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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Data Scientist (AI/ML) - SME in Chantilly - **Company:** Energy Jobline - **Location:** Chantilly, VA, United States (Remote available) - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $155,000.0 - $200,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Artificial Intelligence, Data Analysis, Information Engineering, Machine Learning, Performance Tuning, Feature Engineering, Retrieval-Augmented Generation, Transfer Learning, Large Language Models, Prompt Engineering, Generative AI, Machine Learning Operations - **Published:** November 2, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.energyjobline.com/job/data-scientist-ai-ml-sme-chantilly-32140144 ## About the Role Required: * Minimum 10 years of relevant experience performing the duties described above. * Bachelor's degree required. * Proven machine-learning and statistical-model development across data exploration, validation, and deployment. * Demonstrated experience with advanced analytics, predictive or classification modeling, and feature engineering. * Hands-on generative-AI and LLM techniques including fine-tuning, RAG, and prompt engineering. * Ability to design reproducible experiments and evaluate model fairness, governance, and reliability. * Experience partnering with data-engineering and MLOps stakeholders to productionize AI models. : * Experience supporting federal, intelligence, defense, or other high-assurance mission technology environments. * Additional role-relevant certifications, advanced education, or leadership experience. Eligibility Requirements: * United States citizenship is required for all contractor personnel associated with this SCOR 55 effort. * Active Top Secret clearance and eligibility for access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI); active, transferable TS clearance is required before assignment to government-facility work. * Compliance with FBI security vetting, criminal and credit checks, and required polygraph screening for Cyber Division (CyD) and Counterterrorism Division (CTD) assignments; final access adjudication is performed by the Government. ## Description Illuminate Technologies (ILT) is seeking a Data Scientist (AI / ML) at the Subject Matter Expert (SME) level to support a federal customer on the SCOR 55 Adaptive Engineering & Machine Learning Operations mission. This role focuses on machine learning, modern analytics, and generative AI experimentation. Build advanced analytics, machine-learning, and generative-AI solutions across the complete model lifecycle, translating experiments into operational capabilities and mission insights. Responsibilities: * Explore and prepare data; engineer features for predictive, classification, and optimization models. * Prototype, validate, refine, and document scalable ML and advanced analytic solutions. * Implement LLM fine-tuning, prompt-engineering, and retrieval-augmented (RAG) workflows. * Design rigorous experiments and assess model performance, fairness, and governance. * Partner with product, data engineering, and MLOps teams to operationalize models and communicate results., This is an onsite position supporting government facilities in the Chantilly, Virginia / Washington, DC metropolitan area, with alternate sites if assigned. Telework is not represented as an entitlement. The program generally observes core operating hours of 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Eastern within a weekday scheduling window of 6:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Eastern. Individual schedules, team assignments, onsite requirements, and travel are set by the customer and may change with mission need. The Government may adjust qualification requirements and require role-specific skills assessments. Clearance eligibility, polygraph requirements, and access to facilities or systems are determined by the customer, not ILT. What You Can Expect: A small, focused team. At Illuminate Technologies, you will join a small team focused on placing the best personnel in the right positions. A mission-driven culture with balance. We carry a Special Operations Forces (SOF) culture dedicated to security. We hold that superior mission execution and a good quality of life go together, and we work to protect both. Room to grow., Illuminate provides government agencies, commercial enterprises, and network operators with the data, services, and technology that helps them protect the information that surrounds us all and extract real value from it. We combine decades of cyber, intelligence and telecommunications expertise with innovative collection and analysis tools to deliver timely, actionable insight that our customers use to make fast, informed decisions. Company DescriptionIlluminate provides government agencies, commercial enterprises, and network operators with the data, services, and technology that helps them protect the information that surrounds us all and extract real value from it. We combine decades of cyber, intelligence and telecommunications expertise with innovative collection and analysis tools to deliver timely, actionable insight that our customers use to make fast, informed decisions.