AI SME

Job Description
ECS is seeking an AI SME to work in a hybrid schedule in our Arlington, VA office

ECS is seeking talented professionals to join our successful and growing team supporting the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA) Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC). The JCDC is CISA's flagship initiative for uniting government, industry, and international partners to proactively defend against cyber threats. Our ECS team is at the center of providing support to JCDC's critical mission as they continue to plan, share, and respond to cyber threats in real time to support the greater cyber community .

The AI SME will l ead the end -to-end design, d evelopme nt, implementation , and continuous improvement of AI solutions. These solutions will primarily support operational cybersecurity workflows such as incident management, vulnerability management, threat intelligence, and cyber defense coordination across JCDC . The ideal candidate will combine strategic vision, business process analysis, and technical acumen to ensure delivery of secure, scalable, and user-centric AI solutions. This individual will work as part of a team to iden tify , align , and implement solutions that meet customer needs across JCDC.

Job Responsibilities:

• Assess current processes, workflows, tools, and knowledge management practices and identify system agnostic AI use cases.

• Lead the strategic planning, requirements definition, and delivery of AI solutions that align with customer objectives .

• Elicit, document, and validate functional and technical requirements, including AI model integration, data flows, performance metrics, and integration with existing systems and knowledge platforms .

• Streamline business processes through automation, analytics, and AI-driven capabilities to improve efficiency and reduce manual effort .

• Develop human-in-the-loop or agent-assisted AI workflows that retrieve, enrich, and contextualize information while preserving analyst decision authority.

• Serve as the primary liaison between technical teams, leadership, and customers, translating business needs into actionable requirements and managing expectations.

• Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for model retraining, rollback, and root-cause analysis.

• Manage AI model lifecycle activities including versioning, deployment, monitoring, validation, retraining, and sustainment in regulated environments.

• Document incident response procedures for AI model failures and anomalies.

• Manage implemented solutions to ensure high availability, scalability, and compliance with federal compliance, security , and accessibility standards .

• Define and track performance measures for AI solutions tied to mission and operational outcomes (e.g., reduced response time, improved prioritization, consistency, analyst workload reduction), and conduct leadership briefs to demonstrate value and ROI.

• Identify gaps, risks, or dependencies and elevate them as appropriate .

• Lead the establishment of governance, training, and documentation of AI solutions.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to consolidate and align related workstreams.
• Summarize key information and produce briefing materials as an individual contributor

Required Skills

• US citizenship with an ability to obtain and maintain DHS Suitability (EOD)

• Bachelor's degree with 7-10 years of experience in cybersecurity or related field, specifically in translating high-level strategy into tangible, actionable products.

• 5-7+ years of experience applying AI/ML solutions, data analytics, or intelligent automation in a federal or enterprise environment.

• Experience with AI/ML frameworks and tools .

• Experience with cloud platforms typ ical to the federal environment (e.g., Azure, AWS, GovCloud)

• Strong background in stakeholder engagement and relationship management, with a track record of successfully collaborating with diverse resources .

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to convey complex technical information to both technical and non-technical .

• Ability to think critically and develop short- and long-term AI strategies.

• Experience with data analysis and performance monitoring to track program effectiveness.

Desired Skills

• DHS Entry on Duty (EOD) clearance.

• Active TS security clearance and SCI eligible.

• Proficiency in Python, JavaScript, and/or TensorFlow/ PyTorch .

• Applied knowledge of Federal security compliance frameworks ( e.g. NIST SP 800-53, FEDRAMP).

• Experience implementing or managing enterprise knowledge management frameworks, document repositories, or collaborations tools ( e.g. SharePoint, MS Teams, ServiceNow, PowerApps).

• Familiarity with the operations and mission of CISA, JCDC, or other federal cybersecurity organizations.

• Experience in a consulting or advisory role, providing guidance and recommendations to external organizations.
• Experience with data visualization and storytelling to present performance metrics and key insights.

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ECS is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis any characteristic protected by law. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local jurisdiction law.

ECS is a leading mid-sized provider of technology services to the United States Federal Government. We are focused on people, values and purpose. Every day, our 3300+ employees focus on providing their technical talent to support the Federal Agencies and Departments of the US Government to serve, protect and defend the American People.