Associate Data Scientist

ICF International; Madrid; Presencial; EUR 45.000 - 65.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

ICF is seeking a data science professional to join our established team and contribute to data science and AI work across varied client projects. You will prepare data, test analytical approaches, help develop prototypes and communicate findings to colleagues and clients.

You will gain exposure to the consulting process, turning complex client questions into practical analyses, with opportunities to learn and grow within a collaborative environment.

Formación

• Hands‑on data science experience from projects, internships or commercial work.
• Strong Python experience through employment, internship, research or substantial personal projects.
• Grounding in statistics and common ML methods (regression, classification) with training/testing evaluation.
• Care with data quality, documentation and reproducible code; willingness to use version control.

Responsabilidades

• Work with data scientists and subject matter experts to understand project questions, data, and outputs.
• Clean, combine and explore datasets; write clear Python and document assumptions and checks.
• Build and compare straightforward statistical or machine learning models; evaluate accuracy and bias.
• Contribute to prototypes using methods suited to the problem, including language models where appropriate.
• Prepare charts, concise findings and presentations; explain results to colleagues and clients.
• Use feedback and code review to improve work and contribute to reproducible project files.

Conocimientos

Python

Statistics

Machine learning

Data cleaning

Version control

English communication

Cloud services

Data visualization

Research

Educación

Relevant degree in quantitative or social science

Herramientas

Git

Cloud services

Data visualization tools

Jupyter notebooks

Descripción del empleo

The opportunity ICF supports governments and organisations on challenges in areas such as energy, the environment, aviation, health and public policy. Our data science team works with subject matter experts to turn evidence and data into practical solutions for clients in the UK and EU. You will join an established team and contribute to data science and AI work across varied client projects. Working with more experienced colleagues, you will prepare data, test analytical approaches, help develop prototypes and communicate what the results mean. You will gain exposure to the consulting process, learning how to turn complex client questions into practical analyses and communicate findings to a range of audiences.

What you will do

• Work with data scientists and subject matter experts to understand project questions, available data and appropriate outputs.
• Clean, combine and explore datasets, write clear Python and document your assumptions and checks.
• Build and compare straightforward statistical or machine learning models, use suitable baselines and help evaluate accuracy, limitations and potential bias.
• Contribute to prototypes using methods suited to the problem, including language models where appropriate, and test outputs carefully before sharing them.
• Prepare charts, concise written findings and presentation material, explain your work to colleagues and, with support, to clients and subject matter experts.
• Use feedback and code review to improve your work, and contribute to reproducible project files and team knowledge sharing.

What you will bring

• Hands‑on experience applying data science through a project, research, internship or commercial work.
• Experience using Python gained through employment, an internship, research or substantial personal or academic projects.
• A grounding in statistics and common machine learning methods, such as regression or classification, and experience of training, testing and model evaluation.
• Care with data quality, documentation and clear, reproducible code, willingness to learn version control and collaborative development practices.
• Curiosity about real client problems, willingness to ask questions and ability to explain your thinking in clear written and spoken English.
• A relevant degree or equivalent practical experience in a quantitative or social science field.

Useful additional experience

• Exposure to public policy, government, research or evaluation.
• Hands‑on exploration of large language models, including checking responses against source material, experience with AI agents is welcome but not required.
• Experience with Git, cloud services, data visualisation, collaborative projects or presenting technical work to a nontechnical audience.

What you can expect

You will learn from colleagues with a range of technical and subject expertise while contributing to complex, varied projects. We will support your career development through ongoing training, feedback and opportunities to deepen both your data science and consulting skills. As your experience grows, you will take on more responsibility in shaping and delivering solutions.

Right to Work, Location & Sponsorship

We welcome applications from candidates based anywhere in the world. For roles located in the UK, Belgium, Spain, or Germany , applicants must: Hold the right to work in the country where the role is based, or be eligible for visa sponsorship , which we may consider on a case‑by‑case basis , and Be physically present in that country by their first day of employment (or able to relocate beforehand). Unless stated otherwise, relocation support is not automatically provided.

Working at ICF

ICF is a global advisory and technology services provider, but we're not your typical consultants. We combine unmatched expertise with cutting‑edge technology to help clients solve their most complex challenges, navigate change, and shape the future.

Candidate AI Usage Policy

At ICF, we are committed to ensuring a fair and equitable interview process for all candidates based on their own skills and knowledge. As part of this commitment, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate or assist with responses during interviews (whether in-person or virtual) is not permitted. This policy is in place to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the interview process.

However, we understand that some candidates may require accommodations that involve the use of AI. If such an accommodation is needed, candidates are instructed to contact us in advance at [e-mail] . We are dedicated to prov