Data Scientist III

Jefferson Lab; Newport News (VA); Hybrid; USD 118,000 - 187,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Jefferson Lab seeks an experienced data scientist to lead high‑impact, data driven research across environmental science, climate modeling, nuclear physics, and energy systems. You will design advanced statistical and machine learning solutions, build scalable data workflows, and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to advance discovery.

The role supports national research priorities with DOE programs and involves publishing results in peer‑reviewed journals and leading federally funded

Qualifications

• Requires 6+ years in data science or scientific ML.
• Publications in climate science or ML preferred.
• Experience with large heterogeneous datasets.
• Mentoring junior researchers.
• DOE national program experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop advanced data science models for environmental science and energy systems.
• Build scalable data workflows and surrogate/probabilistic models for large datasets.
• Design workflows for uncertainty quantification and multi-model data fusion.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to push computational science forward.
• Publish in peer‑reviewed journals and present at conferences.
• Lead or contribute to federally funded programs (DOE ASCR, SciDAC, BER, NP).

Skills

Spatiotemporal modeling

Deep learning

Bayesian inference

Environmental data analysis

Surrogate modeling

Uncertainty quantification

High-performance computing

Mentoring junior researchers

Education

Bachelor's degree in Statistics/Applied Math/CS/Data Science/Computational Science

Ph.D. in Statistics/Applied Math/CS/Data Science/Computational Science (preferred)

Job description

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Category: Computer Science Technology and IT

Work Arrangement Type: Hybrid - About 60% on-site

Classification: Staff Computer Scientist III

At Jefferson Lab,you’llchampioncutting-edgescience and operational excellence while shaping the future of discovery. Join us and make your mark – where excellence meets purpose, andgreat mindstruly matter.

The good-faith pay range for this role is $118,400 - $ 186,850 per year. Actual compensation may vary and may be above the posted range based on factors such as a candidate's skills, experience, education, certifications, and work location.

Company-provided relocation assistance will be offered for this position.

What your job will be like:

You will lead high impact, data driven research that supports mission critical programs across environmental science, climate modeling, nuclear physics, and energy systems. You will design advanced statistical and machine learning solutions for complex scientific challenges, build scalable data workflows, and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to push forward innovation in computational science. Your work will directly support national research priorities, scientific discovery, and resilience-focused modeling efforts.

In this job you will:

• Develop advanced data science models including spatiotemporal statistical frameworks, deep learning architectures, generative models, and probabilistic simulations.
• Build surrogate models, reduced order models, advanced surrogate and probabilistic machine-learning models, and streaming data inference tools for large-scale scientific datasets.
• Design workflows for uncertainty quantification, extreme value analysis, statistical validation, and multi model data fusion.
• Conduct research leveraging high-performance computing, scientific data compression, and scalable analytics in support of exascale computational environments.
• Collaborate with scientists and engineers to translate complex scientific questions into robust computational or statistical solutions.
• Publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals; present work at national and international scientific meetings.
• Lead and contribute to federally funded research programs (e.g., DOE ASCR, SciDAC, BER, NP), serving as PI, Co PI, or institutional lead as required.

Additional Responsibilities

• Support proposal development for data-driven scientific initiatives.
• Contribute to scientific community service, including reviewing journal submissions, proposal evaluations, special issue editing, and participation in professional societies.
• Assist in organizing workshops, symposia, and technical sessions related to data science, machine learning, uncertainty quantification, and environmental modeling.
• Engage in outreach activities such as invited talks, lectures, and panel discussions.

Lead - Supervisory - Management

• Mentor postdocs, graduate students, and interns on advanced machine learning, statistical modeling, and computational research topics.

Experience

• Required: 6 or more years in data science, applied statistics, or scientific machine learning.
• Required: Demonstrated research contributions in one or more of the following areas:o Spatiotemporal modelingo Deep learning and generative modelso Bayesian inference and probabilistic modeling.
• Required: Environmental or geophysical data analysis Surrogate modeling and dimensionality reduction Extreme-event modeling and uncertainty quantification
• Required: Experience working with large heterogeneous datasets and scientific computing environments.
• Required: Experience mentoring junior researchers.
• Preferred: 10 or more years in data science, applied statistics, or scientific machine learning.
• Preferred: Experience in national laboratory environments or large-scale federal scientific programs.
• Preferred: Publications in climate science, environmental modeling, applied mathematics, machine learning, or nuclear physics.
• Preferred: Familiarity with DOE research programs and federal funding mechanisms.

Education

• Required: Bachelor's Degree Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Data Science, Computational Science, or a related field.
• Preferred: Ph.D. Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Data Science, Computational Science, or a related field.

Experience and Education Exchange

Education above the minimum may be substituted for experience. Relevant experience may not be substituted for education.

About Jefferson Lab

Join a community with a common purpose of solving the most challenging scientific and engineering problems of our time. The Jefferson Lab campusis located insoutheasternVirginiaamidst a vibrant and growing technology community.

A career at Jefferson Lab is more than a job. You will be part of “big science” and work alongside top scientists and engineers from around the world unlocking the secrets of our visible universe. Managed by SURATech, LLC, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility is entering an exciting period of mission growth and is seeking new team members ready to apply their skills and passion to have an impact. You could call it work, or you could call it a mission. We call it a challenge. We do things that will change the world.

Total Rewards at Jefferson Lab

At Jefferson Lab, we believe that a comprehensive employee benefits program is an important and meaningful part of the compensation employees receive. Our benefits program includes, but is not limited to:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Care Plans
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Paid Time-off and Leave Programs (Paid Parental, vacation, holidays, and sick leave)
• Tuition Assistance, Training and Professional Development Programs
• Live near the waterways of the Chesapeake Bay region with access to nearby beaches,
• mountains, and all major metropolitan centers on the East Coast

SURATech, LLC manages and operates the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab). SURATech is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

SURATech is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities (unless doing so will result in an undue hardship). If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to [e-mail] or contact Human Resources by calling [phone] and selecting option 1 between 8 am – 5 pm EST to provide the nature of your request.

Employment with SURATech is conditional upon DOE approval if at any time during your employment you are participating in a Foreign Government Talent Recruitment Program or Affiliated activity. Generally, such programs/activities include any foreign-state-sponsored attempt to acquire U.S.-funded scientific research through programs run or funded by the government that target scientists, engineers, students, academics, researchers, and entrepreneurs of all nationalities working or educated in the United States. This includes positions or appointments, both domestic and foreign, titled academic, professional, or institutional appointments whether or not remuneration is received and whether full-time, part-time or voluntary.

THOMAS JEFFERSON NATIONAL ACCELERATOR FACILITY IS MANAGED BY SURATech, LLC FOR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | jlab.org | 12000 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News, VA