CHIEF SCIENTIST JOB DESCRIPTION

A Chief Scientist is an organization's highest independent technical authority. In defense and government research contexts, that means owning the scientific direction for programs that carry national security implications, with accountability that no program manager or senior engineer shares. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and defense contractors in the nuclear, quantum, and RF-sensing sectors operate under sponsor-defined technical quality standards that must be interpreted and enforced from within. This role translates sponsor mission requirements into executable research strategies, arbitrates competing technical approaches, and certifies the credibility of work products before they reach government clients.

As the Chief Scientist, you own the technical vision and research integrity for a portfolio of government-sponsored programs, ensuring that scientific output meets both sponsor expectations and peer-reviewed standards. You sit at or near the executive level, advising senior leadership and program sponsors while directing multidisciplinary teams of researchers, engineers, and scientists whose combined output defines the organization's standing in the defense and national security research community.

Career Impact: Sustained work in FFRDCs or defense prime contractor environments builds a recognized track record across government agencies, professional societies, and academic institutions that few industry paths can replicate.

Business Impact: The technical judgments made in this role determine whether multi-year, government-funded programs deliver validated capabilities on schedule or require costly redesign cycles, directly affecting program renewals and sponsor confidence.

Growth Opportunity: Consistent delivery at this level opens senior advisory appointments, DoD science board participation, and named leadership roles in national quantum or nuclear security initiatives.

• Lead development and execution of multi-year scientific and technical roadmaps aligned to sponsor mission priorities and national security requirements.
• Direct multidisciplinary research teams spanning physicists, engineers, and computer scientists across distributed program sites.
• Serve as primary technical authority and subject matter expert for government agency sponsors, including DoD, DHS, and nuclear enterprise partners.
• Define problem-solving frameworks and quality standards that govern the verification and validation of research deliverables.
• Represent the organization externally through advisory boards, professional society leadership, peer-reviewed publications, and government study commissions.
• Mentor junior and mid-career researchers, identifying opportunities for external engagement and expanding their scope of contribution to strategic programs.
• Identify emerging technology trends in relevant domains, including quantum technologies, RF sensing, and nuclear systems, and translate them into funded research initiatives.
• Partner with business development and program management functions to scope, propose, and resource new growth programs with major sponsor impact.

• PhD in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, or a closely related scientific or engineering discipline, or equivalent work experience.
• 10 or more years of technical leadership experience in defense, government research, or FFRDC environments, with demonstrated authority over program-level scientific direction.
• Established record of high-impact publications, patents, or deliverables recognized within relevant government or academic communities.
• Proven ability to build, lead, and mentor high-performing multidisciplinary research teams under sponsor-governed program structures.
• Experience translating complex technical concepts and program outcomes into written reports and presentations for senior government and executive audiences.
• Active security clearance at the Secret level or above, or demonstrated eligibility and willingness to obtain and maintain a required clearance.
• Strong command of scientific quality management practices, including verification, validation, and compliance with applicable government contracting and safety standards.

• Nationally recognized standing in a relevant technical domain, demonstrated through senior advisory roles in Federal agencies, industry consortia, or international research bodies.
• Experience leading quantum technology, nuclear security, or advanced RF and radar programs directly funded by DoD or DHS sponsors.
• Track record of developing and executing technology partnership and alliance strategies with academic institutions, government laboratories, or international research partners.
• Familiarity with long-range resource and staffing planning within a Center of Excellence or comparable federated research organizational model.

• Research deliverable acceptance rate by government sponsors, reflecting technical quality and alignment to mission requirements.
• Number of new program awards or contract renewals attributable to Chief Scientist-led proposals or technical advocacy in a fiscal year.
• Security clearance maintenance record, with zero lapses affecting program access or sponsor trust.
• External recognition index: advisory board appointments, invited publications, and conference leadership roles accumulated per review cycle.
• Mentee advancement rate: percentage of junior scientists who progress to independent program lead roles within a defined period.
• Typical tools: scientific computing environments (commonly MATLAB or Python); document and collaboration platforms (commonly classified government networks and standard office productivity suites).

