AI Engineer, Special Programs - Top Secret Clearance

SpaceX

Quick summary

Work type
On-site
Location
Palo Alto, CA
Salary
$125,000–$220,000 / yr
Posted
today

Market check

Salary context

Competitive pay

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $204k
This role $172k
$110k most similar roles pay here $261k

This role pays less than 66% of similar roles. Most pay $162,000–$246,150 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $172k versus about $204k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

Employer

About SpaceX

SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft with the mission of enabling humans to become a multi-planetary species. It operates the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Starship launch vehicles, as well as the Starlink satellite internet constellation.

SpaceX currently has 604 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $130,000–$155,000 across 440 roles with salary data.

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At a glance

TL;DR · AI Engineer, Special Programs - Top Secret Clearance

The AI Engineer, Special Programs role at a leading technology firm involves working closely with U.S. federal agencies to develop and deploy mission-critical AI solutions. This senior-level position requires expertise in designing, implementing, and maintaining secure, scalable AI systems that adhere to stringent compliance standards. Day-to-day responsibilities include identifying pain points, scoping product specifications, building evaluation frameworks, and enhancing model performance through fine-tuning. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience with Python or TypeScript, a deep understanding of machine learning fundamentals, and proficiency in infrastructure-as-code tools like Pulumi or Terraform. This role demands a robust engineering background and the ability to work effectively in high-stakes environments requiring Top Secret clearance and polygraph certification.

What you'll do

  • Identify pain points and design AI-powered software for government use cases.
  • Develop evaluation frameworks to assess model performance and address weaknesses.
  • Enhance model performance through fine-tuning, ensuring secure deployment.
  • Analyze system outputs to ensure reliability and audibility in secure environments.
  • Build internal tooling to automate tasks and streamline workflows securely.

What we're looking for

  • Active Top-Secret or Top-Secret SCI clearance with full scope polygraph.
  • 6+ years of software engineering experience in secure, high-reliability environments.
  • Expertise in designing and deploying robust, scalable AI-driven solutions.
  • Proficiency in Python/TypeScript and understanding of HTTP protocol for secure API design.
  • Experience building evaluation frameworks and deploying machine learning models to production.

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