Data Scientist

Clearance Requirements: This position requires an active SECRET security clearance.

The Challenge:  Are you excited at the prospect of unlocking the secrets held within and across large data sets? Are you fascinated by the possibilities presented by the IoT, machine learning, and artificial intelligence advances? As a data scientist, you can turn these complex data sets into useful information to solve enterprise challenges across the DoD IT Landscape. From duplicative functionalities to cost overrun, and variance — you know the answers are in the data.

We are recruiting for an opportunity for you to use your analytical skills to improve the understanding of our DoD clients. You’ll work closely with our team and clients to understand their questions and needs, then dig into their data-rich environment to find the pieces of their information puzzle. We’re looking for your ability to write scripts, use automation, apply machine learning, and use the right combination of tools and frameworks to turn that set of disparate data points into objective answers to help senior leadership within the DoD’s Business Mission Area (BMA) to make informed decisions. You’ll provide your customer with a deep understanding of their data, what it all means, and how they can use it. Join us as we use data science for good to support our clients’ missions. 

Job Purpose: We are looking to hire a Data Scientist to support the DoD Chief Management Office (CMO) and the IT efficiencies and IT/Business Systems Reform initiative. You will analyze and develop data models and visualizations used to assess the viability and potential savings of proposed DoD-wide IT cost-saving initiatives across the BMA. Your analysis and findings will directly support finding efficiencies within the management and internal processes or the “Business-side of IT.” You will be responsible for the collection and interpretation of reporting requirements, design and development of internal and external communication using dashboards, reports, PowerPoint, and graphic output.

Job Duties Include: Working in and across cross-functional teams with data at all stages of the analysis lifecycle to derive actionable insights.  Essential functions and duties for this position include but are not limited to the following:

• Translating mission needs into an end-to-end analytical approach to achieve results.
• Performing the pre-analytics areas of data collection and understanding, data cleansing and integration, and data storage and retrieval.
• Determining the appropriate analytics based on the data and the desired outcomes, using techniques including feature detection, statistics, data mining, predictive modeling, machine learning, natural language processing, and business intelligence.
• Interpreting the validity of results and communicating the meaning of those results.
• Demonstrating data analysis and visualization with one or more leading COTS analytic and presentation solutions including Tableau, Qlik Sense, and MS Excel and other MS Office suite applications.
• Collaborating with team members and government clients to obtain a detailed understanding of data requirements necessary for the sampling, weighting, and analysis of data.
• Working with other analysts in the creation, cleaning, and recoding of datasets and sample frames for IT Reform Initiatives (e.g. IT Cost Model Analysis).
• Ensuring data and metadata integrity and compliance with required standards by performing data validation and cleansing.
• Identifying issues within data and determining the root cause of the problem to recommend and execute corrective action.
• Identifying and implementing process improvements in relation to data collection and processing for repeatability.
• Identifying, reviewing and evaluating data collection metrics. Recommending ways to strengthen data integrity, quality, and availability.
• Providing project management support and ensures completion of all final deliverables in a timely, accurate, and efficient fashion.
• Extensive experience with working in an environment involving diverse sets of legacy data, documents, and materials.  Experience with data preparation.
• Familiarity with R based statistics.  Knowledge of statistical analysis methods including linear regression and factor analysis.
• Experience with all lifecycle phases of a data-oriented business case development project including initial assessment, requirements, solution design, planning and implementation.

Skills/Qualifications:  Excellent technical skills, organizational and planning skills, communication, and problem-solving skills, Problem analysis, attention to detail and accuracy, solid judgment and decision-making ability, takes initiative and is adaptable and customer service oriented. Qualified candidates should possess the following skill sets and experience:

• Three years of experience working with large datasets or databases. At least two of those years should be in a professional working environment.
• Strong understanding of the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) and Federal Contracting Datasets.
• Experience supporting a Federal CIO Organization or Department.
• Strong quantitative ability and a keen eye for detail and accuracy.
• Proficiency writing syntax and using statistics and data analysist tools such as SPSS or Stata, R, Tableau, Qlik Sense, or other leading BI platform (Cognos, Business Objects), R Statistical programming and methods, Oracle or MS SQL Integration required.
• Ability to multi-task and manage multiple priorities with minimum direction and supervision.
• Effective written and oral communication skills leveraging the MS Office suite of applications – with a strong Excel background.
• Experience using algorithms related to machine learning or data analytics.
• Experience developing and testing models.
• Experience conducting model feasibility research and algorithm development for machine learning.
• Experience working in an Agile environment, especially SAFe.
• Experience working with the Atlassian tool suite (Jira, Bitbucket, Confluence)
• Experience working in the commercial AWS or government C2S computing environments

Education and Experience: This position requires a Bachelor’s degree or higher in statistics, mathematics, social science, or an equivalent related field. A minimum of three (3) years of relevant professional experience is required. Experience working in or directly for the DoD is preferred.

Work Location: Work is performed on government site at the Pentagon, unless directed. Employees will work in close proximity with Government personnel. Core work hours are 0800 to 1700 Monday through Friday except holidays.