Position Summary:
Phoenix Group of Virginia seeks an IPT Recorder in Newport News, VA to support Navy inactive ship and vessel disposition programs at SUPSHIP. Duties include meeting documentation, action item tracking, agenda coordination, and stakeholder interface with NAVSEA and contractor personnel. Requires 2+ years in a defense or government program environment.
Position Description:
Phoenix Group of Virginia seeks an IPT Recorder to support Integrated Product Team activities at SUPSHIP Newport News in support of Navy inactive ship and vessel disposition programs. This role is responsible for meeting management, documentation, and action item tracking across multi-stakeholder program environments. The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, and experienced working in a government or defense program setting.
Primary Functions:
Serve as the official recorder for Integrated Product Team (IPT) meetings, working groups, and program reviews in support of Navy inactive ship programs.Capture, organize, and distribute meeting minutes, action items, decisions, and follow-up assignments in a timely and accurate manner.Maintain and track open action item logs; follow up with responsible parties to ensure closure on schedule.Coordinate meeting logistics including scheduling, agendas, attendance tracking, and distribution of pre-read materials.Maintain organized records of program documentation, correspondence, and deliverables in accordance with program and contract requirements.Support development and maintenance of program schedules and status trackers.Interface with SUPSHIP Newport News, NAVSEA, and contractor personnel as required to support program coordination.Prepare and distribute program status reports and briefing materials under direction of the Program Manager.Assist with contract deliverable tracking and submission coordination.
Position Requirements:
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Communications, Program Management, or a related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.Minimum of 2 years of experience supporting program management, meeting management, or administrative coordination in a defense or government environment.Demonstrated ability to accurately capture and document technical and programmatic discussions in a meeting environment.Strong written communication skills with meticulous attention to detail.Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook); experience with SharePoint or similar document management platforms is a plus.Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced, team-oriented setting.
Additional Requirements:
Experience supporting IPTs, program reviews, or working groups in a Navy or NAVSEA program office environment.Familiarity with government contracting terminology, CDRLs, and program documentation requirements.Background in shipbuilding, naval programs, or vessel lifecycle management is a strong plus.Experience with project management tools (MS Project, Smartsheet, or similar).Work Environment:
This is a fully onsite position based in the Chesapeake, Virginia area. Work is primarily office-based with occasional attendance at pier-side or shipyard meetings. Some travel to partner sites or government facilities may be required.
Read LessPosition Summary
Phoenix Group of Virginia (PGV) is seeking an Engineering / ALRE Ship’s Manager with Subject Matter Expertise (SME) to support Waterfront Inactivation efforts. This role integrates expertise in Hull, Mechanical, and Electrical (HM&E) systems; Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE); and Navy 8010 execution to ensure all material, and technical are aligned with Navy requirements and INACT objectives.
The SME evaluates material condition, validates planning assumptions, assesses execution feasibility, and provides authoritative guidance to planning teams, Material Analysts, and SUPSHIP personnel.
Key Responsibilities
HM&E and Engineering Expertise
• Provide subject matter expertise on HM&E systems and shipboard engineering operations, including auxiliaries, support systems, maintenance practices, and material condition assessments.
• Evaluate Availability Work Package (AWP) inputs to validate HM&E system feasibility, sequencing, removal plans, and operational impacts.
• Assess HM&E equipment material condition to determine put‑in‑service and take‑out‑of‑service requirements and feasibility of reclaiming equipment for future use.
• Identify gaps between HM&E planning assumptions and actual shipboard execution constraints; formulate and recommend corrective actions.
• Provide technical guidance regarding system access limitations, operational constraints, and turnover requirements from a shipboard perspective.
ALRE Systems Expertise
• Serve as the technical SME for Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE), including catapults, arresting gear, and associated components.
• Assess ALRE system material condition, validate AWP inputs relating to removal, reclamation, and disposition, and ensure feasibility and alignment with INACT plans.
• Identify ALRE components appropriate for reclamation, reuse, rotatable pools, disposal, or demilitarization.
• Evaluate shipbuilder plans for ALRE removal, material handling, access constraints, and staging requirements.
• Work closely with Material Analysts and Supply SMEs to ensure correct tracking, handling, and disposition of ALRE materials including material reclamation efforts.
Navy 8010 Expertise
• Apply thorough knowledge of the Navy’s 8010 requirements as they pertain to engineering systems, HM&E, and ALRE-related INACT work.
• Provide detailed assessments of deviations from 8010 requirements tied to removal, sequencing, reclamation, deferred work, and discovered work.
• Ensure all technical recommendations adhere to 8010 boundaries, reporting requirements, and INACT program constraints.
• Serve as a key integrator between technical feasibility and workplace accountability, ensuring compliance.
Planning & Cross‑Functional Integration
• Participate in Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) and planning meetings to incorporate HM&E, ALRE, and 8010 considerations into INACT execution strategies.
• Coordinate with ship’s force, SUPSHIPNN personnel, shipbuilder teams, planners, Material Analysts, and other stakeholders to ensure seamless execution of material and system-related activities.
• Validate assumptions concerning HM&E and ALRE lifecycle status, system readiness, and material value.
