Lead AI Architect - Federal

Job Description: DataRobot delivers AI that maximizes impact and minimizes business risk. Our platform and applications integrate into core business processes so teams can develop, deliver, and govern AI at scale. DataRobot empowers practitioners to deliver predictive and generative AI, and enables leaders to secure their AI assets. Organizations worldwide rely on DataRobot for AI that makes sense for their business — today and in the future. As a member of the Professional Services team, AI Architects help position, sell, and support the DataRobot platform as the gold standard for AI in enterprises and overcome any barriers to delivering DataRobot for customers. You will work hand-in-hand with Customer Success, Sales, Product, Engineering, and Marketing to help us bring our platform to clients and prospects in the public sector space. You will be responsible for providing the technical expertise to support the installation, configuration, upgrading, and integration of DataRobot into customer environments. You will have a broad range of skills and experience spanning systems architecture, ETL flow design, security engineering, cloud computing, Kubernetes orchestration, and more. You will have demonstrated experience deploying and maintaining technical platforms in both unclassificed and classified environments, navigating federal security and compliance requirements, and responding to Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) to ensure platform integrity and operational continuity. You will have the insight to make the connection between a customer’s specific business problems and DataRobot’s solution and the customer-facing skills to communicate that connection and vision to a wide variety of technical and executive audiences. Furthermore you will have the skills to provide consultative assistance on architecture and implementation of the customer’s business problem, usually through partnership with IT teams within federal government agencies. As the AI Architect for the Federal Sector, you will also serve as a liaison between Product, Engineering, and the Federal business. You will apply your expertise in Federal infosec requirements, the Risk Management Framework, and FedRAMP and Agency authorization processes to inform how the Product evolves to meet Federal requirements and maintain continuous Authority to Operate (ATO). Please note: You must be a U.S. Citizen with an active US DoW Secret security clearance to be eligible for this role. If you do not meet these criteria, you will not be considered for the position. What does it take? Shares our passion for delivering AI and machine learning for enterprises and thrives in the dynamic AI environment. Lead the professional services effort to plan and execute successful installations, upgrades, and security accreditation in DataRobot’s Federal customer base, including managing CVE remediation and timely patch response within classified and sensitive environments. Have the flexibility and willingness to jump in and get what needs to be done to make DataRobot and our customers successful. Provide consultative assistance on architecture and implementation. Deploy and operate DataRobot solutions within FedRAMP Authorized, IL5, and IL6 classified environments, ensuring compliance with applicable security controls, continuous monitoring requirements, and CVE response SLAs. Support pre-sales activities including architectural overviews, security review, and scoping of professional services activities. Keep up to date on the ever-evolving technologies for systems architecture, AI/ML, and LLM/MLOps to be an authoritative resource for both DataRobot and customers. Work collaboratively with a broad range of people inside and outside the company. May support, oversee, and/or train technical members of DataRobot partner organizations as it pertains to architecture, administration, and maintenance of the DataRobot platform. This opportunity is contingent on security clearance validation. Is this You? Federal Domain Mastery: 7+ years in Federal engineering with 3+ years supporting IL5/IL6+ environments. You must have a proven track record navigating the full ATO lifecycle, managing RMF processes, and handling Continuous Monitoring (ConMon) for FedRAMP and Agency-specific authorizations. Kubernetes and Secure Enclaves: Deep production expertise with AKS, EKS, or OpenShift. You are an expert at architecting and maintaining production-grade clusters in air-gapped, egress-constrained, or "high-side" disconnected environments (CKA/CKAD preferred). Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Advanced proficiency with Terraform/OpenTofu for immutable infrastructure provisioning and Ansible/Puppet for automated configuration management and drift detection. Linux Hardening & SecOps: Hands-on mastery of Linux systems with a focus on STIG/CIS hardening, automated patch management, and rapid CVE/vulnerability triage within secure enclaves. System Administration: Operational support for production systems covering for system administration, integrations, monitoring, capacity planning, user provisioning, and coordination of maintenance windows. Modern DevSecOps: Demonstrated experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines on K8s using tools like GitLab, Helm, Flux, or Argo. AI/ML Infrastructure: Understanding of the infrastructure requirements for AI/ML workloads, including GPU partitioning/scheduling, model serving architecture, and data egress challenges in a federal context. Strategic Communication: Excellent oral and written skills, with the ability to translate complex technical risks into actionable insights for technical teams and executive stakeholders. Education: Bachelors in Computer Science, a related technical field, or equivalent high-level work experience. Clearance: Active Secret clearance (required); TS/SCI (highly preferred). Logistics: Willingness to be on-site at local (DC area) client facilities up to 50% during peak project phases, with approximately 20% regional travel. Bonus points: Certified Kubernetes Administrator AWS Certified Solutions Architect or AWS Certified DevOps Engineer certification. Citizenship and Clearance Requirements: Must be a US citizen. Must have an active Secret clearance. TS/SCI clearance preferred. The talent and dedication of our employees are at the core of DataRobot’s journey to be an iconic company. We strive to attract and retain the best talent by providing competitive pay and benefits with our employees’ well-being at the core. Here’s what your benefits package may include depending on your location and local legal requirements: Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance, Flexible Time Off Program, Paid Holidays, Paid Parental Leave, Global Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and more! DataRobot Operating Principles: Wow Our Customers Set High Standards Be Better Than Yesterday Be Rigorous Assume Positive Intent Have the Tough Conversations Be Better Together Debate, Decide, Commit Deliver Results Overcommunicate All DataRobot hires are required to complete a background check prior to starting employment, which includes identity verification, criminal history check, employment verification and education verification. Additionally, all DataRobot employees must be available to attend in-person company trainings and meetings. Research shows that many women only apply to jobs when they meet 100% of the qualifications while many men apply to jobs when they meet 60%. At DataRobot we encourage ALL candidates, especially women, people of color, LGBTQ+ identifying people, differently abled, and other people from marginalized groups to apply to our jobs, even if you do not check every box. We’d love to have a conversation with you and see if you might be a great fit. DataRobot is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. DataRobot is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. Please see the United States Department of Labor’s EEO poster and EEO poster supplement for additional information. All applicant data submitted is handled in accordance with our Applicant Privacy Policy .