Data Architect

Job Description

FusionInnovation's recent growth has earned us a top spot in the Inc 5000 FastestGrowing Private Companies in America and in Washington Business Journal's BestPlaces to Work multiple years in a row. Our team members are passionate abouttheir work and are empowered to contribute their unique skills and perspectivesto our projects. Here at Fusion, we put people first. When you join us, youdon't just join a company, you join a family. If you are ready to be part of afun and engaging team where your innovative ideas are heard, supported, andmake ever lasting mission impacts for our Nation's most sensitive programs, youhave come to the right place.

Position Overview

Fusion Innovation is seeking an expert-level AI Application Developer & Systems Integrator to design, build, deploy, and integrate AI-powered learning solutions. This role combines hands-on AI development with technical integration and coordination across multiple projects. The successful candidate will develop applications using open-source AI models that operate in resource-constrained, disconnected, on-premises, and edge computing environments, while planning for future cloud scalability. Applications may support language learning, translation, conversational practice, simulations, speech processing, computer vision, and avatar animation. This individual will also coordinate technical resources, schedules, dependencies, and stakeholder communications to ensure projects and systems are integrated efficiently.

Key Responsibilities

AI Application Development and Deployment

• Design and implement high-performance applications using open-source AI models.
• Evaluate AI technologies and models for integration into existing learning curricula and enterprise systems.
• Train and fine-tune models, including large language models and vision models, using custom datasets.
• Develop solutions supporting machine translation, speech-to-text, text-to-speech, object detection, image generation, image classification, and avatar animation.
• Integrate large language models into applications supporting translation, conversational skills, simulations, and language practice.
• Deploy and manage models in disconnected, on-premises, and edge computing environments.
• Use Docker or Podman to create reproducible, portable deployments.
• Optimize models and applications for efficient execution across different hardware platforms.
• Support the transition of standalone AI applications to scalable cloud environments, including AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.

Systems Integration and Technical Coordination

• Provide integration management support across multiple concurrent projects.
• Coordinate master project schedules, technical resources, facilities, plans, and cross-project dependencies.
• Establish functional and technical specifications, standards, and system input/output parameters.
• Resolve hardware and software interface issues and support integration of complete systems and subsystems.
• Assess relationships, dependencies, and requirements across hardware and software components.
• Evaluate emerging technologies for potential incorporation into training programs and learning solutions.
• Collaborate with engineers, systems analysts, developers, technicians, scientists, and senior managers on system design, testing, and evaluation.

Project Communication and Oversight

• Monitor project progress and provide clear updates on task status, risks, issues, and dependencies.
• Prepare status reports, briefings, technical correspondence, and communications for senior leadership.
• Coordinate meetings, maintain calendars, and track action items through completion.
• Gather and synthesize information from multiple sources to support decisions and respond to requests.
• Address technical and administrative questions accurately, clearly, and professionally.

Required Skills

• Active Top Secret/SCI with Polygraph.
• A degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or a scientific or technical discipline.
• A master's degree in Software Engineering or equivalent years of experience.
• Expertise in Python for AI/ML development and scripting.
• Strong working knowledge of Linux environments, including shell scripting and system configuration.
• Experience working with and deploying open-source AI models from repositories such as Hugging Face, PyTorch Hub, GitHub, or Civitai.
• Experience training and fine-tuning open-source models using custom datasets.
• Experience with containerization technologies such as Docker or Podman.
• Familiarity with Python environment management tools such as Conda, venv, or Poetry.
• Experience deploying and managing AI models in on-premises or edge computing environments.
• Experience migrating standalone AI applications to cloud infrastructure.
• Familiarity with GPU acceleration frameworks such as CUDA and cuDNN.
• Foundational knowledge of machine learning principles and the software development lifecycle.
• Ability to coordinate master project schedules and information flow across programs and organizational stakeholders.
• Ability to define technical specifications, resolve system interface issues, and support hardware and software integration.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Project, Outlook, Office, SharePoint, and PowerPoint.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare correspondence for senior executives.
• Strong organization, time management, interpersonal skills, and attention to detail.
• Experience coordinating action items and synthesizing information from multiple sources.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and take initiative in a fast-paced technical environment.

Desired Skills

• Experience testing and evaluating hardware and software for efficiency, reliability, and compatibility with existing systems.
• Ability to identify system performance measures and recommend corrective actions or improvements.
• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary technical teams and senior leadership on system design, testing, and evaluation.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities in a dynamic and challenging environment.

Additional Details

Fusion Innovation anticipates the annual base salary for this position will generally range from $100,000 to $215,000. Actual compensation will be determined based on several factors, including, but not limited to:

• Years of direct applicable experience with this work and the customer
• Relevant education, certifications, and training
• Contract labor category requirements, skill level, contract bill rate, and hours allocation
• Alignment with the position's responsibilities
• Additional specialized skills

In addition to base salary, eligible employees may be considered for discretionary bonuses and are eligible for Fusion Innovation's comprehensive benefits package, which includes medical, dental, vision, company-sponsored retirement contributions, paid leave, professional development opportunities, and other employee benefits.

Fusion Innovation is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Fusion Innovation participates in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility for all newly hired employees. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process, please contact and include your name and contact information.