AI Research Engineer Jobs in Virginia
AI Research Engineer jobs in Virginia are among the most active in the nation, concentrated in defense and intelligence contracting, cloud computing, and federal civilian agencies, with openings from entry-level research positions through principal and staff engineer roles. Northern Virginia anchors the market, with Richmond and the Hampton Roads corridor adding meaningful volume, and employers such as Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, and Amazon Web Services maintaining deep, sustained hiring footprints in the state. The most in-demand specialties include large language model development, computer vision for defense applications, and MLOps infrastructure. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Job Posting:
Since 1953, Ferguson has been a source of quality supplies for a variety of industries. Together We Build Better infrastructure, better homes and better businesses. We exist to make our customers’ complex projects simple, successful, and sustainable. We proactively solve problems, adapt and grow to continuously serve our customers, communities and each other. Ferguson, a Fortune 500 company, is proud to provide best-in-class products, service and capabilities across the following industries: Commercial/Mechanical, Facilities Supply, Fire and Fabrication, HVAC, Industrial, Residential Trade, Residential Building and Remodel, Waterworks and Residential Digital Commerce. Ferguson has approximately 36,000 associates across 1,700 locations. Ferguson is a community of proud associates who operate with the shared purpose of building something meaningful. You will build a career that you are proud of, at a company you can believe in.
The AI Support Manager owns Ferguson's Level 2 AI tool support function — the router, orchestrator, and knowledge curator that sits between frontline Level 1 support and deeper Level 3 technical (Tech) and AI Studio (CoE) resources. This role will provide guidance and operational direction to Level 1 staff, including staff-augmented resources, and builds the self-service knowledge infrastructure that keeps AI tool support scalable as usage grows from roughly ~1,200 users today toward 20,000+ across Copilot, Ferguson Assist (Gemini), and Claude.
Location: This role is approved to be either Remote within the United States or Hybrid for associates in Newport News, VA, in accordance with company policy.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Provide guidance and operational direction to Level 1 support staff and staff-augmented resources handling the AI-enablement inbox and frontline "how do I" questions.
- Own triage and routing logic across AI tools — determining whether an issue is a tool issue, a connector issue, or a genuine product problem, and directing it accordingly.
- Build, maintain, and continuously improve the self-service knowledge base, capturing not just resolution steps but what didn't work, based on real ticket patterns.
- Decide where customer concerns go and manage handoffs to Level 3 Tech and Level 3 AI Studio/CoE resources.
- Open and supervise support tickets using Jira/Confluence, and monitor volume, resolution time, and escalation patterns to identify recurring issues.
- Act as "customer zero" for self-service support agents — build and troubleshoot no-code support agents in partnership with AI Studio, using that hands-on experience to guide Level 1 staff.
- Monitor Viva Engage and Teams community channels for emerging support themes and friction points.
- Partner with the AI Platform/Tool Owner on license- and connector-related support escalations, and with the AI Fluency Manager on recurring training gaps surfaced through support volume.
- Support the ongoing design and refinement of the L1/L2/L3 support model as tool volume and license counts scale.
Qualifications and Requirements:
- 4-6 years in technical support management, IT service management, or helpdesk leadership, ideally at enterprise scale.
- Experience managing/providing operational direction to a support team, including staff-augmented or offshore resources.
- Familiarity with enterprise productivity/AI tools (Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, or similar).
- Experience building or maintaining a knowledge base and ticketing workflows (Jira, Confluence, or similar).
- Strong triage and prioritization skills; comfortable making judgment calls under ambiguity.
- Ability to build or troubleshoot simple no-code/low-code support tooling or agents.
Desired Qualifications:
- Experience with AI/ML tool support specifically.
- Prior experience scaling a support function through rapid user growth.
- Familiarity with AI governance or responsible AI practices.
At Ferguson, we care for each other. We value our well-being just as much as our hard work. We are committed to a holistic approach towards benefits plans and programs that support the mental, physical and financial well-being of our associates. Our competitive offering not only includes benefits like health, dental, vision, paid time off, life insurance and a 401(k) with a company match, but our associates also enjoy additional meaningful and inclusive enhancements that are adaptable to their diverse situations and needs, including mental health coverage, gender affirming and family building benefits, paid parental leave, associate discounts, community involvement opportunities and more!