• Base Salary Range: $220,000 to $310,000 annually, depending on clearance level and domain
• Bonus: Annual performance bonus of 10% to 20% of base salary, tied to program outcomes
• Equity: Not typical in FFRDC settings; occasionally available at defense contractor firms
• Health Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage; family plans standard
• PTO: 20 to 25 days annually, plus federal holidays in government-aligned organizations
• Common Perks: Clearance sponsorship, continuing education stipends, conference travel support, retirement matching

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Successful completion of a background check, which may include criminal history, employment verification, and, for applicable roles, credit history review, is a condition of employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Reasonable accommodations are available to individuals with disabilities throughout the application and employment process upon request. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States; this position may require the ability to obtain a government security clearance.

The Chief Scientist leads enterprise AI/ML research and product development, owning the full cycle from algorithm improvement and patent portfolio expansion to deploying conversational AI, NLP, and machine learning solutions that address multi-year business needs. Working with the C-Suite to define and communicate priorities, the Chief Scientist shapes team structure, mentors R&D scientists and software engineers, and drives business impact through data science projects including recommender systems, predictive coding, and knowledge extraction from litigation datasets.

Key Responsibilities

• Envision and refine viable business ideas addressing business needs over a multi-year horizon.
• Provide vision for research and communicate across the entire organization.
• Proactively detect and communicate problems in cross-functional organizations before others detect them.
• Define team structure and hire senior leaders across the organization to support current, upcoming, and future business requirements.
• Work with the C-Suite to define clear priorities and communicate them to functional teams for execution.
• Share insights about other functional areas that make others better at their jobs.
• Actively seek to extend the patent portfolio.
• Improve algorithms to meet customer demand and sustain market edge in AI/ML.
• Work with stakeholders throughout the organization to identify opportunities for leveraging AI to drive business solutions.
• Build tools to help businesses derive maximum insights from data to optimize the qualitative side of the research process, including potential areas for automation, NLP, and machine learning.
• Design and develop highly advanced processes that may result in new product and business opportunities.
• Identify and develop emergent technologies to lead the path for future programs in AI and R&D, aligning required capabilities for multiple projects and business requirements.
• Develop and mentor teams of R&D scientists and software engineers toward the common goal of creating better product experiences.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
• 10+ years of experience leading teams or large projects with research experience in AI, machine learning, deep learning, analytics, optimization, IoT, and automation.
• Deep domain knowledge in research and development of advanced AI/ML applications within customer engagement areas.
• Experience developing profitable products in the AI/ML space, ideally in customer engagement.
• Proven track record as an inventor through patents and publication record.
• Experience in the development of products in areas such as conversational AI, bots, and virtual agents.
• Industry background developing ground-breaking work in the above areas.
• Experience and confidence at C-level, with a proven track record of success at this level of seniority.
• Previous contact center or call center product experience, or similar domain experience.
• Industry experience in telecoms, insurance, healthcare, or banking.
• Strong background in mathematics, statistics, and building AI algorithms.
• Solid written and verbal communication skills to document and explain complex systems to non-technical audiences.

Embedded within a specialist scientific division, the Chief Scientist conducts complex research across Analytical Chemistry, Verification, Synthesis, Detection and Warning, Protection, Decontamination, and Biomedical fields while managing laboratory quality and equipment maintenance. Working closely with Senior Management and a team of scientists, the Chief Scientist builds organizational capability through professional development in CBRN, Chromatography, and Biomedical disciplines, ensuring compliance with SHE, Quality, and Arms Control frameworks to deliver measurable business development outcomes.

