Chief Engineer

At MORSE, our Chief Engineers are the "triple threat" leaders at the heart of our impactful work. For our AI Test & Evaluation (T&E) work, we are seeking a leader who tacitly understands that the measure of AI success is the tangible advantage it provides the warfighter and intelligence analyst. Standalone model performance and standalone system performance are critical foundations to those measures. This role is for the systems-thinker who lives at the intersection of AI effectiveness, human-computer interaction, and applied R&D. You are the expert who can translate a first-principles understanding of complex systems—from model behaviors to user workflows—into engineering-driven frameworks that prove and improve mission outcomes. By setting the "North Star" for your program, you will guide a world-class team to ensure that our AI improves outcomes by orders of magnitude.

Your expertise will be applied across the forefront of modern AI, including our work in Computer Vision, Language Translation, Generative AI, Large Language Models, Vision Language Models, and AI Agents. 

 Responsibilities:

• Architect an T&E system centered on operational outcomes where you will analyze standalone AI models, data engineering & UI subsystems, and live user workflows. You will pioneer methods to measure and enhance mission-level performance by complementing standard benchmarks with bespoke evaluations of user interaction, system reliability, and overall operational effectiveness.

• Serve as the definitive "Customer Relationship Owner," acting as a senior technical advisor and strategic partner to government customers. Your leadership will be defined by your ability to move beyond stated requirements to elicit, shape, and co-author the technical roadmap, earning trust through rigor and guiding partners to high-impact solutions.

• Own the technical feedback loop with system developers, translating T&E findings into specific and actionable engineering recommendations. Your role is not just to identify flaws, but to leverage your team's expertise to guide the reconstruction of more robust and effective capabilities.

• Drive program execution with the authority of a "triple threat" leader, seamlessly integrating technical direction, team development, and program management. You will be fully responsible for your program's schedule, budget, and successful delivery while simultaneously identifying and capturing new opportunities to expand our impact.

• Lead a multi-disciplinary team of top-tier engineers and scientists. Your primary role is to set the vision and clear roadblocks, fostering a culture of technical excellence and intellectual curiosity that allows brilliant people to do their best work.

Requirements:

• US Citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a Security Clearance. Active Secret, Top Secret, or TS/SCI is preferred. 

• A master's degree or PhD in a relevant engineering or scientific discipline, or equivalent demonstrated experience leading advanced R&D programs.

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in R&D, with a focus on AI/ML and Test & Evaluation.

• Proven leadership skills, with a track record of successfully managing high-performing technical teams.

• Deep understanding of software development principles, methods, and tools.

• Proven experience in business development and program capture within the DoD or IC, including leading technical volumes for proposals and shaping customer requirements.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with the capacity to absorb complex technical information quickly.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present technical information clearly and persuasively to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Compensation 120000 - 225000 USD