
DoD AI Jobs
As part of its acceleration to a 21st Century “AI-ready” posture, the addition of DoD AI jobs agency-wide is part of the modernization of the Defense Cyber Workforce — which includes extensive upskilling and training of AI, machine learning, and adjacent technologies necessary to retain DoD’s worldwide technology advantage.
DoD has more than 600 AI efforts in progress. Those efforts include the DoD’s AI and Data Acceleration initiative that will help the DoD harness its data at scale and speed. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said, “Emerging technologies must be central to our strategic development. … We need to more vigorously recruit talented people.”
To learn more about the types of DoD AI jobs available, read on.
DoD AI Jobs Community: Lead AI
Decides policy and doctrine, including how AI tools can or will be used; builds AI vision and plan.
AI Job Title | What Does This Job Do? | Key Differentiator | Example DoD Civilian Career |
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Policy | Creates and writes overarching guidance on AI use throughout DoD. |
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Office of the Secretary of Defense Principal Staff Assistants |
Command | Ensures AI policy is carried out by personnel they lead; makes decisions that support AI use. |
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CENTCOM Commanding Officer |
Agency / Function Lead | Ensures AI policy carried out in non-Combat roles. |
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Director, Defense Health Agency |
DoD AI Jobs Community: Drive AI
Ensures appropriate AI tools and capabilities are developed and delivered across DoD.
AI Job Title | What Does This Job Do? | Key Differentiator | Example DoD Civilian Career |
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Acquisition Manager | Accesses technology/ capabilities through contracting. Supports technology/capabilities through total life cycle. |
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Program Manager, Contracting officer |
Capability Manager | Evaluates and develops force structure resources and requirements. |
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J5 (Strategy & Policy), J8 (Force Structure) |
Technical Manager | Defines the tech strategy across a project portfolio. |
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Computer/nuclear engineer, Operations research |
Product Manager | Ensures the creation of AI-enabled tools, from start to finish. |
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Product Manager, J6 (IT) |
DoD AI Jobs Community: Create AI
Creates AI tools to meet current and future needs.
AI Jobs Title | What Does This Job Do? | Key Differentiators | Example DoD Civilian Careers |
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AI Researcher | Overall AI expert; pushes DoD AI capability forward by predicting and preparing for future use cases; innovator of AI tools. |
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DARPA Artificial Intelligence Research Associate |
AI / ML Engineer | Builds, tests, codes, integrates, and deploys AI tools; expert at coding and programming. |
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AI Assurance Engineer |
Testing & Evaluation Engineer | Evaluates system capabilities and limitations; identifies operational risks. |
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Test & Evaluation Engineer, System Engineer |
Data Scientist | Applies AI tools to perform analytics and create use case-specific solutions. |
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Operations Research Analyst |
Deployment Engineer | Manages integration, deployment, and operation of AI systems at enterprise scale, including network and compute infrastructure and data engineering pipelines |
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Network Infrastructure Engineer, Information Technician |
DoD AI Jobs Community: Embed AI
Embedded with Employ AI, establishes AI systems and provides end-user support at tactical edge.
AI Jobs Title | What Does This Job Do? | Key Differentiators | Example DoD Civilian Career |
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Technician | Deploys, maintains, adapts, and collects data for AI/ML systems at the tactical edge. Sets up systems to collect and analyze data; troubleshoots ML models. |
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Information Technician |
DoD AI Jobs Community: Facilitate AI
Represents users to ensure appropriate AI tools are developed and delivered to address use cases.
AI Jobs Title | What Does This Job Do? | Key Differentiators | Example DoD Civilian Careers |
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Product Owner | Provides voice of customer to ensure requirements match user needs; turns product vision into actionable backlog. |
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Supply Program Manager, Management and Program Analysis |
UI / UX | Designs AI tool interface for usability and accessibility. |
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UX Designer |
Other Technical Experts | Delivers discrete elements of system not specific to AI. Manages functionality of non-AI components of technical tools. |
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Full-stack developer, Web developer, Systems admin |
DoD AI Jobs Community: Employ AI
End-users of AI tools, provide feedback on and requirements for AI tools.
AI Jobs Title | What Does This Job Do? | Key Differentiators | Example DoD Civilian Careers |
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Operations | DoD Warfighter; combat-facing roles. Prepares for and delivers operational requirements. |
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Pilot, SWO, Infantry |
Intelligence | Gathers and analyzes information to support decision-making. |
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Intelligence analyst, Cryptology specialist, ISR manager |
Logistics & Maintenance | Enables troop / gear movement, maintain equipment. |
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Maintainer, repairer, Procurement manager |
Health | Maintains health and well-being of the Warfighter. |
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Medical, Doctor, Nurse, Medic |
Support | Supports the Warfighter in non-combat requirements. Other focused support to the Warfighter. |
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Legal, Personnel |