# Senior Principal AI Data Engineer

**Company**: Iron EagleX (IEX), a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT)
**Location**: Crystal City, VA
**Work arrangement**: onsite
**Experience**: senior
**Job type**: full-time
**Salary**: $174,250 - $235,750
**Category**: Data Science
**Industry**: Technology

**Apply**: https://gdit.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/External_Career_Site/job/USA-VA-Crystal-City/Senior-Principal-AI-Data-Engineer_RQ226448-2?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply
**Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/job/senior-principal-ai-data-engineer-7a91c802-42f/

## Description

Own your opportunity to work with the largest government agency in the nation. Make an impact by advancing the Department of War's mission to keep our country safe and secure.

As a Senior Principal AI Data Engineer, you will design, build, and operate data pipelines that ingest, store, and process high-volume, multi-source data primarily for modern AI/ML processes. You will partner with software, analytics, and product teams to create model-ready datasets, implement scalable storage layers, and enable low-latency retrieval for query, inference, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).

**Job Duties:**

- Design, develop, and implement scalable data pipelines and ETL processes using Apache Airflow, with a focus on data for AI

- Build and tune search and retrieval capabilities using ElasticSearch /OpenSearch

- Enable low-latency retrieval for AI inference and RAG applications

- Collaborate with analytic teams to define requirements, schemas, and interfaces for downstream consumption

- Use Git for version control, peer code reviews, CI/CD workflows, and reproducible pipeline deployments across environments

- Operate within Linux environments and perform performance tuning across pipeline components, storage layers, and compute resources

**Required Skills:**

- Experience with Apache Airflow for workflow orchestration

- Strong programming skills in Python

- Experience with ElasticSearch /OpenSearch for data indexing and search functionalities

- Understanding of vector databases, embedding models, and vector search for AI applications

- Expertise in event-driven architecture and microservices development

- Hands-on experience with cloud services (e.g., MinIO)

- Strong understanding of data pipeline orchestration and workflow automation

- Working knowledge of Linux environments and database optimization techniques

- Strong understanding of version control with Git

**Benefits:**

- Comprehensive benefits and wellness packages

- 401K with company match

- Competitive pay and paid time off

- Award-winning culture of innovation and a military-friendly workplace

**Requirements:**

- Current TS/SCI Clearance with current or willingness to obtain CI polygraph

- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience)

- 10+ years of related experience

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## Skills

### Required
- Apache Airflow
- Database Optimization
- Extract Transform Load (ETL)
- Git
- Structured Query Language (SQL)
- ElasticSearch/OpenSearch
- Python
- Vector databases
- Event-driven architecture
- Microservices development
- Cloud services
- Linux environments
- Version control with Git

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Source: [Apply at gdit.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com](https://gdit.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/External_Career_Site/job/USA-VA-Crystal-City/Senior-Principal-AI-Data-Engineer_RQ226448-2?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)