Core Functions

• Conduct research projects in a complex specialist field, including Analytical Chemistry, Verification, Synthesis, Detection and Warning, Protection, Decontamination, and Biomedical research.
• Interpret research findings, write reports, and present to Senior Management.
• Develop and apply new methodologies in the field of specialisation.
• Supervise and troubleshoot laboratory equipment maintenance and manage quality of laboratory work, including laboratory reports.
• Present technical briefs or reports at conferences.
• Manage and develop a team of scientists.
• Ensure all project activities comply with relevant legislation and company practices, including SHE, Quality, Arms Control, and related frameworks.
• Monitor and report monthly on project progress, identify areas of concern, and make recommendations.
• Explore business development opportunities for the division and make recommendations to Senior Management.
• Undertake professional development activities sufficient to maintain and extend competence in specified areas, including CBRN, Chromatography, Protection, Filtration, and Biomedical fields.

Qualifications & Experience

• MSc or equivalent degree; PhD is an advantage.
• SACI membership or relevant professional membership.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience.
• Project management experience.
• Knowledge of core principles of natural, physical, analytical, and medical sciences.
• Knowledge and understanding of the military environment.
• Knowledge of general management principles.
• Knowledge of SHE requirements.
• Knowledge of relevant armaments practices and procedures.

Reporting to senior leadership, the Chief Scientist Officer shapes the scientific and technological research program by recommending and leading Privacy Enhanced Technique initiatives and conducting system design and simulation to evaluate SaaS software solutions integrated across AWS, Azure, and GCP. Partnering with academic institutions and multinational stakeholders, this role builds organizational capability in AI security technologies including MPC, TEE, and Federated Learning, enabling the company to advance commercially viable privacy computing solutions.

Primary Duties

• Set up and manage the scientific and technological research and development team.
• Recommend and lead research initiatives in Privacy Enhanced Technique (PET).
• Conduct system design and simulation to evaluate software solution systems.
• Build a SaaS solution that fully integrates into commercial clouds, including AWS, Azure, and GCP.
• Enable AI security technologies such as MPC, TEE, and Federated Learning.
• Conduct public seminars and lectures at institutions of higher learning.

Skills & Qualifications

• PhD in computer science, physics, or a relevant field (preferred).
• Minimum of 15 years of research experience in an academic and/or industry setting.
• Expertise and publications in AI, Big Data, Privacy Computing, or related fields.
• Deep knowledge of TEE, MPC, and Federated Learning (preferred).
• Professional experience with multinational corporations across various geographic locations (preferred).
• Proficiency in English and Mandarin; proficiency in other ASEAN languages is a plus.

Sitting at the intersection of scientific leadership and conservation strategy, the Chief Scientist guides the organization in identifying bird conservation issues and defining species, habitat, and landscape targets, reporting to the Chief Conservation Officer and working closely with the CCO, senior leadership, NGOs, government agencies, and business leaders. Operating across field offices, development staff, and the broader conservation community, this role raises and manages annual financial support for science programs while translating complex research into policy, restoration, and community science initiatives that advance the protection of migratory birds across the Americas.

Duties

• Guide the organization in identifying bird conservation issues and the species, habitat, and landscape targets upon which efforts and resources will be focused.
• Build programs and staffing that advance bird science as it relates to climate change, bird migrations, and other issues influencing the protection of migratory birds across the Americas.
• Further develop and leverage the concept and scientific validity of birds as indicators of overall environmental health for people and biodiversity.
• Ensure adequate annual and ongoing financial support to fund science activities and programs, and to build a secure financial future for science across all parts of the organization.
• Significantly increase contributions from major donors, foundations, corporations, and government agencies.
• Promote the expansion of community science and stewardship initiatives to engage local stakeholders in conservation activities necessary to achieve bird and habitat goals and outcomes.
• Contribute to the vision and leadership in the continuing development of the Important Bird Area program as a premier site-based, community-driven habitat conservation initiative, and expand and leverage the Christmas Bird Count.
• Work with staff leaders in states and conservation strategies to develop metrics that measure the impact of conservation work.
• Provide services needed to support state field offices and conservation strategy leads in advancing their priorities, and further integrate activities with those of the broader conservation community.
• Integrate and align science goals, priorities, and activities with conservation efforts, including the continuing identification, development, and implementation of tools, services, and other resources that support policy, on-the-ground restoration, and engagement objectives.