• Provide clear, authoritative recommendations that balance technical requirements, and operational constraints..
Risk Assessment
• Identify risks related to HM&E and ALRE system condition, removal sequencing, access, maintenance practices, and handling constraints.
• Evaluate the operational impact of system removal or deactivation and advise planners on mitigation strategies.
• Translate technical risks into actionable planning considerations to support safe and timely execution.
Required Qualifications
• High School Diploma or equivalent
• Minimum 10 years of experience in:
– U.S. Navy HM&E, A‑Division, or auxiliaries maintenance and operations
– U.S. Navy ALRE operations, maintenance, or technical support
• Demonstrated expertise working on aircraft carriers or other large‑deck naval platforms
• Proven ability to assess system condition and validate the feasibility of shipboard maintenance or removal actions
Preferred Qualifications
• Former U.S. Navy senior enlisted (CPO preferred), Chief Warrant Officer (CWO), or Limited Duty Officer (LDO) with HM&E or ALRE background
• Experience with shipyard availabilities or inactivation work (INACT)
• Familiarity with SUPSHIP, RMC, NAVAIR, TYCOM, or similar Navy technical environments
• Experience with Government Furnished Material (GFM)/Contractor Furnished Material (CFM), demilitarization, or disposal requirements
• Experience operating under Navy 8010 manual
Core Competencies
• Comprehensive HM&E system knowledge and material condition assessment
• Detailed ALRE system and component expertise
• Ability to evaluate and communicate risk across technical and operational domains
• Effective collaboration with diverse shipboard, shipyard, and oversight stakeholders
Tools / Systems
Microsoft Office Suite (basic proficiency)
Navy maintenance and operational documentation (as applicable)
Work Environment
Onsite: Waterfront/Shipyard/SUPSHIP Newport News environments
Direct interaction with shipboard personnel, planners, and shipbuilder teams
Security Requirements
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret clearance
U.S. citizenship required
Join Our Team as an Engineering Technician – Interior Communications!
Join Phoenix Group as an Interior Communications (IC) Subject Matter Expert (SME) for our Carrier Transition Team (CXT). We are seeking a seasoned professional to play a key role in collaborating with Ship’s Force to identify and resolve critical issues during a carrier’s Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH).
The ideal candidate has an expert-level understanding of naval interior communications systems, alarm circuits, indicating networks, and ship's control systems, combined with a strong maintenance background. This enables them to quickly identify system discrepancies, troubleshoot complex technical problems, and bridge the gap between Ship's Force and repair activities.
This role is for someone who has "lived the life" of a senior interior communications specialist and excelled at it! You will work closely with the crew to navigate the variances of IC system restoration, modernization, and testing in an RCOH environment. Your mission will be to provide immediate technical assistance, help eliminate schedule risks, train and mentor sailors, and ensure Ship's Force is prepared for operational success.
Key Responsibilities:
Be proactive and embedded with Ship’s Force, becoming a trusted, integral part of the crew.Serve as a trusted advisor knowledgeable of shipboard IC systems, maintenance processes, and RCOH operations.Provide mentorship and training to Combat Systems and IC personnel on best practices for ordering, tracking, and managing materials in RCOH. Proactively engage in helping the crew to identify discrepancies in system installations and testing procedures to prevent work stoppages.Team with Ship’s Force to anticipate and eliminate potential risks to production and schedule, particularly those related to system integration and material availability.Help shape CXT’s short-term and long-term objectives that align with the team’s mission.Qualifications
Experience: 8+ years of CVN (Carrier) IC/Combat maintenance, operation, and modernization experience is highly desired. This must include hands-on experience in a shipyard environment, with a strong preference for RCOH experience. A bachelor’s degree in engineering or technical area may be substituted for up to 4 years of experience.Background: A proven track record within a CVN Combat Systems department (specifically in IC division) is required. Extensive experience interfacing with maintenance, repair, and testing divisions is a significant plus. Education: A bachelor’s degree in engineering, electronics, or a related technical area may be substituted for up to 4 years of experience.
Skills & Requirements:
Excellent communication (oral and written) skills. Strong leadership and mentoring skills to support training and development initiatives. Expertise in Navy Interior Communications systems, tag-out procedures, and the Joint Fleet Maintenance Manual (JFMM). A deep understanding of the unique challenges of restoring, integrating, and testing IC equipment during a CVN availability.Ability to read and interpret technical drawings, wiring diagrams, and schematics to assist in troubleshooting and system validation.U.S. Citizenship and eligibility for a SECRET security clearance.
Why Join Phoenix Group?
Comprehensive Benefits Package: Health, dental, and vision insurance.Innovation-Drive Culture: Work with cutting-edge tools and technologies while solving challenging problems that make a difference. Collaboration & Growth: Join a talented team of professionals, including Senior Government Officials, in an environment that supports your growth and career development. Mission-Driven Work: Your efforts directly support naval operations and national security.Unmatched Culture: Work with a team that values diversity, collaboration, and excellence.Location:
Newport News, VA
Job Type: Full-time
Ready to take the next step in your career? Apply now to join a team committed to driving excellence in naval readiness.
