer-large-language-model-tssci-s"}]}