Generative AI Data Engineer

Embedded Alliance is hiring a Generative AI Data Engineer for an onsite role in Herndon, VA, supporting a classified enterprise environment. This position focuses on taking LLM models from concept to a production-grade analytic environment, with emphasis on orchestration, retrieval pipelines, tool integrations, and system connectivity.

What you’ll deliver

You will implement LLM capabilities into an end-to-end analytics workflow inside a secure setting. Work spans agent orchestration and memory handling, retrieval augmented generation (RAG) configuration, prompt assembly, and integration of data processing with production deployment realities.

Responsibilities

• Build orchestration logic for agent-based applications, including tool integrations and memory handling, with early design support and growing ownership over time.
• Own the setup for document processing, embedding generation, retrieval configuration, and prompt assembly.
• Develop Python REST APIs to support data retrieval, system integration, and agent workflow execution.
• Process and transform structured and unstructured data for AI workflows, including working with Postgres schemas and improving query performance.
• Handle testing, deployment, and the constraints of a classified environment.
• Design and lead implementation for end-to-end orchestration across the platform.

Requirements

• Active TS Clearance
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field (additional experience may be considered in lieu)
• Python with real production code experience

Skills and technologies

• Python, REST APIs, Postgres, SQL
• LLMs, RAG, Elasticsearch
• Docker, MCP

Level expectations

• Junior-level: Solid Python (production code), REST API experience, comfort with databases and SQL, hands-on exposure to LLMs or a RAG prototype (side project or learning is acceptable), and a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Mid-level: Hands-on work with LLM-integrated applications and RAG workflows, familiarity with agent concepts in at least one AI framework, understanding transformer fundamentals and context window implications, and production experience focused on reliability and maintainability.
• Senior-level: 8+ years overall with recent AI/ML application work, strong Python and common data/AI libraries, demonstrated LLM-integrated and/or RAG work, working knowledge of agent-based programming, REST API design/integration experience, and strong production engineering habits (testing, reliability, deployment).

Nice to have

• Elasticsearch optimization
• Docker and containerized development
• MCP or similar agent-to-tool protocols

Security and location

• Top Secret clearance (Required)
• In person at the Herndon, VA location

Compensation and benefits

Salary range: USD 120,000 - 210,000 per year.

• 401(k) with matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Referral program
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance