Data Scientist: Quantum AI & GenAI Solutions

McKinsey & Company; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 122,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mentorship program

Apprenticeship

Global community

Competitive salary

Job summary

McKinsey & Company is seeking current students graduating between December 2026 and August 2027 for a full-time Data Science opportunity based in North America offices. You will join a multidisciplinary team to build and deliver advanced analytics and AI solutions across industries, translating business challenges into analytical problems and delivering robust, fit-for-purpose solutions.

You will work with data scientists, data engineers, software engineers, and industry experts, gaining

Qualifications

• Upcoming graduation between December 2026 and August 2027 with a Master's, Bachelor's or PhD in computer science, machine learning, applied statistics, mathematics, engineering, artificial intelligence, or a related field
• Professional experience applying machine learning, statistical modeling, optimization, or GenAI techniques to real business problems; proficiency in Python and SQL is required, including the Python AI stack
• Ability to translate business problems into analytical challenges, building and evaluating models across supervised, unsupervised, statistical, or forecasting approaches with guidance
• Foundational understanding of optimization, simulation, and decision logic concepts, with the ability to apply methodologies with guidance
• Developing familiarity with Generative AI tools and simple agentic AI frameworks, with an eagerness to learn how LLMs can be applied to automate defined tasks
• A quality and risk mindset: able to validate own work, document assumptions and limitations, and apply basic evaluation methods for prompts, RAG models, or agents; growing awareness of fairness, explainability, and human oversight considerations
• Follows software development and MLOps/LLMOps best practices with guidance, with introductory exposure to CI/CD and agentic engineering concepts
• Exceptional time management to meet your responsibilities in a complex and largely autonomous work environment
• Willingness to travel
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, in English and local office language(s), with the ability to adjust your style to suit different perspectives and seniority levels

Responsibilities

• Translate business challenges into analytical problems and develop and evaluate solutions across machine learning, optimization, GenAI, and agentic AI systems
• With guidance from more experienced colleagues, contribute to selecting and implementing analytical approaches, and ensure your work meets rigorous standards for data quality and evaluation
• As you develop, take on increasing ownership for delivering solutions that are robust and fit for purpose
• Collaborate across QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey and QuantumBlack Labs teams to help clients harness analytics and AI to improve decisions and transform operations
• Develop agentic AI solutions that automate complex workflows and optimize project delivery and customer service outcomes
• Grow as a client-facing technologist by connecting analytical work with business needs and engaging with data scientists, engineers, and industry experts

Skills

Machine learning

Python

SQL

Problem solving

Communication

Travel willingness

Education

Master's/Bachelor's/PhD in CS/ML/Applied statistics/Math/Engineering/AI

Relevant field (computer science, ML, AI)

Tools

Python AI stack

Job description

McKinsey & Company is seeking current students graduating between December 2026 and August 2027 for a full-time Data Science opportunity based in North America offices. You will join a multidisciplinary team to build and deliver advanced analytics and AI solutions across industries, translating business challenges into analytical problems and delivering robust, fit-for-purpose solutions.

You will work with data scientists, data engineers, software engineers, and industry experts, gaining