Geospatial Data Scientist

MITRE; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 124,000 - 187,000; Full time

Job summary

MITRE is seeking a geospatial data scientist to advance research in healthcare, transportation, and national security. The role combines theory with hands-on development, modeling, and communication of results.

You will work across geospatial statistics, GeoAI, and visualization, applying both on-site and cloud-based solutions. Ideal candidates bring strong Python experience, GIS workflows, and a drive to innovate within a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team focused on public-interest

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Geospatial disciplines or related field is required or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience with GIS tools, geospatial workflows, and Python-based visualizations.
• Experience with spatial analysis, modeling, ETL of spatiotemporal data, and spatial databases.
• Web-mapping dashboards and remotely sensed data experience desirable.

Responsibilities

• Support the development of geospatial data science, modeling, analysis, visualization, and engineering deliverables for sponsor projects and programs.
• Remain current on open-source, industry, academia, and US Government techniques and tools for geospatial data science, modeling, analysis, visualization, and engineering.
• Apply a variety of spatial data science techniques to tackle customer challenges including geospatial statistics and AI methods.
• Build and test geospatial prototypes in MITRE, government, and cloud environments.

Skills

Geospatial data science

Machine learning

Python

Geospatial analysis

Cloud computing

Spatial databases

Data visualization

Geostatistics

Containerization

Web mapping

Education

Bachelor's in Geospatial disciplines

Tools

OpenLayers

Leaflet

ArcGIS JS API

Job description

At MITRE, your passion fuels work that impacts our nation and improves lives. This is where your skills strengthen national security, cybersecurity, health, transportation, and citizen services. We’re a nonprofit engineering, applied research, and advanced technology organization working in the public interest. With objectivity and integrity at our core, we lead federally funded research and development centers for U.S. government agencies - collaborating with industry and academia to deliver integrated, high-impact solutions that advance our nation’s health, security, and prosperity. Our people tackle the toughest technical challenges, supported by competitive benefits, meaningful career development, and a culture of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence. Choose MITRE for a career with purpose - and help shape the future.

Department Summary

MITRE’s Model-Based Analytics Department (L144) is looking for qualified applicants to bring their geospatial, machine learning, advanced analytics, and applied research skills to bear on solving problems of critical national importance. MITRE’s diverse work program provides opportunities to apply your expertise and creative thinking in challenging domains such as healthcare, transportation, and national security. Employees may also participate in MITRE’s internal research and development program, which provides funding for innovative applied research that addresses our sponsors’ hardest problems. Our department is an interdisciplinary department that thrives on having a large toolbox to support data- and model-driven decision making. We value people who can bring diverse and inclusive perspectives. Our department works to solve modeling and analytic problems in the public interest, in partnership with the government. We also actively conduct independent research in areas of interest to our government partners.

If you are passionate about being a Data Scientist that specializes in Geospatial Information Sciences, your skill sets align with our capabilities, and you like working in a collaborative, team-oriented environment, we want to hear from you!

Roles & Responsibilities

The successful candidate for this position is a geospatial data scientist who combines a solid theoretical and technical background with the ability to formulate problems, develop and evaluate solutions, and communicate results. Familiarity with advanced geospatial data science, modeling, and analysis techniques and methods (e.g., supervised and unsupervised machine learning, GeoAI, Geosimulation, patiotemporal graphs) is a plus. Hands‑on software development skills are a must. Candidates should have a strong understanding of how to engineer spatial solutions for geospatial systems and architecture in both traditional and cloud computing environments. Lifelong learning and keeping up with the latest research and technologies is an essential part of working in this field.

• Support the development of geospatial data science, modeling, analysis, visualization, and engineering deliverables for sponsor projects and programs, internal research and development, and corporate strategic initiatives.
• Remain current on open-source, industry, academia, and US Government techniques and tools for geospatial data science, modeling, analysis, visualization, and engineering.
• Apply a variety of spatial data science techniques to tackle customer challenges to include geospatial statistics, spatial optimization, spatial pattern analysis, geospatial artificial intelligence, spatial autocorrelation, activity-based intelligence, imagery analysis, remote sensing, and geospatial data visualization approaches.
• Build and test geospatial prototypes in MITRE, government, and commercial cloud environments.

Basic Qualifications

• Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 3 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with relevant experience who can immediately contribute at this job step; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Geospatial Data Science, Geospatial Intelligence, Geographic Information Systems, GeoInformatics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or related degree.
• Applied experience with common GIS tools, developing geospatial workflows, and visualizations using Python.
• Applied experience in spatial analysis and modeling, and ETL of spatiotemporal datasets and managing spatial databases.
• Applied experience in the configuration of web-mapping, dashboard applications, and remotely sensed data.
• Familiarity with geostatistics, spatial machine learning, geosimulation, or GeoAI, and multispectral and hyperspectral imagery or synthetic aperture radar.
• Familiarity with geospatial data architectures and spatial database design and management, as well as containerization concepts.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI U.S Government issued Security Clearance. Per the U.S. Government’s eligibility requirements, you must be a U.S Citizen to be considered for a security clearance.
• This position requires a minimum of 3 days on-site.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI with polygraph.
• Advanced degree in Geospatial Data Science, Geospatial Intelligence, Geographic Information Systems, GeoInformatics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or related technical discipline.
• Experience leading technical development across multi-disciplinary teams.
• Applied experience with other software development languages, e.g., C++, Java, C#, JavaScript.
• Applied experience with spatiotemporal big data technologies, e.g., GeoMesa, GeoTrellis, Data Bricks, or GeoSpark (Apache Sedona).
• Applied experience with data architecture containerization concepts, e. g. Docker or Kubernetes.
• Applied experience working with remotely sensed data to include aerial and satellite imagery, multi- and hyper-spectral imagery, LiDAR, or synthetic aperture radar.
• Applied experience with applying spatial modeling and analysis techniques to the atmospheric, climate, marine, oceanic, hydrologic, geomorphologic, critical infrastructure, transportation, network, telemetry, or terrain domains.
• Experience leading or conducting research.
• Experience designing geospatial data science tasking and/or leading a team of geospatial data scientists.
• Applied experience with developing web applications with common libraries, e.g., OpenLayers, Leaflet, ArcGIS JS API.
• Familiarity implementing DevSecOps, DataOps, or
• Applied experience in architecting, resourcing, deploying, and administering a GID enterprise including physical and virtual machines, cloud-based components, and remote application delivery serving hundreds of users.
• Applied experience maintaining multiple enterprise relations database management systems hosted in MS SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Oracle or similar.

This requisition requires the candidate to have a minimum of the following clearance(s):

None

This requisition requires the hired candidate to have or obtain, within one year from the date of hire, the following clearance(s):

Top Secret/SCI

Salary compensation range and midpoint

$124,400 - $155,500 - $186,600 Annual

Work Location Type

Onsite

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local or international law.

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