Part-Time AI Architect - 1703

Scientific Applications & Research Associates, Inc. (SARA) is a world-class Defense Research and Development enterprise, with a charter to create new and emerging technological innovations in support of Commercial & Government organizations. We have expertise in RF, EMP, Pulsed Power, Acoustics and Threat Warning Systems, and we prioritize partnering with our customers to address real-world problems with cost-effective solutions… that work.

The SARA High Power Electromagnetics Division (HPEM) is looking for a remarkably talented, motivated, and imaginative Part-Time AI Architect to join our growing enterprise AI capability at our Colorado Springs, CO location. Working alongside our current AI Architect, this individual will help expand and accelerate the adoption of secure, practical AI solutions across business and technical functions.

The role combines hands-on architecture and implementation with technical leadership, focusing on secure onsite/private LLM deployments, enterprise data integration, and production-ready AI workflows. The AI Architect will contribute to shared platform architecture, governance, evaluation standards, and production lifecycle management while taking ownership of assigned initiatives from requirements definition through deployment and ongoing improvement.

The AI Architect will collaborate with our current AI Architect, executive leadership, IT, cybersecurity, data owners, engineering teams, and external partners to deliver AI-enabled workflows that improve decision-making, automate routine analysis, and increase efficiency. Success will be measured by adoption, business value realization, and reliable, sustainable production operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with the current AI Architect to advance the enterprise AI strategy, roadmap, and architectural standards
• Lead assigned AI initiatives from discovery and requirements definition through implementation, deployment, and ongoing support
• Work with business and technical stakeholders to identify, prioritize, and deliver high-value AI use cases
• Architect, implement, and maintain secure onsite and private LLM deployments
• Evaluate and select AI tools, models, platforms, and architectures based on capability, security, maintainability, and cost
• Design and implement Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines, enterprise data integrations, model hosting, and inference workflows
• Develop secure integrations with enterprise applications, databases, and services, including Model Context Protocol (MCP) interfaces where appropriate
• Contribute to reusable platform capabilities, integration patterns, and deployment practices that enable adoption across additional business areas
• Partner with IT and cybersecurity to ensure AI systems meet applicable security, privacy, access control, and governance requirements
• Establish and apply evaluation methods for model quality, retrieval accuracy, reliability, performance, and business outcomes
• Develop and maintain AI usage guidelines, guardrails, and technical documentation in collaboration with the current AI Architect
• Support internal training, user onboarding, and adoption efforts
• Monitor deployed AI systems and improve performance, usability, resource utilization, and business value over time

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or a related field
• 8 – 10 years of professional experience in AI, software engineering, data science, enterprise systems, or a related technical field
• 5+ years of experience leading complex technical initiatives, including architecture and delivery responsibilities
• Demonstrated hands-on experience deploying, integrating, and maintaining AI systems
• Proven ability to deliver and support systems beyond proof-of-concept
• Strong understanding of LLMs and generative AI concepts, capabilities, limitations, and architectural tradeoffs
• Experience with:
  • LLM deployment using open-source and/or proprietary models
  • RAG architectures, embedding models, and vector databases
  • AI infrastructure in on-premises, private cloud, or hybrid environments
  • Enterprise data systems, including SQL databases, document repositories, and APIs
  • Authentication, authorization, and secure application integration
  • Evaluation and monitoring of LLM applications and supporting infrastructure
• Proficiency in Python or another programming language used to build AI applications and integrations
• Familiarity with AI tooling ecosystems such as Open WebUI, LangChain, or LlamaIndex
• Familiarity with MCP and client-server architecture
• Familiarity with model lifecycle management and the maintenance of RAG data sources and retrieval pipelines
• Familiarity with authentication and security technologies such as JWT, OAuth, LDAP, and API key management
• Understanding of GPU infrastructure, inference performance, capacity planning, and cost tradeoffs
• Strong data governance and security awareness
• Ability to collaborate with another senior architect, align on shared standards, and independently execute assigned initiatives
• Strong communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences
• U.S. citizen with the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance
• May require moderate physical effort, including standing, sitting, use of hands while performing duties, and carrying or lifting up to 50 pounds
• Work is performed in indoor laboratory and office settings and outdoor field test environments; moderate physical hazards may exist

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in a related field
• 10 – 12 years of relevant professional experience, including substantial experience deploying and maintaining AI systems
• Experience deploying onsite or air-gapped AI systems
• Background in Government Contracting and/or environments involving sensitive or proprietary information
• Experience delivering AI solutions across multiple business or engineering functions
• Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP
• Experience with high-level IT network and systems architecture
• Experience with automated testing, CI/CD, and repeatable deployment practices for AI applications
• AI product management or AI platform ownership experience

Key Attributes

• Technically credible and hands-on
• Collaborative, with the ability to share architectural leadership and build on established capabilities
• Self-directed and accountable for delivering assigned initiatives
• Pragmatic and focused on measurable outcomes
• Able to balance rapid delivery with security, reliability, and maintainability
• Trusted technical advisor to stakeholders and executive leadership

SARA offers a competitive benefits package to include:

• Paid Sick Leave
• Flexible work schedules
• 401(k) match/profit sharing, and stock ownership eligibility credit

Pay Range

Salary at SARA is determined by various factors, including but not limited to location, the individual’s particular combination of education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience, as well as contract-specific affordability and organizational requirements. The projected compensation range for this position is $70 to $110 (hourly USD). The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position and is just one component of SARA’s total compensation package for employees. Positions are on-site, unless indicated otherwise.

Application Deadline: November 5, 2026

SARA is an equal employment opportunity employer.