Read LessPrimary Functions: Provide on-site/off-site knowledge management support to the CT1 Community Leaders (e.g., KSN Process Masters, KMSO, CT1 PD, Focal Points) in the planning and execution of all aspects of the knowledge management process, as well as assist in the planning and facilitation of knowledge management events.
Provide support for events/meetings:
Knowledge Management Community of Practice (KMCoP) Face to Face meetingThree Leadership Group (3LG) Face to Face meetingCT1 Annual Community EventAvailability Hot Washes, KSN Meetings, and CVN Retrospect’sProvide staff support to the CT1 program and Carrier Project Teams.
Position Requirements:
Education: Bachelor's degree in business management discipline or technical management and 3 years professional experience directly involved in the planning and execution of CVN availabilities from a public or private shipyard’s perspective.–OR -
Associate’s degree business management discipline or technical management and 5 years professional experience directly involved in the planning and execution of CVN availabilities from a public or private shipyard’s perspective.
–OR -
5 years professional experience in Knowledge Management and 7 years professional experience directly involved in the planning and execution of CVN availabilities from a public or private shipyard’s perspective.
Required Skills and/or Experience: 3 years professional experience directly involved in the planning and execution of CVN availabilities from a public or private shipyard’s perspective and a Bachelor's degree in business management discipline or technical management.–OR -
5 years professional experience directly involved in the planning and execution of CVN availabilities from a public or private shipyard’s perspective and an Associate’s degree business management discipline or technical management,
-OR -
5 years professional experience in Knowledge Management and 7 years professional experience directly involved in the planning and execution of CVN availabilities from a public or private shipyard’s perspective.
Certifications: NONEAdditional requirements:
SECURITY CLEARANCE: Employee is required to provide eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. SECRET security clearance. Proof of U.S. Citizenship required due to technical content of work.Satisfactory criminal/traffic/credit background check required for entry to NNS shipyard.Notes:
Under this task, travel is required, up to 12 trips per year (i.e. Attend Semi-annual 3LG and Annual Community meeting, KMCoP face to face, KSN Face to faces, Hot Washes, etc.).
Due to the nature of the work specified by the contract, this position requires regular and recurring deckplate presence at the Government site.
Read LessPosition Summary: Carrier Team One (CT1) leads transformative data-driven process improvement and knowledge management initiatives for nuclear aircraft carrier maintenance and modernization. This includes maintenance support for all aircraft carrier availabilities, including Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH), Planned Incremental Availability (PIA), Selected Restrictive Availability (SRA), Docking Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA), and Carrier Incremental Availability (CIA). The Senior Data Scientist / AI Engineer serves as the principal technical expert and hands-on builder for CT1's advanced analytics and artificial intelligence capabilities. This role directly supports the mission to accelerate capability delivery to the fleet, reclaim decades of obsolescence across alterations, and optimize the expenditure of thousands of man-days and millions of dollars per availability. CT1 particularly values candidates who combine strong technical capability with exceptional learning agility, intellectual curiosity, and drive to rapidly master complex domains and deliver measurable results. This work builds upon CT1's existing Operations Dashboard and Qlik Sense analytics investments that have already demonstrated $9.3M+ savings and 5,200+ man-day reductions per project.
Position Description: This is a senior technical individual-contributor role (non-supervisory) requiring deep expertise in modern LLM engineering, production MLOps, and the ability to translate operational Navy requirements into reliable, secure, and measurable AI solutions. The position demands both exceptional technical craftsmanship and strong stakeholder communication skills to brief results and limitations to project superintendents, engineers, senior leadership, and external stakeholders (NAVSEA, PEO, TYCOM).
Primary Functions: The primary focus of this position is the design, development, deployment, and continuous improvement of production-grade Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems, agentic AI workflows, and LLM-powered analytics tailored to carrier hotwashes (after-action reviews), project performance data, technical documentation, and operational decision support. The incumbent will leverage and extend platforms including ADVANA, Databricks, AWS SageMaker, LangChain/LangGraph, and cURL to turn complex, unstructured, and structured naval maintenance data into actionable insights, automated summaries, predictive signals, and natural-language query capabilities.
Position Requirements:
35% — LLM/RAG Pipeline Architecture, Development & Productionization
Lead the end-to-end design and implementation of scalable, secure RAG and multi-agent systems. Select and optimize embedding models, chunking strategies, hybrid retrieval (vector + keyword + metadata), reranking, and context compression techniques specifically tuned for technical naval maintenance documentation, alteration history, hotwash narratives, and project artifacts. Implement hallucination detection, citation/grounding mechanisms, and domain-adapted evaluation metrics. Deploy and iterate on LangChain/LangGraph (or equivalent) orchestration layers integrated with approved LLM endpoints (Gemini primary; others as authorized). Ensure solutions meet performance, cost, latency, and reliability targets for operational use.
20% — Data Engineering, Ingestion & Vector Infrastructure
Architect and maintain robust data pipelines that ingest, clean, enrich, version, and serve data from heterogeneous shipyard sources (ADVANA datasets, MAXIMO or equivalent EAM systems, Qlik extracts, project schedules, technical manuals, and unstructured logs). Implement vector stores, metadata filtering, and feature stores on Databricks or SageMaker. Establish data quality monitoring, lineage, and governance aligned with DoD and Navy data standards. Enable both batch and near-real-time capabilities as required for hotwash cycles and availability execution.
