SDLC & AI Enablement Lead

Title: AI Enablement Strategist/ Engineer

Location : Rockville, MD or McLean, VA

Target Start Date : ASAP

Type: contract

Pay Rate: DOE

The SDLC & AI Enablement Lead owns and drives a comprehensive Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) training and enablement program, integrating modern AI-driven development practices. This role serves as the central resource for software delivery standards, tools, and best practices across the organization.

The individual partners closely with engineering, enablement teams, and business stakeholders to design training programs and co-develop AI-enabled solutions as tools and processes evolve. This role blends deep technical expertise with instructional design, program leadership, and cross-functional collaboration.

Key Responsibilities SDLC Training Program Ownership

• Own the end-to-end SDLC training strategy, from design through delivery and continuous improvement
• Develop comprehensive curriculum covering SDLC best practices, AI integration, tools, standards, and processes
• Deliver content across multiple formats including self-paced learning, instructor-led sessions, and hands-on labs
• Establish structured learning paths for new hires and existing engineers at varying technical levels
• Maintain a centralized repository of training materials, examples, exercises, glossaries, and tool documentation

AI Enablement & Solution Development

• Collaborate with engineering and enablement teams to identify needs and develop AI-driven solutions
• Prototype, validate, and iterate on emerging AI-enabled development tools and workflows
• Exercise strong engineering judgment to determine high-value automations and practical implementation approaches
• Bridge emerging AI capabilities with real-world SDLC integration
• Rapidly incorporate new tools, processes, and solutions into training programs
• Provide technical guidance on AI tool selection, implementation patterns, and best practices

Content Development & Stakeholder Engagement

• Create instructional materials including presentations, documentation, videos, labs, and interactive exercises
• Partner with subject matter experts to validate and enhance content
• Gather feedback from engineering and technical leaders to ensure relevance and impact
• Promote adoption of SDLC standards and AI-enabled practices across the organization
• Continuously update materials to reflect evolving tools, technologies, and methodologies

Training Delivery

• Facilitate instructor-led sessions for technical and non-technical audiences
• Deliver technical demonstrations and manage hands-on workshops
• Adapt communication style to audience size, experience level, and learning objectives
• Foster interactive learning environments through discussion and applied exercises

Program & Project Management

• Develop and manage program plans, timelines, milestones, and deliverables
• Track training effectiveness through assessments, metrics, and feedback
• Report outcomes and adoption metrics to leadership
• Continuously refine training and enablement strategy based on performance data and evolving needs

Required Qualifications Technical Expertise

• Strong expertise in SDLC practices including Agile, DevOps, CI/CD, version control (Git), testing, and deployment strategies
• Hands-on software development background with coding proficiency
• Experience integrating AI-powered tools into development workflows
• Ability to evaluate and improve AI-generated technical outputs
• Deep understanding of development platforms, cloud environments, and tooling ecosystems
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to design practical, scalable solutions

Instructional Design & Delivery

• Experience developing technical training programs and curriculum
• Familiarity with adult learning principles and multiple delivery modalities
• Ability to rapidly update training content in fast-evolving environments
• Experience measuring learning effectiveness through assessments and feedback mechanisms

Communication & Collaboration

• Strong public speaking and presentation skills
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts for diverse audiences
• Experience influencing cross-functional stakeholders without direct authority
• Strong written communication and documentation skills
• Ability to collaborate closely with engineering teams on solution development

Personal Attributes

• Self-starter with strong ownership and prioritization skills
• Adaptable and resilient in rapidly changing technical environments
• Intellectually curious with a continuous learning mindset
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and driving initiatives independently

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of software development experience with demonstrated SDLC expertise
• 5+ years of technical training development and delivery experience
• Experience building training programs from the ground up
• Experience working on developer enablement initiatives or internal platforms
• Experience in regulated