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Defense Startup Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

micro1 AI

Lead AI Engineer, Forward Deployed

Reston, VA · On-site +1

$40 - $60/hr

Prior experience at a startup, defense organization, Department of War, or government-focused technology company. * Background operating in fast-moving startup environments, mission-critical ...

micro1 AI

Lead AI Engineer, Forward Deployed

Mclean, VA · On-site +1

$40 - $60/hr

Prior experience at a startup, defense organization, Department of War, or government-focused technology company. * Background operating in fast-moving startup environments, mission-critical ...

BMNT

Project Lead - H4D Problem Curation

Arlington, VA · Hybrid

Familiarity with modern innovation methodologies (Lean Startup, DevOps, Design Thinking, Rapid Prototyping, Agile, etc.) and/or previous exposure to the Hacking for Defense (H4D) curriculum is highly ...

BMNT

Project Lead - H4D Problem Curation

Arlington, VA · On-site

Familiarity with modern innovation methodologies (Lean Startup, DevOps, Design Thinking, Rapid Prototyping, Agile, etc.) and/or previous exposure to the Hacking for Defense (H4D) curriculum is highly ...

Devyantram

Chief Technology Officer

Ashburn, VA · On-site

$150 - $200/hr

Startup, skunkworks, or frontier‑technology experience. * Defense, aerospace, or hardened‑systems background. You Will Be Measured By * Speed from concept to functioning hardware. * Quality ...

Shift5

Hardware (Electrical) Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

$130K - $180K/yr

We deliver cybersecurity, predictive maintenance, and compliance capabilities that enable defense ... Bonus program and equity in a fast-growing startup * Employer-paid medical, dental, and vision ...

Shift5

Hardware (Electrical) Engineer

Rosslyn, VA · On-site

$130K - $180K/yr

We deliver cybersecurity, predictive maintenance, and compliance capabilities that enable defense ... Bonus program and equity in a fast-growing startup * Employer-paid medical, dental, and vision ...

Chenega Corporation

Logistics Manager

Chantilly, VA · On-site

$100 - $125/hr

The ideal candidate has experience supporting Department of Defense, military, federal law ... Support contract startup, transition activities, and surge * Supervise logistics personnel and ...

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Lead AI Engineer, Forward Deployed

Reston, VA • On-site, Remote

micro1 AI
Software Development • 11 - 50 employees
Learn more about micro1 AIexternal

$40 - $60/hr

Part-time

Medical, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 14 days ago

Key responsibilities

  • Build and deploy agentic AI systems that support high-impact U.S. Government missions from prototype to production.

  • Design and integrate LLM applications, including multi-agent systems, tool-using agents, RAG workflows, and human-in-the-loop autonomy.

  • Work directly with government partners in forward-deployed environments to translate mission needs into technical systems.

Job description

Job Title: Forward Deployed Engineer, U.S. Government


Job Type: Full-time


Location: Hybrid - Washington, D.C.


The Role

We’re hiring an MTS to work on applied AI systems across research and production. This role spans model experimentation, infrastructure, and deployment in high-assurance, mission-critical environments, including forward-deployed work with strategic partners to ensure mission success.


What You’ll Work On

  1. Build and deploy agentic AI systems that support high-impact U.S. Government missions from prototype to production.
  2. Design and integrate LLM applications, including multi-agent systems, tool-using agents, RAG workflows, and human-in-the-loop autonomy.
  3. Work directly with government partners in forward-deployed environments to translate mission needs into technical systems.
  4. Build and maintain large-scale data curation, and evaluation pipelines for model training and improvement.
  5. Develop infrastructure for model inference, experimentation, evaluation, and deployment across frontier AI platforms.
  6. Build AI systems that turn mission data, models, and tools into real operational autonomy.
  7. Own systems across the full lifecycle, including discovery, architecture, implementation, deployment, reliability, security, and iteration.


What We're Looking For

  1. Able to operate independently in ambiguous, partner-facing settings with technical and operational ownership.
  2. Strong Python engineer with end-to-end ownership experience.
  3. Experience with LLMs and creating agentic systems.
  4. Built or maintained data pipelines / ML infrastructure.
  5. Familiar with RL workflows or simulation environments.
  6. Comfortable in high-security / high-reliability environments.


Preferred Qualifications

  1. Active U.S. security clearance or eligibility and willingness to obtain one.
  2. Experience supporting U.S. Government, defense, intelligence, or national security missions.
  3. Prior experience at a startup, defense organization, Department of War, or government-focused technology company.
  4. Background operating in fast-moving startup environments, mission-critical government settings, or both.


Compensation & Benefits Notice

All employees are eligible for equity compensation, and employees may also receive performance-based bonuses, dependent on role and subject to company policies. micro1 provides a comprehensive benefits package, including up to 100% reimbursement for health-insurance premiums, paid time off, a 401(K) plan with a company match, and additional benefits designed to support a high-performing, remote-first workforce.


micro1 is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation during the application process, reach out to support@micro1.ai.


Our hiring process utilizes artificial intelligence tools to assist in candidate screening and assessment. Our AI tools are designed to complement, not replace, human decision-making.


Disclaimer

The information contained in this job posting, including but not limited to role responsibilities, qualifications, compensation, and benefits, is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute a binding offer of employment. micro1 reserves the right to amend, modify, or withdraw any portion of this posting at its sole discretion and without prior notice. All employment decisions are made in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

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