15% — AI-Augmented Operational Analytics & Decision Support
Partner with CT1 analysts, Work Integration Managers, Assistant Project Superintendents, and Process Masters to identify high-impact AI use cases. Build and productionize AI-enhanced features for the CT1 Operations Dashboard and related tools: natural language querying of project data, automated hotwash summarization and insight extraction, risk flagging, duration/resource forecasting, and semantic search over historical alterations and lessons learned. Quantify and communicate ROI in terms of man-days saved, cost avoidance, schedule compression, and improved decision quality.
10% — MLOps, Evaluation, Monitoring & Responsible AI
Establish production MLOps practices: prompt/model versioning, CI/CD for pipelines and agents, automated regression testing, drift detection, cost tracking, and observability. Design and maintain rigorous, Navy-context-specific evaluation harnesses (offline benchmarks + online A/B or human feedback loops). Champion and implement DoD AI ethical principles, bias auditing, transparency, human-in-the-loop safeguards, and compliance with emerging Navy/DoD AI governance and cybersecurity requirements (including RMF/ATO considerations for any new capabilities).
10% — Cross-Functional Collaboration, Validation & Knowledge Transfer
Serve as the primary AI technical liaison to CT1's cross-functional teams and the broader Knowledge Management Community of Practice (KM COP). Conduct requirements workshops, demo iterations, and validation sessions with subject-matter experts (welders, planners, engineers, logisticians). Translate complex technical concepts and model limitations into plain language for senior decision-makers. Document architectures, runbooks, prompt libraries, and lessons learned. Actively contribute to CT1's knowledge management, process improvement, and innovation initiatives, including agentic research efforts.
5% — Research, Prototyping & Technology Scanning
Continuously scan the rapidly evolving LLM/agent/RAG landscape for high-value, low-risk capabilities that can be adopted within approved cloud and security boundaries. Rapidly prototype promising approaches against real CT1 use cases (e.g., multi-agent hotwash analysis, knowledge graph augmentation of RAG, predictive signals from unstructured maintenance text). Provide concise technology assessments and recommendations to leadership.
5% — Mentorship, Documentation, Compliance & Continuous Improvement
Mentor junior data professionals, contractors, or rotating personnel on best practices. Maintain living technical documentation and contribute to CT1's knowledge base. Support audits, data calls, and continuous monitoring requirements. Identify process or tooling improvements that increase team velocity and solution quality. Perform other related duties as assigned in support of CT1 mission objectives.
General Experience:
Required Technical Competencies
• Expert-level knowledge and hands-on production experience with modern LLM engineering, RAG architectures, agentic workflows (LangGraph or strong equivalent), prompt engineering, evaluation frameworks, and grounding/citation techniques.
• Advanced proficiency in Python and the LLM/data ecosystem: LangChain/LangGraph (or LlamaIndex + custom orchestration), vector databases, embedding models, Hugging Face Transformers (as needed), Pandas/Polars, SQL, and Spark/Databricks Delta Lake.
• Strong practical experience deploying and operating ML/AI workloads on cloud platforms, with preference for AWS SageMaker and/or Databricks; equivalent experience on Azure ML or Google Vertex AI is highly transferable.
• Demonstrated ability to build production data pipelines, implement MLOps (CI/CD, monitoring, versioning), and manage the full lifecycle of AI solutions from prototype through sustained operations with measurable SLAs.
• Solid understanding of NLP techniques for technical and semi-structured text (chunking, entity extraction, summarization, semantic search) and experience applying them to real-world operational or maintenance datasets.
Required Domain & Soft Competencies
• Ability to rapidly acquire and apply context from complex naval maintenance, engineering, logistics, and project management domains; prior DoD/Navy/shipyard or heavy industrial experience is a strong plus but not mandatory if accompanied by proven ability to learn technical domains quickly.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to produce clear technical documentation and to brief technical and non-technical audiences up to senior executive/flag level on capabilities, trade-offs, risks, and measured outcomes.
• Strong collaboration and facilitation skills; comfortable leading requirements workshops, validation sessions, and iterative co-design with domain experts who may have limited AI background.
• High degree of self-motivation, intellectual curiosity, and disciplined execution in a fast-paced operational environment with competing priorities and evolving requirements.
Preferred / Highly Desirable
• Active or recent Secret (or higher) security clearance.
• Prior experience supporting Navy, NAVSEA, shipyard, or other DoD maintenance/modernization analytics or AI initiatives.
• Hands-on familiarity with ADVANA, Databricks Unity Catalog, or Navy/DoD data platforms and governance frameworks.
• Experience with knowledge graphs, hybrid search, multi-modal models, or LLM fine-tuning (parameter-efficient or continued pre-training) in regulated environments.
• AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty or equivalent cloud ML certification; relevant LLMOps or MLOps certifications.
