Associate Data Scientist, DIBI

NU USA Northeastern University; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 76,000 - 108,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement plan

Tuition waiver

Job summary

Northeastern University’s Defense Industrial Base Institute is hiring a Jr. Data Scientist to advance ML/AI frameworks and build data pipelines for federal projects.

You will work with a multidisciplinary team across academia, industry, and government, contributing to datasets and analytical products to inform leadership and sponsors. The role emphasizes data engineering, model development, and translating complex findings for decision-makers while collaborating with data researchers, engineers,

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or closely related field.
• 2–4 years of professional experience in software engineering, data science, or applied R&D with exposure to ML/AI system development.

Responsibilities

• Scale Navigator methodology for defense contracts, including development, prototype modeling, and experimentation.
• Test and validate ML/AI tools; suggest tools to enhance efficiency and human support.
• Provide SME guidance across applications and respond to sponsor inquiries; assist with scoping budgets.
• Assist leadership on systems build-out for internal operations and special projects.

Skills

Python

R

ML/AI workflows

C++/Java basics

Data visualization

ETL processes

Git

Communication

Education

Master’s degree or PhD preferred

Tools

Tableau

Power BI

Plotly

matplotlib

Job description

About the Opportunity

JOB SUMMARY The Defense Industrial Base Institute at Northeastern University (NU) – a rapidly growing defense focused institute that conducts cutting‑edge applied R&D – is seeking an experienced and highly capable Jr. Data Scientist with expertise in applying methods/frameworks/systems that apply ML&AI. The Jr. Data Scientist will operate as part of a multi-disciplinary team (academia, industry and government) and will contribute directly to the successful execution of federally funded projects/activities, Responsibilities include providing technical expertise and analytical support to Principal investigators or co‑principal investigators as a Jr. Data Scientist for a wide range of projects and activities involving machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), including autonomy, sensing and communication, and decision support systems, among others. The Jr, Data Scientist will work collaboratively with and help guide, multi‑disciplinary teams across the DIBI Higher Education Consortium — spanning academic, government, and industry partners — to design, validate, and maintain datasets and analytical products that inform institute leadership and sponsor decision‑making. Specifically, the Jr. Data Scientist will take a role in building and maintaining the data pipelines and analytical components underlying the existing Navigator methodology, working closely with — and providing guidance to — data researchers, engineers, and leadership across the institute. Successful candidates will be responsible team players and passionate about machine learning technologies, as well as possess a deep understanding of machine learning technology and experience in turning machine learning systems into practical, state‑of‑the‑art systems that can be enhanced for projects or activities as per federal agency. A close working relationship with the team, along with creative thinking on the application of the Navigator framework for government and industry contracts, will be required. The primary office for this position is located at NU’s Boston Campus Through NU, the institute offers an impressive benefits package, including multiple retirement plan options with extremely generous matching, as well as tuition waiver for classes and advanced degree programs. A full description of available benefits can be found on the NU website.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Education & Experience Required Master’s degree in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or a closely related field 2–4 years of professional experience in software engineering, data science, or applied R&D, with exposure to machine learning and AI system development in research, prototype, or production environments. Preferred Master’s degree or Ph.D with a focus on data science, data‑intensive systems, network science, optimization, or related areas. Experience contributing to government, defense, or security‑related R&D programs (internships, fellowships, or full‑time roles). Familiarity with simulation‑based models (e.g., physics‑based, network‑based, agent‑based, or stochastic simulations) for analysis, experimentation, or decision support.

SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES

• Advanced proficiency in Python and/or R studio and familiarity with modern ML/AI development workflows. Exposure to C++ and/or Java for performance‑critical components Experience contributing to the design, implementation, testing, or evaluation of ML/AI‑enabled or simulation‑drive software systems. Demonstrated experience with data visualization and reporting tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, matplotlib, Plotly), including designing dashboards for executive or sponsor audiences. Proven experience independently building, validating, and interpreting statistical or machine learning models, and communicating tradeoffs to non‑technical stakeholders. Strong command of data cleaning, ETL processes, and data quality assurance practices, including for messy or incomplete real‑world datasets. Solid software engineering fundamentals, including version control (e.g., Git/GitHub), documentation, and reproducibility. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting analytical findings directly to leadership or sponsors. U.S. Citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance Desired: Exposure to Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG), vector databases, embedding pipelines, or LLM‑enabled systems. Familiarity with cloud computing environments (e.g., Azure, AWS or GovCloud equivalents). Introductory experience with graph‑based ML or GNNs is a plus Monte Carlo or stochastic simulation methods Synthetic data generation or simulation‑in‑the‑loop workflows Familiarity with geospatial data, spatiotemporal datasets, or PostgreSQL/PostGIS is a plus. Interest in UI or frontend development for technical or analyst‑facing tools (e.g., Svelte, React, or similar frameworks). Exposure to dashboarding or BI tools for analyst‑facing or leadership‑facing reporting Familiarity with MLOps concepts, experiment tracking, or reproducible research pipelines. Experience working with multidisciplinary teams across research, engineering, and applied R&D environments.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Support Research and Development efforts to scale Navigator methodology applied to defense contracts (SIB), to include, development and implementation, prototype modeling & simulation, design, and experimentation. This supports the defense funding received that supports this role (40%) Test and validation of soAI/ML Tools for sprints, tasks, projects and deliverables; to include scaling of projects by suggesting tools and systems that enhance efficiency and support humans in their work (40%) Provide subject matter expertise across a diverse set of application areas and ad hoc requests that may come in from the sponsor. Present information and answer questions form government sponsors and stakeholders.Research and support PI or CO-PIs with scoping project budgets as appropriate (Systems, tools) (10%) Special Projects as assigned: Working closely with Managing Director, Founding Director and other core leadership members, help to scope proposals and opportunities. Working closely with DIBI Leadership Team and Sr. Director, Strategy and Communications to make recommendations on systems build out for internal operations (10%)

POSITION TYPE

Research

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer. Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Compensation Grade/Pay Type: 110S Expected Hiring Range: $76,335.00 - $107,823.75 With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly‑situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.

Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and the recognized leader in experiential lifelong learning. Our approach of integrating real‑world experience with education, research, and innovation empowers our students, faculty, alumni, and partners to create worldwide impact. Our global university system provides our community and academic, government, and industry partners with unique opportunities to think locally and act globally. The system—including 14 campuses across the U.S., U.K., and Canada, 300,000-plus alumni, and 3,000 partners worldwide—serves as a platform for scaling ideas, talent, and solutions. The university’s residential campuses for undergraduate and graduate degrees are located in Boston, London, and Oakland, California. Our research and graduate campuses are in the Massachusetts communities of Burlington and Nahant; Arlington, Virginia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Miami; Portland, Maine; Seattle; Silicon Valley, California; Toronto; and Vancouver. Northeastern’s personalized, experiential undergraduate and graduate programs lead to degrees through the doctorate in 10 colleges and schools across our campuses. Learning emphasizes the intersection of data, technology, and human literacies, uniquely preparing graduates for careers of the future and lives of fulfillment and accomplishment. Our research enterprise, with an R1 Carnegie classification, is solutions oriented and spans the world. Our faculty scholars and students work in teams that cross not just disciplines, but also sectors—aligned around solving today’s highly interconnected global challenges and focused on transformative impact for humankind.