#LI-REMOTE
Pay Range:
Actual pay rate may vary depending upon location. The estimated pay range for this position is below. The specific rate will depend on a candidate’s qualifications and prior experience.
Estimated Ranges displayed are Monthly for Salaried roles OR Hourly for all other roles.
This role is Bonus or Incentive Plan eligible.
Ferguson complies with all wage regulations. The starting wage may be higher in certain locations based on local or state wage requirements.
The Company is an equal opportunity employer as well as a government contractor that shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-300.5(a), which prohibits discrimination against qualified protected Veterans and the requirements of 41 CFR 60-741.5(A), which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability.
Ferguson Enterprises, LLC. is an equal employment employer F/M/Disability/Vet/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity.
Equal Employment Opportunity and Reasonable Accommodation Information
Job Posting:
Since 1953, Ferguson has been a source of quality supplies for a variety of industries. Together We Build Better infrastructure, better homes and better businesses. We exist to make our customers’ complex projects simple, successful, and sustainable. We proactively solve problems, adapt and grow to continuously serve our customers, communities and each other. Ferguson, a Fortune 500 company, is proud to provide best-in-class products, service and capabilities across the following industries: Commercial/Mechanical, Facilities Supply, Fire and Fabrication, HVAC, Industrial, Residential Trade, Residential Building and Remodel, Waterworks and Residential Digital Commerce. Ferguson has approximately 36,000 associates across 1,700 locations. Ferguson is a community of proud associates who operate with the shared purpose of building something meaningful. You will build a career that you are proud of, at a company you can believe in.
The AI Support Manager owns Ferguson's Level 2 AI tool support function — the router, orchestrator, and knowledge curator that sits between frontline Level 1 support and deeper Level 3 technical (Tech) and AI Studio (CoE) resources. This role will provide guidance and operational direction to Level 1 staff, including staff-augmented resources, and builds the self-service knowledge infrastructure that keeps AI tool support scalable as usage grows from roughly ~1,200 users today toward 20,000+ across Copilot, Ferguson Assist (Gemini), and Claude.
Location: This role is approved to be either Remote within the United States or Hybrid for associates in Newport News, VA, in accordance with company policy.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Provide guidance and operational direction to Level 1 support staff and staff-augmented resources handling the AI-enablement inbox and frontline "how do I" questions.
- Own triage and routing logic across AI tools — determining whether an issue is a tool issue, a connector issue, or a genuine product problem, and directing it accordingly.
- Build, maintain, and continuously improve the self-service knowledge base, capturing not just resolution steps but what didn't work, based on real ticket patterns.
- Decide where customer concerns go and manage handoffs to Level 3 Tech and Level 3 AI Studio/CoE resources.
- Open and supervise support tickets using Jira/Confluence, and monitor volume, resolution time, and escalation patterns to identify recurring issues.
- Act as "customer zero" for self-service support agents — build and troubleshoot no-code support agents in partnership with AI Studio, using that hands-on experience to guide Level 1 staff.
- Monitor Viva Engage and Teams community channels for emerging support themes and friction points.
- Partner with the AI Platform/Tool Owner on license- and connector-related support escalations, and with the AI Fluency Manager on recurring training gaps surfaced through support volume.
- Support the ongoing design and refinement of the L1/L2/L3 support model as tool volume and license counts scale.
Qualifications and Requirements:
- 4-6 years in technical support management, IT service management, or helpdesk leadership, ideally at enterprise scale.
- Experience managing/providing operational direction to a support team, including staff-augmented or offshore resources.
- Familiarity with enterprise productivity/AI tools (Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, or similar).
- Experience building or maintaining a knowledge base and ticketing workflows (Jira, Confluence, or similar).
- Strong triage and prioritization skills; comfortable making judgment calls under ambiguity.
- Ability to build or troubleshoot simple no-code/low-code support tooling or agents.
Desired Qualifications:
- Experience with AI/ML tool support specifically.
- Prior experience scaling a support function through rapid user growth.
- Familiarity with AI governance or responsible AI practices.