• Track record of shipping production AI features that delivered quantified operational or business impact in complex environments
Additional Requirements:
Education
Master's degree or higher from an accredited institution in Data Science, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Statistics, Operations Research, or a closely related quantitative field is strongly preferred. A Ph.D. is advantageous for roles with significant research/prototyping elements but is not required.
Or
A Bachelor's degree in the same fields, combined with strong demonstrated impact on complex LLM/RAG or ML systems plus exceptional learning agility may be qualifying.
Experience
Generally 4–6+ years of professional experience, with stronger emphasis on independent ownership of production or near-production RAG/agentic LLM systems, deeper technical leadership, and the ability to operate with minimal supervision on complex, high-stakes problems from day one.
Or
Generally 2–4 years of professional experience in data science, machine learning engineering, or AI application development. Candidates must demonstrate clear, meaningful contribution to LLM, RAG, or other complex ML/AI systems (production, near-production, or high-impact pilot systems that delivered measurable value). Exceptional learning agility, intellectual curiosity, and drive are heavily weighted. Outstanding portfolios or rapid progression on complex technical projects can offset modestly lower years of experience.
All candidates must show, through resume, projects, and interview, meaningful personal contribution to the design, implementation, significant improvement, or successful adoption of RAG, agentic LLM, or other complex ML/AI systems applied to technical or operational use cases. Evidence of rapid learning, high-quality delivery under ambiguity, intellectual curiosity, and measurable impact will be weighted heavily.
Purely academic, notebook-only, or low-impact proof-of-concept work without clear stakeholder value or learning agility will generally not meet this factor at either level.
Work Environment and Physical Requirements:
• U.S. Citizenship
• Security Clearance — Secret clearance
• Telework / Hybrid — Regular telework or hybrid arrangement (typically 2–3 days per week on-site or as mission dictates) is available and encouraged where duties permit. Some work (classified discussions, certain data access, collaboration sessions, shipyard walkthroughs) will require on-site presence at naval facilities.
• Travel — TDY (estimated 10 - 12 trips per year) to naval shipyards, or conferences for coordination, requirements gathering, training, or knowledge sharing.
• Cybersecurity & AI Governance — Must comply with all applicable DoD, Navy; cybersecurity policies, AI use guidelines, data handling requirements (including CUI and classified information), and RMF/ATO processes for any new capabilities developed or integrated.
• Ethics & Standards — Incumbent is expected to model the highest standards of professional conduct, intellectual honesty, and commitment to responsible, mission-aligned AI development
Read LessPosition Summary: Carrier Team One (CT1) leads transformative data-driven process improvement and knowledge management initiatives for nuclear aircraft carrier maintenance and modernization. This includes maintenance support for all aircraft carrier availabilities, including Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH), Planned Incremental Availability (PIA), Selected Restrictive Availability (SRA), Docking Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA), and Carrier Incremental Availability (CIA). The Senior Data Scientist / AI Engineer serves as the principal technical expert and hands-on builder for CT1's advanced analytics and artificial intelligence capabilities. This role directly supports the mission to accelerate capability delivery to the fleet, reclaim decades of obsolescence across alterations, and optimize the expenditure of thousands of man-days and millions of dollars per availability. CT1 particularly values candidates who combine strong technical capability with exceptional learning agility, intellectual curiosity, and drive to rapidly master complex domains and deliver measurable results. This work builds upon CT1's existing Operations Dashboard and Qlik Sense analytics investments that have already demonstrated $9.3M+ savings and 5,200+ man-day reductions per project.
Position Description: This is a senior technical individual-contributor role (non-supervisory) requiring deep expertise in modern LLM engineering, production MLOps, and the ability to translate operational Navy requirements into reliable, secure, and measurable AI solutions. The position demands both exceptional technical craftsmanship and strong stakeholder communication skills to brief results and limitations to project superintendents, engineers, senior leadership, and external stakeholders (NAVSEA, PEO, TYCOM).
Primary Functions: The primary focus of this position is the design, development, deployment, and continuous improvement of production-grade Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems, agentic AI workflows, and LLM-powered analytics tailored to carrier hotwashes (after-action reviews), project performance data, technical documentation, and operational decision support. The incumbent will leverage and extend platforms including ADVANA, Databricks, AWS SageMaker, LangChain/LangGraph, and cURL to turn complex, unstructured, and structured naval maintenance data into actionable insights, automated summaries, predictive signals, and natural-language query capabilities.
Position Requirements:
35% — LLM/RAG Pipeline Architecture, Development & Productionization
Lead the end-to-end design and implementation of scalable, secure RAG and multi-agent systems. Select and optimize embedding models, chunking strategies, hybrid retrieval (vector + keyword + metadata), reranking, and context compression techniques specifically tuned for technical naval maintenance documentation, alteration history, hotwash narratives, and project artifacts. Implement hallucination detection, citation/grounding mechanisms, and domain-adapted evaluation metrics. Deploy and iterate on LangChain/LangGraph (or equivalent) orchestration layers integrated with approved LLM endpoints (Gemini primary; others as authorized). Ensure solutions meet performance, cost, latency, and reliability targets for operational use.
