AI Project Manager

RESPONSIBILITIES 

The AI Project Manager & Architect role will combine strategic oversight, technical architecture direction, and secure delivery planning, aligned with National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and Intelligence Community (IC) mission expectations. This includes programmatic and architectural leadership for developing and fielding agentic AI capabilities in secure environments such as NGA CORE. This includes end-to-end lifecycle planning, stakeholder engagement, and risk-managed delivery. Specific responsibilities include:

Strategic Roadmapping & Stakeholder Engagement

• Manage and maintain the multi-year roadmap for agentic AI capabilities, ensuring alignment with NGA enterprise objectives and IC mission priorities.
• Serve as the primary interface with senior NGA/IC stakeholders, ensuring continuous alignment on scope, value delivery, and risk posture.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration across engineering, data science, security, and operations teams to synchronize milestones and dependencies.

Program Manager Governance & Oversight

• Establish and maintain the overarching system architecture, including integration of AI/ML models, agent orchestration frameworks, data pipelines, and governance services
• Review and approve design decisions for compliance with security, scalability, and interoperability standards.
• Drive technical tradeoff decisions balancing innovation velocity with operational reliability, maintainability, and security constraints.

ATO Planning & Compliance Enablement

• Oversee Authority to Operate (ATO) planning, documentation, and evidence gathering to achieve deployment in secure classified environments (IL5/IL6 cloud, SCIFs).
• Ensure delivery teams implement security controls, audit logging, and documentation practices that align with Risk Management Framework (RMF) and NGA IV&V requirements
• Coordinate security assessments, accreditation reviews, and governance checkpoints with IT security and compliance stakeholders.

Program & Milestone Management

• Own program schedule, milestones, and deliverable tracking across multiple agile teams.
• Monitor performance against cost, schedule, and technical objectives; proactively mitigate risk and remove blockers.
• Deliver regular program status updates, risk assessments, and executive briefings to leadership and external partners.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or related field.
• 7+ years of experience managing complex AI/ML or software programs in the Intelligence Community (IC) or Department of Defense (DoD).
• Proven track record as a program or project manager within the IC, leading multi-disciplinary technical teams.
• Strong understanding of enterprise architecture principles, DevSecOps/MLOps delivery models, and secure system deployment processes.
• Experience leading ATO/RMF planning, documentation, and accreditation efforts for classified systems
• Active TS/SCI clearance (or eligibility to obtain one).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Master’s degree in engineering, AI/ML, or Program Management.
• Familiarity with:
• NGA CORE platform and other NGA data environments.
• Open-source AI frameworks and integrating them into enterprise architectures.
• Agile program management tools (Jira, Confluence) and earned value management (EVM) reporting.

COMPETENCIES 

• Customer Service
• Oral Communication
• Written Communication
• Organization and Planning
• Interpersonal Awareness
• Establish Focus
• Change Management
• Develop Others
• Build Relationships
• Analytical Thinking
• Conceptual Thinking
• Strategic Thinking
• Technical Expertise
• Initiative
• Foster Innovation
• Results Oriented
• Teamwork

We are seeking a AI Project Manager & Architect to support National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Artificial Intelligence (AI) efforts. This project manager will play an important role helping to create technical solutions for multiple AI challenges.

TekSynap is a fast-growing high-tech company that understands both the pace of technology today and the need to have a comprehensive well planned information management environment. “Technology moving at the speed of thought” embodies these principles – the need to nimbly utilize the best that information technology offers to meet the business needs of our Federal Government customers.

We offer our full-time employees a competitive benefits package to include health, dental, vision, 401K, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability plans, vacation time and holidays.

Visit us at www.TekSynap.com. 

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The safety and health of our employees is of the utmost importance. Employees are required to comply with any vaccination requirements mandated by contract, applicable law or regulation.

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WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job.  Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Location: Reston, Virginia and/or remote. Occasional travel within the National Capital Region (NCR)
• Type of environment: Varies
• Noise level: Low
• Work schedule: “Normal work hours” constitute on average 8 hours a day, 40 hours per week (excluding breaks and meal periods) within standard operational hours occurring 0600-1800, Monday-Friday, excluding Federal holidays. May be requested to work evenings and weekends to meet program and contract needs.
• Amount of Travel: 10%

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to handle, feel, touch; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear. The employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is regularly required to lift up to 10 pounds. The employee is frequently required to lift up to 25 pounds; and up to 50 pounds. The vision requirements include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK AUTHORIZATION/SECURITY CLEARANCE

• U.S. Citizenship
• TS/SCI with Polygraph

OTHER INFORMATION

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

TekSynap is a drug-free workplace. We reserve the right to conduct drug testing in accordance with federal, state, and local laws. All employees and candidates may be subject to drug screening if deemed necessary to ensure a safe and compliant working environment.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. TekSynap does not discriminate against any person because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law (referred to as “protected status”). This nondiscrimination policy extends to all terms, conditions, and privileges of employment as well as the use of all company facilities, participation in all company-sponsored activities, and all employment actions such as promotions, compensation, benefits, and termination of employment.