Data Scientist Defense/Public Sector

McKinsey & Company; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 175,500 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

McKinsey & Company is seeking a Data Scientist to blend analytics with semantic modeling, shaping products and business strategy through advanced data science. You will design predictive models, run large experiments, and help define ontologies and knowledge graphs connecting enterprise data.

You will work with engineers and domain experts to standardize data quality, operationalize models, and accelerate innovation across the Platform team, including generative AI automations.

Qualifications

• US citizenship required; SECRET security clearance required; TS+ clearance preferred.
• 3+ years of experience as a Data Scientist; enterprise platform experience preferred.
• Deep theoretical and practical knowledge of NLP, transformers, LLMs, and Generative AI.
• Experience with OpenAI's GPT suite, including multimodal GPTs.
• Strong Python data engineering practices and end-to-end data models.
• Experience with knowledge graphs and graph-based data.
• Experience managing a Git repository with clean branching strategies.

Responsibilities

• Blend analytics with semantic modeling to transform raw data into actionable intelligence.
• Design predictive models, run large-scale experiments, surface insights.
• Define ontologies and knowledge graphs that connect enterprise data.
• Partner with engineers and domain experts to establish data standards and quality; operationalize models.
• Deliver innovative AI solutions that accelerate client impact and decision making.
• Collaborate to deliver state-of-the-art generative AI automations across platforms.
• Develop and deploy production pipelines using multimodal LLMs for knowledge search and synthesis.

Skills

NLP & LLMs

GPT suite

Python

Git

Knowledge graphs

Data pipelines

Security clearance

Defense experience

Transformers

End-to-end data models

Education

US Citizenship

Tools

OpenAI GPT suite

Multimodal LLMs (GPT-4V, GPT-4o)

Job description

• Boston
• Chicago
• Dallas
• New York City
• San Francisco
• Silicon Valley
• Washington DC

Do you want to do work that matters, alongside supportive leaders who will help you grow faster than you ever thought possible? Are you a creative problem-solver who is energized by challenges? You've come to the right place.

YOUR IMPACT

You’ll blend advanced analytics with semantic modeling to transform raw data into actionable intelligence that shapes products and business strategy.

You’ll design predictive models, run large scale experiments, and surface insights, while also helping define ontologies and knowledge graphs that connect and contextualize enterprise data.

Partnering with engineers and domain experts, you’ll establish data standards, ensure quality, and operationalize models and graph services at scale. The solutions you deliver will accelerate innovation, improve client experiences, and enable faster, more confident decision making across the Platform.

As a member of the Platform team, you will collaborate with the Client Capabilities Network team to deliver state-of-the-art generative AI automations.

You will experience what it's like to develop a generative AI product with a firm-wide impact. You’ll join a cross-functional team of data scientists, engineers, designers, and product managers working on a high-priority initiative. Leveraging cutting-edge technology, we aim to revolutionize how we conduct and synthesize knowledge research, enabling firm members to deliver impactful stories effortlessly.

You will work hands-on with the latest multimodal LLMs, conducting experiments and deploying production pipelines that utilize generative models (such as GPT-like models) for automating knowledge search, curation, and synthesis processes. This includes model training, fine-tuning, evaluation, and iteration, enhancing creativity and content generation.

YOUR GROWTH

Driving lasting impact and building long-term capabilities with our clients is not easy work. You are the kind of person who thrives in a high performance/high reward culture - doing hard things, picking yourself up when you stumble, and having the resilience to try another way forward.

In return for your drive, determination, and curiosity, we'll provide the resources, mentorship, and opportunities you need to become a stronger leader faster than you ever thought possible. Your colleagues-at all levels-will invest deeply in your development, just as much as they invest in delivering exceptional results for clients. Every day, you'll receive apprenticeship, coaching, and exposure that will accelerate your growth in ways you won't find anywhere else.

When you join us, you will have:

• Continuous learning: Our learning and apprenticeship culture, backed by structured programs, is all about helping you grow while creating an environment where feedback is clear, actionable, and focused on your development. The real magic happens when you take the input from others to heart and embrace the fast-paced learning experience, owning your journey.
• A voice that matters: From day one, we value your ideas and contributions. You'll make a tangible impact by offering innovative ideas and practical solutions, all while upholding our unwavering commitment to ethics and integrity. We not only encourage diverse perspectives, but they are critical in driving us toward the best possible outcomes.
• Global community: With colleagues across 65+ countries and over 100 different nationalities, our firm's diversity fuels creativity and helps us come up with the best solutions for our clients. Plus, you'll have the opportunity to learn from exceptional colleagues with diverse background and experiences.
• World-class benefits: On top of a competitive salary (based on your location, experience, and skills), we provide a comprehensive benefits package to enable holistic well-being for you and your family.

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• US Citizenship required
• Defense experience and experience working with data at various classification levels required
• SECRET Security Clearance Required; TS+ clearance preferred
• 3+ years of experience as a Data Scientist; Previous enterprise platform experience preferred
• Deep theoretical and practical knowledge of NLP, Transformers, LLMs, and Generative AI
• Required experience with OpenAI's GPT suite, including previous experience with their multimodal LLMs: GPT4V, GPT4o
• Theoretical understanding of how LLMs can be leveraged to build classification models, re-rankers, and recommendation systems
• Strong programming skills: well-versed with building end-to-end data models and pipelines in Python according to the best engineering practices
• Experience managing a Git repository - maintaining effective version control with organized & clean branching strategies
• Experience with knowledge graphs

Please review the additional requirements regarding essential job functions of McKinsey colleagues.

Our unwavering commitment to integrity drives everything we do, guiding us to always act in the best interests of our clients, our people, and the communities we serve.

Industries

• Aerospace & Defense

Capabilities

• Technology

FOR U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Certain US jurisdictions require McKinsey & Company to include a reasonable estimate of the salary for this role. To help you understand what you can expect, the salary range for new joiners in this role in United States, including all office locations where the job may be performed, is $175,500 - $180,000 USD gross per year. This reflects our best estimate of the lowest to highest [salary/hourly wages] for this role at the time of this posting, ensuring you have a clear picture right from the start, though it's important to remember that actual salaries may vary. Factors like your office location, your unique blend of experience and skills, start date and our current organizational needs all play a part in determining the final figure. Certain roles are also eligible for bonuses, subject to McKinsey's discretion and based on factors such as individual and/or organizational performance.

Additionally, we provide a comprehensive benefits package that reflects our commitment to the wellness of our colleagues and their families. This includes medical, mental health, dental and vision coverage, telemedicine services, life, accident and disability insurance, parental leave and family planning benefits, caregiving resources, a generous retirement contributions program, financial guidance, and paid time off.

FOR NON-U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity employer. For additional details regarding our global EEO policy and diversity initiatives, please visit our McKinsey Careers and Diversity & Inclusion sites.

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