Noblis · 2 days ago
Senior Technical Lead Biometrics & Research
Reston, VA
Full-time
Hybrid
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$127K/yr - $199K/yr
6+ years expNoblis is a company that tackles the nation's toughest problems and applies advanced solutions to critical missions. The Technical Lead provides senior-level technical leadership in support of the IMAGES Contract, overseeing research and guidance for complex biometric, identity management, and image processing efforts, while advising government stakeholders across various technical domains.
Information TechnologyNational SecurityNon Profit
No H1B
Security Clearance RequiredU.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Lead and manage facial recognition (FR) research efforts in support of DOS Passport and Visa operations
Direct FR match score threshold and face image quality research, including experimental design, metric selection, validation of results, and development of operational recommendations
Review, validate, and approve technical guidance related to FR decision thresholds, ensuring alignment with operational risk, accuracy targets, and FR match adjudication workflows
Define, oversee, and apply biometric performance metrics, audits, and evaluation frameworks to assess accuracy, bias, and system effectiveness
Conduct or lead independent technical reviews and audits of biometric algorithms, system outputs, and vendor-provided performance claims
Analyze biometric system performance using statistical and quantitative methods, including evaluation of ROC curves, error tradeoffs, and performance under varying image quality conditions and demographics
Lead laboratory-based research and evaluations of image processing and facial recognition performance, including assessment of degraded imagery and operational constraints
Lead image processing research techniques for detecting face images inappropriately modified
Advise on improving photo quality and consistency for laser engravings, ink prints, and encodings on passport and visa travel documents
Provide vendor-agnostic technical recommendations to DOS CA/CST based on empirical research and validated performance results
Advise DOS stakeholders on biometric system design, performance risks, and operational impacts
Support government technical acquisitions, including market research, requirements development, RFI/RFP support, source selection technical evaluations
Lead technical drafts, review, and delivery of technical analyses, reports, and briefings for senior government stakeholders
Lead and mentor small multidisciplinary teams of biometric engineers, analysts, and subject matter experts
Ensure technical rigor, consistency, and audit across all research outputs and recommendations
Support the Program Manager with administrative, logistical, and reporting functions tied to task order deliverables and interagency coordination
Maintain and update reference materials, templates, and document repositories to ensure accuracy and version control
Contribute to quality assurance and process improvement activities to streamline coordination and information flow
Qualification
Required
Active Secret security clearance
US Citizenship is required
Bachelor's degree with 8+ years of experience OR Master's degree with 6+ years of experience
The selected candidate must have experience in systems engineering, biometrics, identity management, image processing, or related technical domains
The selected candidate must have experience in leading small technical teams or serving in senior technical leadership roles
Demonstrated expertise in facial recognition technologies, biometric performance evaluation, and match score thresholding methodologies
Strong background in quantitative analysis, statistics, and decision theory applied to complex technical systems
Proven experience designing and applying biometric performance metrics, audits, and evaluation frameworks
Hands-on experience with image processing and image quality assessment in support of facial recognition systems
Experience working with relational databases (e.g., SQL Server, Oracle) and large-scale biometric or applicant datasets
Proficiency with analytical, visualization, and reporting tools such as Python libraries, R, Excel, Visio, and Project
Demonstrated experience supporting federal government programs, preferably DOS, DHS, or DOD
Readiness to obtain PMP or Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
Preferred
Programming and analytical experience using Python, Java or similar languages
Knowledge of identity management, biometrics, cybersecurity, or interoperability frameworks
Familiarity with government technical acquisitions, including requirements development, vendor evaluations, and system performance validation
Experience supporting standards or governance bodies such as ISO/IEC SC37, INCITS, or NIST working groups
Ability to provide objective, vendor-agnostic technical assessments and recommendations
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience briefing senior government leadership
Benefits
Health, life, disability, financial, and retirement benefits
Paid leave
Professional development
Tuition assistance
Work-life programs
Company
Noblis
Noblis is a nonprofit science, tech strategy organization that works in the public interest to help clients solve most complex problems.
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Mile Corrigan
President and CEO
William Streilein
Chief Technology Officer
Recent News
Washington Technology
2025-10-21
Washington Technology
2025-10-11
Company data provided by crunchbase