Data Scientist – Edge AI & Embedded Systems

DataJobs; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 206,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Mental health resources

Student loan repayment assistance

Adoption reimbursement

Pet insurance

Job summary

Vantor Services Inc. in Reston, VA is seeking a Data Scientist to bring AI/ML capabilities to the tactical edge.

This on-site role supports a small team that moves work from concept to completion, including dataset sourcing and curation, model training and evaluation, and deployment onto embedded hardware in air-gapped environments. The position collaborates with mission operators and requirements owners to ensure delivered capabilities meet operational expectations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an applicable technical discipline; 5+ years of relevant experience.
• U.S. Citizen with an active TS/SCI clearance with CI polygraph.
• Strong knowledge of AI/ML algorithms, CV models and LLMs; hands-on experience with PyTorch or TensorFlow.
• Proficiency in Python and data science libraries (NumPy, pandas, scikit-learn) and Bash scripting.
• Experience configuring/building applications in Linux and deploying offline-native apps with Docker.

Responsibilities

• Source, curate, label datasets from open-source repositories and sensor data.
• Train, fine-tune, and evaluate AI/ML models for mission use cases.
• Define evaluation methods for accuracy, latency, reliability in real-world conditions.
• Optimize models for resource-constrained embedded hardware (quantization, pruning).
• Build and deploy offline-native data/ML pipelines in Docker environments.
• Configure Linux-based embedded systems and ensure kernel/driver compatibility.
• Analyze data from RF, cellular, and WiFi sources.
• Evaluate open-source AI software that meets customer requirements.
• Collaborate with customers to align products with operational needs.
• Produce model performance reports and inputs for user manuals.

Skills

Data science

Python

NumPy

pandas

scikit-learn

Bash scripting

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Docker

Linux

GitHub

GitLab

Hugging Face

Kaggle

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher

Tools

Python

Docker

Linux

GitHub

GitLab

Hugging Face

Kaggle

Job description

Vantor Services Inc. is seeking a Data Scientist to help bring modern AI and machine learning capabilities to the tactical edge. This on-site role in Reston, VA supports a small team that moves work from concept to completion, including use case definition, dataset sourcing and curation, model training and evaluation, and deployment onto embedded hardware in air-gapped environments. The position also includes collaboration alongside mission operators and requirements owners to ensure delivered capabilities meet operational expectations.

What you’ll do

• Source, curate, clean, and label datasets from open-source repositories including GitHub, GitLab, Hugging Face, and Kaggle, as well as operational sensor data.
• Train, fine-tune, and evaluate AI/ML models for mission use cases, including computer vision models and LLMs.
• Define evaluation methods and metrics to measure accuracy, latency, and reliability in real-world operating conditions.
• Optimize models for resource-constrained embedded hardware using techniques such as quantization, pruning, and conversion to edge runtimes.
• Build and deploy offline-native data and ML pipelines in containerized environments using Docker.
• Configure and troubleshoot Linux-based embedded systems, including compatibility between kernels and hardware drivers.
• Explore and analyze data from digital communication systems, including RF, cellular, and WiFi sources.
• Evaluate open-source AI software and models to identify options that meet customer operational requirements.
• Work with customers to understand expectations and validate that delivered products align with operational needs.
• Produce supporting documentation, including model performance reports and inputs for user manuals.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in an applicable technical discipline such as data science, computer science, computer engineering, statistics, or electrical engineering.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience.
• U.S. Citizen with an active TS/SCI clearance with CI polygraph.
• Solid understanding of AI/ML algorithms, including computer vision models and LLMs, plus hands‑on experience training and evaluating models using PyTorch or TensorFlow.
• Proficiency in Python and common data science libraries such as NumPy, pandas, scikit-learn, as well as Bash scripting.
• Experience configuring/building applications in Linux and deploying offline-native applications with Docker.

Technologies

Python, NumPy, pandas, scikit-learn, Bash, PyTorch, TensorFlow, Docker, Linux, GitHub, GitLab, Hugging Face, Kaggle

Benefits

• Robust 401(k) with company match
• Mental health resources
• Student loan repayment assistance
• Adoption reimbursement
• Pet insurance

Additional eligibility and policy notes

• To be eligible, applicants must be U.S. citizens. This position requires an active U.S. Government security clearance; applicants without the required clearance are not eligible for consideration. Employment is contingent on verification of clearance status.
• Certain roles may be subject to U.S. export control laws and require U.S. person status under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Compensation: USD 140,000 - 205,700 per year. Base pay within the Washington, DC metropolitan area is listed as $140,000.00 - $187,000.00 - $205,700.00 annually; other locations use geographic cost of labor to determine market‑driven ranges.