20% — Data Engineering, Ingestion & Vector Infrastructure
Architect and maintain robust data pipelines that ingest, clean, enrich, version, and serve data from heterogeneous shipyard sources (ADVANA datasets, MAXIMO or equivalent EAM systems, Qlik extracts, project schedules, technical manuals, and unstructured logs). Implement vector stores, metadata filtering, and feature stores on Databricks or SageMaker. Establish data quality monitoring, lineage, and governance aligned with DoD and Navy data standards. Enable both batch and near-real-time capabilities as required for hotwash cycles and availability execution.
15% — AI-Augmented Operational Analytics & Decision Support
Partner with CT1 analysts, Work Integration Managers, Assistant Project Superintendents, and Process Masters to identify high-impact AI use cases. Build and productionize AI-enhanced features for the CT1 Operations Dashboard and related tools: natural language querying of project data, automated hotwash summarization and insight extraction, risk flagging, duration/resource forecasting, and semantic search over historical alterations and lessons learned. Quantify and communicate ROI in terms of man-days saved, cost avoidance, schedule compression, and improved decision quality.
10% — MLOps, Evaluation, Monitoring & Responsible AI
Establish production MLOps practices: prompt/model versioning, CI/CD for pipelines and agents, automated regression testing, drift detection, cost tracking, and observability. Design and maintain rigorous, Navy-context-specific evaluation harnesses (offline benchmarks + online A/B or human feedback loops). Champion and implement DoD AI ethical principles, bias auditing, transparency, human-in-the-loop safeguards, and compliance with emerging Navy/DoD AI governance and cybersecurity requirements (including RMF/ATO considerations for any new capabilities).
10% — Cross-Functional Collaboration, Validation & Knowledge Transfer
Serve as the primary AI technical liaison to CT1's cross-functional teams and the broader Knowledge Management Community of Practice (KM COP). Conduct requirements workshops, demo iterations, and validation sessions with subject-matter experts (welders, planners, engineers, logisticians). Translate complex technical concepts and model limitations into plain language for senior decision-makers. Document architectures, runbooks, prompt libraries, and lessons learned. Actively contribute to CT1's knowledge management, process improvement, and innovation initiatives, including agentic research efforts.
5% — Research, Prototyping & Technology Scanning
Continuously scan the rapidly evolving LLM/agent/RAG landscape for high-value, low-risk capabilities that can be adopted within approved cloud and security boundaries. Rapidly prototype promising approaches against real CT1 use cases (e.g., multi-agent hotwash analysis, knowledge graph augmentation of RAG, predictive signals from unstructured maintenance text). Provide concise technology assessments and recommendations to leadership.
5% — Mentorship, Documentation, Compliance & Continuous Improvement
Mentor junior data professionals, contractors, or rotating personnel on best practices. Maintain living technical documentation and contribute to CT1's knowledge base. Support audits, data calls, and continuous monitoring requirements. Identify process or tooling improvements that increase team velocity and solution quality. Perform other related duties as assigned in support of CT1 mission objectives.
General Experience:
Required Technical Competencies
• Expert-level knowledge and hands-on production experience with modern LLM engineering, RAG architectures, agentic workflows (LangGraph or strong equivalent), prompt engineering, evaluation frameworks, and grounding/citation techniques.
• Advanced proficiency in Python and the LLM/data ecosystem: LangChain/LangGraph (or LlamaIndex + custom orchestration), vector databases, embedding models, Hugging Face Transformers (as needed), Pandas/Polars, SQL, and Spark/Databricks Delta Lake.
• Strong practical experience deploying and operating ML/AI workloads on cloud platforms, with preference for AWS SageMaker and/or Databricks; equivalent experience on Azure ML or Google Vertex AI is highly transferable.
• Demonstrated ability to build production data pipelines, implement MLOps (CI/CD, monitoring, versioning), and manage the full lifecycle of AI solutions from prototype through sustained operations with measurable SLAs.
• Solid understanding of NLP techniques for technical and semi-structured text (chunking, entity extraction, summarization, semantic search) and experience applying them to real-world operational or maintenance datasets.
Required Domain & Soft Competencies
• Ability to rapidly acquire and apply context from complex naval maintenance, engineering, logistics, and project management domains; prior DoD/Navy/shipyard or heavy industrial experience is a strong plus but not mandatory if accompanied by proven ability to learn technical domains quickly.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to produce clear technical documentation and to brief technical and non-technical audiences up to senior executive/flag level on capabilities, trade-offs, risks, and measured outcomes.
• Strong collaboration and facilitation skills; comfortable leading requirements workshops, validation sessions, and iterative co-design with domain experts who may have limited AI background.
• High degree of self-motivation, intellectual curiosity, and disciplined execution in a fast-paced operational environment with competing priorities and evolving requirements.
Preferred / Highly Desirable
• Active or recent Secret (or higher) security clearance.
• Prior experience supporting Navy, NAVSEA, shipyard, or other DoD maintenance/modernization analytics or AI initiatives.
• Hands-on familiarity with ADVANA, Databricks Unity Catalog, or Navy/DoD data platforms and governance frameworks.
• Experience with knowledge graphs, hybrid search, multi-modal models, or LLM fine-tuning (parameter-efficient or continued pre-training) in regulated environments.
• AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty or equivalent cloud ML certification; relevant LLMOps or MLOps certifications.
• Track record of shipping production AI features that delivered quantified operational or business impact in complex environments
Additional Requirements:
Education
Master's degree or higher from an accredited institution in Data Science, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Statistics, Operations Research, or a closely related quantitative field is strongly preferred. A Ph.D. is advantageous for roles with significant research/prototyping elements but is not required.
Or
A Bachelor's degree in the same fields, combined with strong demonstrated impact on complex LLM/RAG or ML systems plus exceptional learning agility may be qualifying.
Experience
Generally 4–6+ years of professional experience, with stronger emphasis on independent ownership of production or near-production RAG/agentic LLM systems, deeper technical leadership, and the ability to operate with minimal supervision on complex, high-stakes problems from day one.
Or
Generally 2–4 years of professional experience in data science, machine learning engineering, or AI application development. Candidates must demonstrate clear, meaningful contribution to LLM, RAG, or other complex ML/AI systems (production, near-production, or high-impact pilot systems that delivered measurable value). Exceptional learning agility, intellectual curiosity, and drive are heavily weighted. Outstanding portfolios or rapid progression on complex technical projects can offset modestly lower years of experience.
All candidates must show, through resume, projects, and interview, meaningful personal contribution to the design, implementation, significant improvement, or successful adoption of RAG, agentic LLM, or other complex ML/AI systems applied to technical or operational use cases. Evidence of rapid learning, high-quality delivery under ambiguity, intellectual curiosity, and measurable impact will be weighted heavily.
Purely academic, notebook-only, or low-impact proof-of-concept work without clear stakeholder value or learning agility will generally not meet this factor at either level.
Work Environment and Physical Requirements:
• U.S. Citizenship
• Security Clearance — Secret clearance
• Telework / Hybrid — Regular telework or hybrid arrangement (typically 2–3 days per week on-site or as mission dictates) is available and encouraged where duties permit. Some work (classified discussions, certain data access, collaboration sessions, shipyard walkthroughs) will require on-site presence at naval facilities.
• Travel — TDY (estimated 10 - 12 trips per year) to naval shipyards, or conferences for coordination, requirements gathering, training, or knowledge sharing.
• Cybersecurity & AI Governance — Must comply with all applicable DoD, Navy; cybersecurity policies, AI use guidelines, data handling requirements (including CUI and classified information), and RMF/ATO processes for any new capabilities developed or integrated.
• Ethics & Standards — Incumbent is expected to model the highest standards of professional conduct, intellectual honesty, and commitment to responsible, mission-aligned AI development
Read LessPosition Description:
Phoenix Group of Virginia (PGV) embeds a Defueling Functional Area Planner to support SUPSHIP Newport News and NAVSEA 08 INACT planning. The planner develops and refines nuclear and defueling work packages, ensuring accurate scope, prioritization, and contract alignment to deliver safe, executable inactivation outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
Develop and refine Nuclear and Defueling Availability Work Package (AWP) inputs for INACT execution.Conduct detailed AWP reviews to ensure work items are prioritized, complete, and aligned to SWLIN requirements.Coordinate with SUPSHIPNN, NAVSEA 08, and INACT project teams on technical instruction reconciliation and contract alignment.Analyze Cost Data Sheets, service algorithms, and contract inputs to support planning accuracy and execution feasibility.Review and assess shipbuilder CDRL submittals for completeness and contractual compliance.Participate in Nuclear IPT and interface meetings; translate outputs into executable AWP actions.Develop Technical Advisory Reports (TARs) and planning inputs supporting advanced execution strategies.Coordinate defueling-phase radiological sequencing with Nuclear FAP; flag conflicts to Program Director.Perform other duties as assigned by leadership to support Statement of Work requirements.Required Qualifications
High School Diploma or equivalent10+ years aircraft carrier maintenance, operations, shipbuilding, or repair experienceDirect experience with nuclear or defueling planning, execution, or oversightPreferred Qualifications
Project or Program Management experienceFormer US Navy CPO, CWO, or LDOExperience with SUPSHIP, NAVSEA 08, NSWC/NUWC, RMC, or TYCOM environmentsCore Competencies
Nuclear planning rigor and compliance disciplineContract interpretation and execution alignmentStakeholder coordination across Government and shipbuilder organizationsAnalytical problem-solving under schedule pressureTools / Systems
Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)Cost and schedule analysis tools (program-specific)Work Environment
Onsite: Newport News Shipbuilding / SUPSHIP NNHigh-tempo shipyard and program office coordination environment
Additional Requirements: Secret Clearance
Read LessPosition Summary
Phoenix Group of Virginia (PGV) assigns a TS/CS/ALRE Functional Area Planner to support non-nuclear inactivation planning for aircraft carriers. The planner develops and integrates topside, combat systems, and ALRE work packages to ensure contract alignment and executable planning across SUPSHIPNN and PMS 368.