Education & Experience

• Doctorate in Ornithology, Conservation Biology, or a related environmental field.
• Experience designing, managing, and deploying GIS systems and services across a distributed network.
• Experience applying spatial and quantitative methods across a range of conservation approaches.
• Experience conducting original climate change analyses and presenting to the media and public.
• Familiarity with coastal, grasslands, and seabird restoration, as well as full lifecycle conservation, migratory bird techniques and analyses.
• Proven track record of success and accomplishment as a science leader.
• Demonstrated track record of partnering and developing consensus within an organizational climate of diverse operational activities.
• Demonstrated experience and understanding of the role science plays in policy development and conservation of natural resources, including the ability to create and implement metrics and evaluation programs.
• Ability to identify, analyze, and evaluate a large volume of information and to communicate accurate and timely recommendations to senior leadership as required.
• Comfort in working with NGOs, corporations, federal and state agencies, and senior leaders in business and philanthropy.
• Ability to communicate complex science-related issues to non-scientists and to translate scientific and evaluative metrics to internal and external audiences, board members, and others.
• Practical understanding of key issues in the environmental field, sophisticated knowledge of the political implications, and demonstrated ability to navigate these issues diplomatically.

A key member of the senior technical leadership team, the Chief Scientist delivers multi-year, internally funded R&D initiatives by identifying industry and technology trends, championing new methodologies, and coordinating the work of scientists, engineers, and technicians across complex science and engineering problems. Collaborating across business units, academia, and technology partners, this role leads growth opportunities within the Nuclear Security Enterprise, develops technology roadmaps through a Center of Excellence, and directly enables business impact through independent technical decision-making and strategic planning for process areas and product lines.

Functions

• Provide technical leadership for major growth projects and lead technical teams in setting strategic direction for product and process technology.
• Integrate across multiple disciplines and define the problem-solving process to support business goals and objectives.
• Serve as the primary technical resource to management for knowledge and philosophy within a specialty area.
• Identify industry and technology trends before they are widely understood, and identify long-term business opportunities across multiple technologies.
• Champion the development of existing and new technologies and processes required to support business objectives, identifying unique and innovative approaches to key methodologies and processes.
• Leverage key external relationships with industry and academia to identify new approaches and methodologies applicable to processes and technologies.
• Develop and lead growth opportunities with major business impact, and act as a technology focal point internally and externally.
• Develop partnering and alliance teams with management support, and lead strategic planning for a process area or product line.
• Assist in resource allocation, technical planning, and other complex decision processes requiring significant organizational knowledge and participation.
• Lead major, multi-year, internally funded research and development efforts.
• Coordinate and review work of scientists, engineers, and technicians, making independent decisions on science and engineering problems and techniques.

Position Requirements

• 12 to 15 years of technical experience in a science, engineering, research, or applied engineering environment.
• Leadership of a current Center of Excellence, including developing and deploying technology roadmaps and engaging and influencing technology partners.
• Successful development and deployment of new technology within the Nuclear Security Enterprise.
• Established technology leadership within current internal and external technology organizations.
• Expert problem-solving skills and technical expertise to lead teams in solving complex and persistent problems.
• Expert knowledge of several technologies, with careful judgment and application of modern technical tools to diverse and often difficult-to-define problems and requirements.
• Effective development and negotiation skills with outside customers.
• Established impactful network with technology partners and institutions of higher learning.

