AI Jobs in District of Columbia
AI jobs in District of Columbia are among the most active in the country, concentrated in federal contracting, defense intelligence, policy research, and cybersecurity, with openings from junior data scientist to senior machine learning engineer. Most hiring clusters in Washington D.C. itself, where established employers like Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, and SAIC maintain major presences and consistently staff AI and machine learning roles. The most in-demand specialties are natural language processing, computer vision applied to government use cases, and AI ethics and governance. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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REQUIRES AN ACTIVE/EXISTING TS/SCI WITH CI POLYGRAPH
Location: Charleston, SC or National Capital Region
Position Overview
DAn Solutions is seeking an experienced Artificial Intelligence Engineer to design, develop, and deploy secure AI systems integrating foundation models with enterprise tools, data sources, and mission services.
The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience developing production-grade agentic AI architectures, advanced retrieval systems, and stateful orchestration workflows within secure enterprise environments.
This position requires a strong understanding of AI engineering, distributed systems, identity-based access controls, and operational reliability.
Key Responsibilities
Design and implement secure, modular agentic AI architectures.
Integrate foundation models with enterprise tools and services using the Model Context Protocol (MCP).
Develop stateful agent workflows using LangGraph, CrewAI, Claude Agent SDK, or comparable frameworks.
Build advanced retrieval systems using GraphRAG, agentic routing, and Corrective RAG.
Develop context management, memory, and session persistence architectures.
Implement access controls that enforce user permissions and enterprise security requirements.
Integrate JSON Schema, Protocol Buffers, and identity-based authorization into AI tool execution.
Develop runtime safeguards to prevent runaway agent execution and cascading failures.
Implement retry logic, token and cost controls, and deterministic termination conditions.
Design Human-in-the-Loop approval workflows for sensitive or high-consequence actions.
Support reliable deployment and operation of secure AI systems.
Required Qualifications
Active TS/SCI clearance with the ability to obtain a CI Polygraph.
Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent qualifications.
At least 5 years of relevant professional experience.
Hands-on production experience with MCP server/client implementations and agent orchestration frameworks.
Experience with LangGraph, CrewAI, and Claude Agent SDK.
Demonstrated experience developing GraphRAG, dynamic query routing, and advanced retrieval pipelines.
Strong understanding of context compression, state management, and session persistence.
Experience using JSON Schema and Protocol Buffers.
Experience integrating IAM tokens, claims, and access controls into AI systems.
Experience designing reliable distributed systems with retry controls, execution limits, and recovery mechanisms.
Experience implementing Human-in-the-Loop approval and execution workflows.
Ability to work full-time on-site at a government facility.
Preferred Qualifications
Master's degree in a related technical discipline.
Experience evaluating agent behavior and implementing observability tools such as OpenTelemetry, LangSmith, or Arize Phoenix.
Experience with automated red-teaming and security testing for AI systems.
Background deploying AI systems in highly regulated or mission-critical environments.
Strong Python, TypeScript, or Go programming skills.
Experience developing high-performance MCP servers and custom orchestration runtimes.
Work Location
Full-time, on-site support at a government facility in Charleston, SC or the National Capital Region.
Salary Range Disclaimer:The posted salary range represents the good-faith minimum and maximum compensation DAn Solutions expects to pay for this position. The position may be filled at different Labor Category (LCAT) levels depending on the selected candidate's qualifications and applicable contract requirements. Final compensation within the posted range will be determined based on the applicable LCAT and factors including education, relevant experience, certifications, and other required qualifications
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Where District of Columbia roles are concentrated, by current openings.
AI Job Market in District of Columbia
A snapshot from current District of Columbia openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Law & Legal Services
What District of Columbia Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in AI jobs across District of Columbia.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, data science, or a closely related field
- Proficiency in Python and machine learning frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch
- Experience building, training, and deploying machine learning models in production environments
- Active U.S. security clearance or eligibility to obtain one for federal contract roles
- Familiarity with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud for model deployment
- Strong communication skills for presenting AI findings to non-technical government or executive stakeholders
AI Jobs in District of Columbia: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a ai in District of Columbia?
There is no state-issued license required to work as an AI professional in the District of Columbia. Most employers require a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, data science, or a related technical field, along with a portfolio of applied machine learning or AI projects. Many federal contracting roles additionally require a security clearance, which employers typically sponsor after hire, making clearance eligibility a practical entry requirement for a large share of D.C.-area positions.
Which companies hire ais in District of Columbia?
Employers hiring ais in District of Columbia right now include PHRMA, MANTECH, and WilmerHale, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. The D.C. market is heavily shaped by federal contractors and defense agencies, so many of the most active AI employers are large systems integrators and consulting firms with long-term government contracts.
Which District of Columbia cities have the most ai jobs?
The cities with the most ai openings in District of Columbia are Washington. Washington D.C. dominates because it is home to federal agencies, major defense contractors, and policy-focused think tanks that drive AI hiring, while surrounding areas like Arlington and Bethesda concentrate openings because of their dense clusters of contracting headquarters and national security organizations based in Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland.
Are there remote ai jobs in District of Columbia?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 50% of ai openings tied to District of Columbia are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting how transferable most AI and machine learning work is to distributed environments. The roles most likely to be fully remote are research, model development, and data engineering positions, while roles requiring access to classified systems or sensitive government data tend to require on-site presence.
How can I get hired as a ai in District of Columbia with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a federal contractor's associate or early-career AI program, which several large D.C.-area employers run specifically for recent graduates. Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, and SAIC all maintain structured early-career tracks where candidates without commercial AI experience can enter through data analyst or junior data scientist roles and build toward machine learning work. A strong GitHub portfolio, a master's degree, and clearance eligibility all meaningfully improve a candidate's standing in this market.
Where can I find and apply to ai jobs in District of Columbia?
You can find and apply to ai jobs in District of Columbia on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings in the District of Columbia market. Search the available roles, identify the ones that match your background and interests, and apply directly to whichever positions fit.
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