Chief AI Subject Matter Expert
About the job
- A bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent full-time professional experience.
- At least 15 years of full-time professional experience.
- Ability to travel up to 10% of the time as needed.
- Demonstrated curiosity and experimentation with emerging AI technologies and engineering practices.
- Daily use of generative AI coding tools such as GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Codeium, ChatGPT, Claude, or similar systems.
- Ability to critically evaluate AI-generated code for correctness, security, and performance.
- Expert-level experience with agent-based development workflows and AI-assisted engineering environments; LLM APIs, RAG architectures, vector databases, and model evaluation; designing prompt workflows or system prompts to improve developer productivity; AI concepts and practical deployment patterns; using LLMs for code generation, debugging, test generation, and documentation automation; and engineering solutions that integrate AI models into production workflows to improve user experience and productivity.
- Ability to scope requirements for engineering solutions that address business challenges using AI with measurable outcomes.
- Understanding of security and compliance considerations for AI implementations, especially in sensitive or classified environments and across multiple deployment environments.
- Understanding of secure software development practices and AI-specific security risks across the full software development lifecycle.
- Ability to define requirements, scope projects, and deliver solutions independently.
- Ability to collaborate, explain complex concepts to diverse audiences, and synthesize details into actionable recommendations and implementations.
- Ability to build strong cross-functional relationships across engineering, security, compliance, and related groups.
- Serve as the organization’s subject matter expert on AI, generative AI, large language models, machine learning, and emerging AI capabilities.
- Lead the integration of AI components into complex Department of War software environments.
- Lead the integration of AI models and services into mission-critical software systems.
- Demonstrate and share AI-enabled engineering techniques that improve team productivity and software quality.
- Lead the definition and evolution of AI-augmented engineering standards, patterns, and best practices.
- Develop intelligent data processing and natural language processing pipelines.
- Deliver AI-enabled dashboards, interfaces, and insights.
- Develop proofs of concept and demonstrations to validate potential AI use cases.
- Prototype and evaluate emerging AI developer tooling, such as agent frameworks, code copilots, and automated testing agents.
- Use generative AI tools, such as large language model copilots, autonomous coding agents, and AI test generators, as a core part of daily software engineering workflows.
- Mentor engineering teams on effective use of generative AI in development workflows.
- Identify areas of the software lifecycle that can be accelerated through generative AI and automation.
- Experience building AI-augmented developer tooling.
- Experience with large language model orchestration frameworks such as LangChain, LangGraph, or Semantic Kernel.
- Experience integrating AI capabilities into DevSecOps pipelines.
- Experience deploying or operating self-hosted large language models in secure environments.
- Proficiency in containerization tools such as Docker or Podman and orchestration frameworks such as Swarm or Kubernetes.
- Development, system integration, and test experience with complex Department of War systems.
- Experience supporting and working with cross-functional teams in a dynamic environment.
- Familiarity with United States Navy and United States Army tactical command-and-control or sensor system designs such as Aegis, CEC, CAC2S, IBCS, and SPY-1.
- Experience creating and configuring virtual machines using tools such as VMware or VirtualBox.
- Ability to work closely with Program Managers and Chief Engineers to document, manage, and communicate systems and software requirements.
About the company
IDT provides automated software testing, data analysis, and cybersecurity solutions for DoD mission-critical systems. Its ATRT technology automates the full testing lifecycle—from component tests to system integration and result analysis—allowing rapid updates of large, complex software. The offering emphasizes repeatable, statistically rigorous testing, rapid configuration validation, and on-demand regression tests in response to cyber threats, with solutions tailored to each customer’s system. The goal is to field new software capabilities faster and more affordably by reducing the time and cost spent on software testing.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
Grant
Total Funding
$1.6M
Headquarters
Arlington, Virginia
Founded
2006
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- June 2026 Navy IDIQ reached $748.6 million, extending through June 2031.
- May 2026 ONR Paladin contract added $96.3 million for AI testing modernization.
- Virginia approved a $19 million Arlington expansion creating 210 jobs in 2026.
What critics are saying
- Navy concentration is severe: Project Paladin and June 2026 IDIQ dominate revenue.
- Sole-source status creates procurement vulnerability if NAVSEA replaces IDT's toolchain.
- Defense hiring expansion to 210 jobs raises execution risk before 2027 deliverables.
What makes Innovative Defense Technologies unique
- IDT won Navy sole-source ATRT work in May 2026 and June 2026.
- IDT embeds automated test engineering into fleet software, not generic consulting.
- IDT spans simulation, virtualized tactical systems, and rugged edge compute for operators.
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Benefits
Hybrid Work Options
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6 month growth
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IDT to showcase mission integration, operational validation, and edge capabilities at SMD 2026. Innovative Defense Technologies (IDT) will participate in the 2026 Space & Missile Defense Symposium, August 11-13 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Attendees can visit Booth 1112 to meet the IDT team and learn how the company helps defense customers move software-driven capability into complex operational environments faster. During the symposium, IDT will demonstrate a tactical analysis environment that allows operators to explore mission scenarios, compare courses of action, and evaluate operational tradeoffs. The environment combines simulation, virtualized tactical systems, mission data, and AI-enabled reasoning to analyze more mission permutations than physical testing alone can support. Users define the objectives, assumptions, priorities, and constraints, while operators retain decision authority. Visitors can also explore an interactive experience highlighting IDT's solutions, demonstrated outcomes, and supporting capabilities across the capability lifecycle from design and integration through testing, deployment, and operational decision-making. The booth will also feature a ruggedized, deployable computing platform designed to host virtualized tactical systems, automated testing, analytics, data, and mission applications closer to the operational environment. The display illustrates how significant computing, memory, and storage capacity can be packaged for demanding workloads at the edge or in constrained environments. Across more than 300 defense projects, IDT has helped reduce integration timelines by 75 percent, decrease testing labor by more than 90 percent, and increase test coverage by 350 percent. The 2026 Space & Missile Defense Symposium will take place August 11-13 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville. Visit IDT at Booth 1112 to meet the team and see these capabilities in action.
Arlington, Virginia, United States, April 2025 - Martha Anderson has been promoted to Vice President, Talent Development at Innovative Defense Technologies (IDT) after more than three years of transformative contributions as Director of Talent Development.
In collaboration with commercial partners Royce Geo and Satellogic, IDT will deliver essential software and rapid updates to facilitate robust Research, Development, Testing & Evaluation of satellite remote sensing capabilities in the first phase of the Slingshot series.
Innovative Defense Technologies, a software-based warfare capabilities provider, has secured a potential three-year, $89.8 million contract from the U.S. Navy to support a Department of the Navy project focused on advancing naval technology.