Koniag IT Systems LLC, a Koniag Government Services company, is seeking a Perplexity/AI Integration Lead to support KITS and our government customer in Washington, DC. The position is remote. This position requires the candidate to be able to obtain a Public Trust. The position is hybrid, requires 3 days onsite.

We offer competitive compensation and an extraordinary benefits package including health, dental and vision insurance, 401K with company matching, flexible spending accounts, paid holidays, three weeks paid time off, and more.

Koniag IT Systems, a Koniag Government Services company, is seeking an experienced and innovative AI Integration Lead to join a forward-thinking technology team supporting the adoption and operationalization of artificial intelligence tools and platforms across enterprise environments. The ideal candidate is a technically proficient and strategically minded professional with hands-on experience implementing AI-powered solutions, including large language model (LLM) platforms such as Perplexity AI, and a passion for leveraging emerging technologies to solve complex, real-world problems. This individual will serve as the primary subject matter expert and integration lead for AI tooling initiatives, driving adoption, governance, and optimization of AI capabilities across client environments.

The AI Integration Lead will serve as the primary technical and strategic lead responsible for the evaluation, integration, deployment, and ongoing optimization of AI platforms and tools — including Perplexity AI and related large language model (LLM) technologies — within the client's enterprise environment. This individual will work closely with IT leadership, business stakeholders, and development teams to identify high-value AI use cases, architect integration solutions, and ensure responsible and effective adoption of AI capabilities in alignment with organizational goals and federal compliance requirements.

Principal responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

Serve as the subject matter expert and technical lead for AI platform integration initiatives, with a focus on Perplexity AI and other enterprise-grade LLM and generative AI tools.
Lead the end-to-end evaluation, piloting, deployment, and scaling of AI solutions across client environments, ensuring alignment with mission objectives, security requirements, and IT governance standards.
Collaborate with business analysts, IT architects, and end users to identify, prioritize, and document AI use cases that drive operational efficiency, knowledge management, and decision support.
Design and oversee integration architectures that connect AI platforms with existing enterprise systems, data sources, APIs, and workflows.
Develop and maintain AI integration documentation, including solution architectures, data flow diagrams, API integration guides, and standard operating procedures.
Establish and enforce AI governance frameworks, responsible use policies, and data privacy guidelines to ensure compliant and ethical deployment of AI tools within government or regulated environments.
Monitor AI platform performance, usage metrics, and output quality, implementing continuous improvement measures to optimize AI tool effectiveness.
Coordinate with cybersecurity and compliance teams to assess and address risks associated with AI platform integrations, including data handling, access controls, and model transparency.
Provide training, enablement, and change management support to end users and stakeholders adopting AI tools, building organizational AI literacy and confidence.
Stay current with the rapidly evolving AI technology landscape, evaluating emerging tools, platforms, and methodologies and providing actionable recommendations to leadership.
Collaborate with development teams to support the integration of AI capabilities into existing applications, portals, and enterprise workflows via APIs and SDKs.
Support the development of AI-related procurement documentation, including requirements gathering, vendor assessments, and statements of work.
Produce regular reports and briefings for IT leadership and executive stakeholders on AI integration progress, outcomes, risks, and opportunities.

Education and Experience:
Required:

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field from an accredited college or university, or equivalent work experience.
8+ years of experience in IT systems integration, software development, data engineering, or a related technical discipline.
5+ years of hands-on experience deploying, configuring, or integrating AI/ML platforms, large language models, or generative AI tools in an enterprise environment.
Demonstrated experience working with REST APIs, cloud platforms, and enterprise integration frameworks.
Experience developing or contributing to AI governance, responsible AI, or data privacy frameworks within an organizational context.

Desired:

Master's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field.
Experience supporting federal government IT or AI initiatives.
Familiarity with FedRAMP-authorized AI platforms and federal AI policy guidance, including the Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI.

Required Skills and Competencies:

Exceptional communication skills in English – both written and oral – with the ability to translate complex AI concepts for both technical and non-technical audiences, including executive stakeholders.
Hands-on experience with AI and LLM platforms, including Perplexity AI, OpenAI, Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, Google Vertex AI, or equivalent enterprise AI tools.
Strong understanding of large language model (LLM) capabilities, limitations, prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) architectures, and AI output evaluation methodologies.
Proficiency in integrating AI platforms with enterprise systems via REST APIs, webhooks, SDKs, and middleware solutions.
Experience with cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), or Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and their native AI/ML service offerings.
Knowledge of data governance, data privacy, and responsible AI principles, including bias mitigation, explainability, and compliance with applicable regulations.
Familiarity with enterprise knowledge management, search, and information retrieval systems and the application of AI to enhance these capabilities.
Ability to develop clear and comprehensive technical documentation, integration guides, and governance policies.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to assess complex technical challenges and develop practical, scalable AI-driven solutions.
Ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams in a dynamic, fast-paced environment with evolving priorities.
Familiarity with Agile development methodologies and the ability to operate effectively within iterative delivery frameworks.
Ability to obtain Public Trust Clearance.

Desired Skills and Competencies:

Experience working in a federal government IT environment, including familiarity with FedRAMP, FISMA, and related compliance frameworks.
Knowledge of cybersecurity principles as they apply to AI platform deployments, including data handling, access control, and model security.
Familiarity with vector databases and embedding technologies used in retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) implementations (e.g., Pinecone, Weaviate, Azure AI Search, or similar).
Experience with Python or other scripting languages for AI integration, automation, and data pipeline development.
Familiarity with Microsoft 365 Copilot, SharePoint-based AI integrations, or Power Platform AI capabilities.
Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer, Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate, AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty, or equivalent AI/ML certification.
Experience with change management and organizational adoption strategies for emerging technology initiatives.
Knowledge of natural language processing (NLP) concepts and their practical application in enterprise search, knowledge management, and workflow automation contexts.

Our Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

The company is an equal opportunity employer. The company shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity (except where gender is a bona fide occupational qualification), national origin or ancestry, age, disability, citizenship, military/veteran status, marital status, genetic information or any other characteristicprotected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We are committed to equal employment opportunity in all decisions related to employment, promotion, wages, benefits, and all other privileges, terms, and conditions of employment.

The company is dedicated to seeking all qualified applicants. If you require an accommodation to navigate or apply for a position on our website, please get in touch with Heaven Wood via e-mail at accommodations@koniag-gs.com or by calling 703-488-9377 to request accommodations.

Koniag Government Services (KGS) is an Alaska Native Owned corporation supporting the values and traditions of our native communities through an agile employee and corporate culture that delivers Enterprise Solutions, Professional Services and Operational Management to Federal Government Agencies. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Koniag, we apply our proven commercial solutions to a deep knowledge of Defense and Civilian missions to provide forward leaning technical, professional, and operational solutions. KGS enables successful mission outcomes for our customers through solution-oriented business partnerships and a commitment to exceptional service delivery. We ensure long-term success with a continuous improvement approach while balancing the collective interests of our customers, employees, and native communities. For more information, please visit www.koniag-gs.com.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled. Shareholder Preference in accordance with Public Law 88-352

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