Sustained national security impact depends on the Chief Scientist, who leads a technically diverse team of physicists, engineers, materials scientists, and computer scientists in executing quantum technology programs spanning internal R&D funding, direct work programs, and whole-of-nation engagements across industry, academia, and government. Based within a mission-critical environment, the Chief Scientist builds and mentors the next generation of technical thought leaders, establishes federal government and partner networks, and scales promising quantum research into implemented solutions that address key challenges across public sector and national security programs.

Accountabilities

• Develop and lead execution of scientific and technical initiatives to address national and global quantum technology opportunities and challenges, including execution of internal R&D funding, direct work programs, and whole-of-nation engagements across industry, academia, and government.
• Lead development, deployment, verification, and validation of quantum technologies work that drives work product quality and impact.
• Serve as a resource, subject matter expert, and advisor to mission-critical programs and national security and public sector programs.
• Represent the organization externally through professional engagement in advisory boards, study commissions, professional societies, academic publications, and other external venues.
• Develop junior staff and identify opportunities for external engagement.
• Leverage internal resources to build a team, develop an initial approach, create proofs of concept, and sustain a pipeline of relevant research and direct work efforts.
• Establish a network of partners across government, industry, and academia to tackle key challenges, building on strategic federal government relationships.
• Develop and execute a business model to scale application of promising research and technology solutions into implementation, practice, and impact.

Background & Experience

• PhD in a related field with 10 years of relevant experience, or Master's degree in a related field with 15 years of related experience, or Bachelor's degree in a related field with a minimum of 20 years of related experience.
• Background leading high-risk, high-reward technology development and applying this technology to solve critical challenges.
• Extensive experience addressing and engaging with academic, industrial, government, and international partners in multiple quantum technology efforts (preferred).
• Experience building and mentoring high-performing teams of researchers and driving impact across large and diverse teams.
• Demonstrated track record leading national or international quantum technology initiatives (preferred).
• Experience leading quantum technology initiatives with federal partners (preferred).
• Demonstrated track record of success in developing and executing large, visible quantum technology programs and initiatives in science and technology.
• Nationally recognized impact in a core area of quantum technology expertise, including senior leadership roles in federal agencies, industry, or academia.
• Record of high-impact publications and participation in key quantum technology community activities such as journal reviews and conference organization.
• Technical expertise across a broad spectrum of quantum technologies, with demonstrated ability to use this expertise to lead highly technical teams.

As the Chief Scientist, this role owns a portfolio of advanced RF and radar sensing capabilities for future multi-function sensor systems, leading multi-disciplinary teams of researchers, scientists, and engineers in developing system concepts, algorithms, and signal processing solutions to complex national security challenges. The AAA Group relies on this work to advance technology roadmaps, drive proposal efforts, and deliver innovative sensing and prototyping programs built on open architecture principles, with direct impact on mission-critical customer objectives.

Technical Responsibilities

• Develop system concepts, algorithms, and RF solutions to remote sensing challenges.
• Design, direct, and when necessary, implement cutting-edge technology in hardware and software prototypes.
• Lead small, multi-disciplinary teams to architect, develop, implement, and test novel sensing and signal processing systems built on open architecture principles.
• Provide technical leadership and oversight of system design, implementation, and testing.
• Direct modeling and simulation of advanced RF systems, new sensing paradigms, and multi-function RF concepts.
• Clearly communicate with customers, stakeholders, sponsors, and prime and sub-contractors.

Professional Experience

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or a related field.
• 10 to 15 years of practical experience in RF systems, including Radar, Signal Processing, and/or Sensor resource management.
• Experience applying algorithm development and/or modeling to radar design, signal detection, optimization, waveform design, resource management, or systems analysis.
• Experience designing experiments, performing performance modeling and simulation runs, and conducting test verification and performance analysis using standard analysis tools.
• Demonstrated technical leadership and management skills.
• Proficiency in MATLAB, Python, and other higher-level languages.
• Strong mathematical, troubleshooting, writing, and verbal communication skills.