Key Responsibilities
Develop and refine TS/CS/ALRE Availability Work Package (AWP) inputs for INACT execution.Conduct detailed AWP reviews to validate scope, prioritization, and SWLIN alignment.Coordinate with SUPSHIPNN and PMS 368 on technical instruction reconciliation and contract support.Review shipbuilder CDRL submittals for topside, combat systems, and ALRE scope.Participate in SHIP IPT and interface meetings to translate requirements into executable work.Develop Technical Advisory Reports (TARs) supporting planning and execution strategies.Analyze Cost Data Sheets and contract inputs to ensure planning accuracy.Support INACT MPM coordination and execution alignment across stakeholders.Perform other duties as assigned by leadership to support Statement of Work requirements.Required Qualifications
High School Diploma or equivalent10+ years aircraft carrier topside, combat systems, ALRE, or shipyard experiencePreferred Qualifications
Project or Program Management experienceFormer US Navy CPO, CWO, or LDODirect experience with TS/CS/ALRE systemsExperience with SUPSHIP, NSWC/NUWC, RMC, or TYCOMCore Competencies
Combat systems / topside / ALRE integration knowledgeWork package development and validationCross-functional coordination in acquisition and execution environmentsAnalytical problem-solvingTools / Systems
Microsoft Office SuiteProgram cost and schedule toolsWork EnvironmentOnsite: Newport News Shipyard / SUPSHIP NNHigh-coordination, multi-stakeholder execution environmentSecurity Clearance: Secret Clearance Required
Position Summary
Phoenix Group of Virginia (PGV) provides a Non-Nuclear HM&E Functional Area Planner to support carrier inactivation planning at SUPSHIP Newport News. The planner develops and integrates HM&E work packages, ensuring technical accuracy, contract alignment, and executable planning for inactivation delivery.
Key Responsibilities
Develop and refine HM&E Availability Work Package (AWP) inputs for INACT execution.Conduct AWP reviews to ensure completeness, prioritization, and SWLIN alignment.Coordinate with SUPSHIPNN and PMS 368 on technical instruction reconciliation and contract support.Review and analyze shipbuilder CDRL submittals for HM&E systems.Participate in SHIP IPT and non-nuclear interface meetings to drive planning decisions.Develop Technical Advisory Reports (TARs) supporting advanced planning and execution.Analyze Cost Data Sheets, service algorithms, and contract inputs for planning accuracy.Support INACT MPM coordination and execution alignment across stakeholders.Perform other duties as assigned by leadership to support Statement of Work requirements.Required Qualifications
High School Diploma or equivalent10+ years aircraft carrier HM&E, shipbuilding, or repair experiencePreferred Qualifications
Project or Program Management experienceFormer US Navy CPO, CWO, or LDODirect experience with carrier HM&E systemsExperience with SUPSHIP, NSWC/NUWC, RMC, or TYCOMCore Competencies
HM&E system knowledge and planning integrationContract and work package developmentStakeholder coordination in complex shipyard environmentsExecution-focused planning disciplineTools / Systems
Microsoft Office SuiteCost and schedule tracking toolsWork Environment
Onsite: Newport News Shipyard / SUPSHIP NNIndustrial shipyard planning and execution environmentAdditional Requirements: Secret Clearance
Read LessPosition Summary:
Phoenix Group of Virginia seeks a General Engineer in Newport News, VA to support Navy inactive ship and vessel disposition programs at SUPSHIP. Responsibilities include technical documentation, work package support, IPT coordination, and stakeholder interface with NAVSEA and shipyard personnel. Requires a BS in Engineering and 3+ years in a defense or naval environment.
Position Description:
Phoenix Group of Virginia is seeking a General Engineer to support Navy inactive ship and vessel disposition programs at SUPSHIP Newport News. This role provides technical engineering support across a range of program areas including planning, documentation, and coordination with government and shipyard stakeholders. The ideal candidate brings hands-on naval or maritime engineering experience and thrives in a fast-moving, mission-focused environment.
Primary Functions:
Provide engineering technical support to Navy inactive ship programs, including analysis, documentation, and coordination activities.Assist in the development and review of engineering products such as work packages, technical specifications, drawings, and assessments.Support Integrated Product Team (IPT) activities and serve as a technical resource during planning and execution phases.Interface with SUPSHIP Newport News, NAVSEA, and shipyard personnel on technical matters related to vessel systems and disposition planning.Identify and document engineering issues, risks, and recommendations in coordination with program leads.Research historical vessel data, maintenance records, and technical documentation to support planning efforts.Prepare briefings, technical reports, and supporting documentation for government review.Perform site visits to vessels, shipyards, or government facilities as required to support program activities.
Position Requirements:
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Marine, Naval Architecture, Systems, or related discipline) from an accredited institution.Minimum of 3 years of engineering experience in a defense, shipbuilding, or naval environment.Working knowledge of ship systems, mechanical systems, or similar technical domains relevant to naval vessels.Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, technical specifications, and government documentation.Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to produce clear technical documentation.Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
Additional Requirements:
Experience supporting NAVSEA, SUPSHIP, or a Naval Shipyard program.Familiarity with Navy inactive ship management, vessel disposition, or INACT planning processes.Background in ship systems (HM&E, C4I, nuclear plant support, or similar) is a strong plus.Professional Engineer (PE) license or EIT certification.Experience working in a government contractor environment on cost-type or fixed-price contracts. Read Less