At Ferguson, we care for each other. We value our well-being just as much as our hard work. We are committed to a holistic approach towards benefits plans and programs that support the mental, physical and financial well-being of our associates. Our competitive offering not only includes benefits like health, dental, vision, paid time off, life insurance and a 401(k) with a company match, but our associates also enjoy additional meaningful and inclusive enhancements that are adaptable to their diverse situations and needs, including mental health coverage, gender affirming and family building benefits, paid parental leave, associate discounts, community involvement opportunities and more!
#LI-REMOTE
Pay Range:
Actual pay rate may vary depending upon location. The estimated pay range for this position is below. The specific rate will depend on a candidate’s qualifications and prior experience.
Estimated Ranges displayed are Monthly for Salaried roles OR Hourly for all other roles.
This role is Bonus or Incentive Plan eligible.
Ferguson complies with all wage regulations. The starting wage may be higher in certain locations based on local or state wage requirements.
The Company is an equal opportunity employer as well as a government contractor that shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-300.5(a), which prohibits discrimination against qualified protected Veterans and the requirements of 41 CFR 60-741.5(A), which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability.
Ferguson Enterprises, LLC. is an equal employment employer F/M/Disability/Vet/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity.
Equal Employment Opportunity and Reasonable Accommodation Information
See All 33 AI Research Engineer Jobs in Virginia
Find roles in Virginia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find AI Research Engineer JobsAI Research Engineer Jobs by City in Virginia
Where Virginia roles are concentrated, by current openings.
AI Research Engineer Job Market in Virginia
A snapshot from current Virginia openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Science & Research
- Technology & Software
What Virginia Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in AI research engineer jobs across Virginia.
- Active U.S. security clearance or eligibility to obtain one required by most Virginia contractors
- Master's or PhD in computer science, machine learning, or a closely related quantitative field
- Proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow
- Experience designing and training large-scale models on distributed computing infrastructure
- Demonstrated research output such as published papers, patents, or open-source contributions
- Familiarity with MLOps pipelines, model evaluation, and production deployment workflows
AI Research Engineer Jobs in Virginia: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become an ai research engineer in Virginia?
Most Virginia employers require at minimum a master's degree in computer science, artificial intelligence, or a related quantitative discipline, with a PhD preferred at research-focused organizations. There is no state-issued license for this role in Virginia, so the hiring path centers on building a research portfolio, whether through graduate work, published papers, or open-source projects, and obtaining or being eligible for a federal security clearance, which most Northern Virginia defense and intelligence contractors list as a firm requirement.
How much do AI research engineers make in Virginia?
AI research engineers in Virginia earn a median of about $157,390 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $96,300 for the lowest 10% to over $230,630 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire ai research engineers in Virginia?
Employers hiring ai research engineers in Virginia right now include Booz Allen Hamilton, Virginia Tech, and Amazon Web Services, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Northern Virginia's dense concentration of defense contractors and hyperscale cloud operators means many of these employers staff large, permanent research teams rather than hiring opportunistically.
Which Virginia cities have the most ai research engineer jobs?
Arlington, McLean, and Ashburn lead Virginia for ai research engineer openings. Northern Virginia dominates because it hosts the headquarters and major delivery centers of the largest federal IT and defense contractors, while Richmond draws hiring from financial technology firms and state government modernization efforts, and Hampton Roads benefits from Navy and Department of Defense research programs concentrated along the coast.
Are there remote ai research engineer jobs in Virginia?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 50% of ai research engineer openings tied to Virginia are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, reflecting how much of the work involves model training, experimentation, and code review that can be done from anywhere. However, roles tied to classified programs or on-premises GPU clusters at Northern Virginia contractors typically require in-person or on-site presence.
How can I get hired as an ai research engineer in Virginia with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a graduate research assistantship or university internship that produces a concrete project or publication, since Virginia employers at organizations like Booz Allen Hamilton, Mitre Corporation, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency value demonstrated output over tenure. Adjacent roles such as data scientist, machine learning engineer, or research scientist at a Virginia federal contractor often serve as a bridge, and beginning the security clearance process early, even before a formal offer, meaningfully shortens time to hire.
Where can I find and apply to ai research engineer jobs in Virginia?
You can find and apply to ai research engineer jobs in Virginia on Migrate Mate, which lists current Virginia openings across Northern Virginia, Richmond, and the Hampton Roads area. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly to the employers posting them.
See All 33 AI Research Engineer Jobs in Virginia
Find roles in Virginia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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