Applied AI Engineer - National Security (TS/SCI)

TRM Labs is a blockchain intelligence company committed to fighting crime and creating a safer world. By leveraging blockchain data, threat intelligence, and advanced analytics, our products empower governments, financial institutions, and crypto businesses to combat illicit activity and global security threats. At TRM, you'll join a mission-driven, fast-paced team made up of experts in law enforcement, data science, engineering, and financial intelligence, tackling complex global challenges daily. Whether analyzing blockchain data, developing cutting-edge tools, or collaborating with global organizations, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting impact.

As TRM’s first Applied AI Engineer embedded with our Forward Deployed Engineering team, you’ll help bring generative AI into the heart of U.S. national security missions. This role is about impact at the edge: building and deploying AI systems in secure, high-side environments where speed, accuracy, and trust are mission-critical.

At TRM, we fuse blockchain intelligence with AI to illuminate hidden risks and strengthen global security. In this role, you won’t just be building models—you’ll be shaping how cutting-edge technology accelerates outcomes that protect national interests and public safety.

The impact you’ll have here:

• Deploy AI to the mission edge. Act as the primary technical interface with national security customers, deploying TRM’s AI capabilities into classified, airgapped, and mission-critical environments. Adapt solutions to real-world constraints while ensuring secure, reliable integration.
• Own AI application lifecycles. Build, tune, deploy, and optimize AI systems tailored to mission needs. Apply techniques like retrieval-augmented generation, prompt optimization, and fine-tuning to ensure performance at scale.
• Accelerate mission wins. Drive pilots and long-term programs by working directly with end users, closing the loop between operators and engineering. Capture field feedback, measure mission impact, and channel insights back into TRM’s product and research roadmaps.

What we’re looking for:

• Strong background in ML model evaluation/tuning, Python, API integration, SQL, and MCP servers.
• Proven ability to deliver results quickly within highly regulated or bureaucratic environments.
• A customer-first mindset: you identify mission impact, work backward from it, and remove blockers to deliver.
• Excellent communicator, able to interface confidently with technical and non-technical stakeholders and build trust in high-stakes settings.
• Bonus: Experience with ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow), API design, Kubernetes (Helm), and Terraform/IaC deployments.
• Candidate must have an active TS/SCI clearance with Polygraph.

About the Team:

• The AI Engineering and Forward Deployed teams at TRM are mission-focused builders. We pair deep technical expertise with direct engagement in the field, delivering AI capabilities that matter when and where they are needed most.
• The AI Engineering team is globally distributed. The Forward Deployed team is U.S.-based and aligned to the Eastern timezone, operating both onsite and remotely. We communicate across secure and unclassified channels, adapting seamlessly to whatever the mission requires.
• We prioritize speed, transparency, and impact. Weekly syncs and project check-ins keep us aligned. Project tracking is always up to date. Issues are flagged immediately and resolved with urgency.
• We always put the customer first – The Forward Deployed team is on the front-lines working directly with customers and will develop close relationships with them. We do whatever it takes to ensure their mission success.

Learn about TRM Speed in this position:

• Rapid Issue Resolution. TRM Engineers identify and resolve critical onsite issues in minutes to hours, not weeks. We create virtual war rooms, implement fixes, and share lessons with both customer stakeholders and internal teams within 48 hours.
• Navigating Bureaucracy. We anticipate and address procedural hurdles, build trust with key stakeholders, and find alternative pathways to approvals. This keeps projects moving even in complex environments.
• Efficient Knowledge Transfer. Engineers document and share updates in real time, ensuring the entire team—onsite and remote—has full visibility into plans, blockers, and resolutions. Knowledge sharing sessions and clear documentation reduce friction and accelerate delivery.

About TRM's Engineering Levels: