AI / ML Engineering Director Fellow

Overview Join to apply for the AI / ML Engineering Director Fellow role at Federation of American Scientists (FAS). This 24-month Impact Fellowship will place a senior AI / ML engineering leader within a state government's Department of Information Technology to help the state achieve its vision of responsible, impactful use of artificial intelligence.

What the role entails Lead technical strategy, delivery, and capacity-building to expand the state's ability to develop and scale AI solutions.

Identify priority areas for AI experimentation and address systemic barriers such as gaps in expertise, procedural bottlenecks, or infrastructure constraints.

Develop and implement technical, policy, and talent solutions that remove adoption barriers and accelerate AI projects.

Evaluate, prototype, implement, and optimize AI / ML systems, ensuring they are production-ready, scalable, and high-performing.

Drive high-impact AI deployments in priority areas—such as streamlining permitting or transforming legacy systems—to improve operations, customer experience, and service design.

Champion an AI / MLOps strategy for the state's AI product lifecycle.

Build long-term capacity by establishing sustainable AI adoption practices, including agentic systems.

Potential Impact Increase the state's ability to run high-priority proofs of concept and scale successful projects into production.

Deliver AI solutions that improve public services, enhance operational efficiency, and strengthen public trust in government.

Develop a statewide understanding of platforms, infrastructure, and tooling to support high-ROI GenAI use cases.

Skills and Expertise – Must Haves 5-7 years of engineering leadership, ideally mentoring and growing teams that design, build, and ship AI systems.

Exceptional ability to build strong relationships with cross-functional peers in Design, Legal, Product, and other disciplines.

Vision for the future of AI and a plan to keep the state at the forefront.

Deep knowledge of the end-to-end AI product lifecycle, from user research to continuous improvement and monitoring.

Hands-on experience defining and implementing robust frameworks for system orchestration, continuous evaluation, and post-deployment monitoring.

A holistic approach to AI that values its ethics and impact alongside accuracy.

Preferred but not required : a track record building and launching AI systems in highly regulated industries such as government and healthcare.

Work Environment Hybrid or remote work is accommodated; typically two to three days per week on site, with the remainder remote, depending on organizational needs.

Salary This fellowship will provide a salary at an annual rate of $164,000 per year.

Application Deadline The deadline for application submission is October 31, 2025.

Hiring Statement Don't check off every box? Apply anyway! Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every listed qualification. At FAS we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, and to developing new voices. If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway—you might just be the right candidate.

The Federation of American Scientists is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. FAS prohibits discriminating against employees and job applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose compensation. Employment is contingent on successful verification of eligibility to work in the United States.

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