Lead Data Scientist

Peraton; Suitland (MD); Hybrid; USD 146,000 - 234,000; Full time

Job summary

Peraton seeks an experienced Lead Data Scientist to drive enterprise data science and AI/ML strategy across a large modernization program in Suitland, MD. This role blends strategic leadership with hands-on model development in a data-centric, cloud-native environment.

You will guide MLOps, governance, and analytics across systems, collaborating with data engineers, architects, and operations to deliver scalable, explainable solutions that meet mission objectives.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in data science, AI/ML, or enterprise modernization initiatives.
• U.S. Citizen with the ability to obtain a Public Trust clearance.
• Deep expertise in machine learning, statistical modeling, and advanced analytics techniques.
• Experience implementing end-to-end MLOps pipelines including model training, validation, deployment, monitoring, and scaling.
• Experience with NLP, LLMs, deep learning, reinforcement learning, anomaly detection, and time series analytics.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across enterprise data science and AI/ML initiatives within a large-scale modernization program.
• Design, develop, validate, deploy, monitor, and scale machine learning and advanced analytics solutions in production environments.
• Lead implementation of MLOps practices supporting model lifecycle management, automation, observability, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with data engineers, architects, application teams, and SMEs to integrate AI/ML capabilities into enterprise systems and operational workflows.
• Develop reproducible analytics workflows, technical documentation, analysis plans, dashboards, and reporting deliverables.
• Mentor data scientists and analytics teams while promoting best practices across the organization.

Skills

Data science leadership

AI/ML

MLOps

Python

NLP/LLMs

Cloud analytics

Education

Bachelor's degree

Associates degree

High School diploma

PhD (preferred)

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Databricks

Spark

Job description

Lead Data Scientist

Job Locations

US-MD-Suitland

Requisition ID: 2026-170938

Position Category: Scientific, Research & Analysis

Clearance: Public Trust

Responsibilities

Peraton is seeking an experience Lead Data Scientist to join our team of qualified and diverse individuals. This position supports our customer as part of an application transformation and modernization initiative. This program is driving a large-scale transformation of systems into a data-centric, cloud-native ecosystem capable of supporting high-volume, near real-time data processing and advanced analytics. The work includes modernization of legacy applications, development of new cloud-native solutions, and implementation of DevSecOps and scaled Agile practices across the organization.

As a Lead Data Scientist at Peraton, you will define and drive enterprise data science and AI/ML strategy across a large-scale federal modernization program.

You will lead efforts spanning advanced analytics, machine learning, MLOps, AI governance, and operational analytics integration across complex enterprise systems. This role requires close collaboration with data engineering, architecture, application development, and operational teams to ensure AI/ML capabilities are production-ready, scalable, explainable, and integrated into enterprise workflows.

You will operate at both strategic and hands on levels guiding technical direction, developing advanced models, and ensuring analytics solutions deliver measurable mission impact.

Location: Suitland, MD (Hybrid)

Day to Day Roles and Responsibilities

Provide technical leadership across enterprise data science and AI/ML initiatives within a large-scale modernization program

• Design, develop, validate, deploy, monitor, and scale machine learning and advanced analytics solutions in production environments
• Lead implementation of MLOps practices supporting model lifecycle management, automation, observability, and continuous improvement
• Apply advanced data science techniques including NLP, LLMs, deep learning, reinforcement learning, anomaly detection, and time series analysis
• Design and support event-driven analytics and real-time/streaming ML pipelines
• Collaborate with data engineers, architects, application teams, and SMEs to integrate AI/ML capabilities into enterprise systems and operational workflows
• Support system‑of‑systems (SoS) integrations across multiple systems, vendors, contractors, and interdependent platforms
• Establish AI governance frameworks supporting fairness, bias mitigation, explainability, transparency, and compliance with standards such as the NIST AI Risk Management Framework
• Develop reproducible analytics workflows, technical documentation, analysis plans, dashboards, and reporting deliverables
• Support DataOps and Agile data science practices including iterative development, pipeline automation, CI/CD integration, and collaborative model delivery
• Ensure analytics solutions align with enterprise security, privacy, and compliance requirements
• Drive improvements in data quality, validation, accessibility, and operational analytics reliability
• Present findings, recommendations, and technical approaches to executive leadership and stakeholders
• Mentor data scientists and analytics teams while promoting best practices across the organization

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelors degree and 16 years of experience or an Associates degree and 18 years of experience or a High School diploma/equivalent and 20 years of experience.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen with the ability to obtain a Public Trust clearance
• 15+ years of experience in data science, AI/ML, advanced analytics, or enterprise modernization initiatives
• Proven experience leading AI/ML and analytics efforts across large-scale, complex systems
• Deep expertise in machine learning, statistical modeling, and advanced analytics techniques
• Experience implementing end-to-end MLOps pipelines including model training, validation, deployment, monitoring, and scaling
• Experience with NLP, LLMs, deep learning, reinforcement learning, anomaly detection, and time series analytics
• Experience designing and supporting real-time or streaming analytics architectures
• Experience integrating AI/ML solutions across system-of-systems (SoS) environments and distributed enterprise platforms
• Experience implementing AI governance frameworks addressing explainability, fairness, transparency, and bias mitigation
• Experience with large-scale distributed data environments and cloud-native analytics platforms
• Experience with DataOps, CI/CD integration, and Agile/SAFe delivery models
• Strong experience with Python, R, Spark, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Databricks, and related AI/ML technologies
• Experience developing dashboards, technical reports, analysis plans, and reproducible analytics workflows
• Experience collaborating across engineering, architecture, application, and operational teams at enterprise scale

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD is highly preferred in related technical field
• Experience supporting statistical and similarly large-scale federal modernization programs
• Experience implementing enterprise AI governance or responsible AI initiatives
• Experience with event-driven architectures, streaming analytics, or operational AI systems
• Experience supporting large-scale data modernization or enterprise analytics transformation efforts
• Experience working within DevSecOps-enabled AI/ML delivery environments

Peraton Overview

Peraton is a next-generation national security company that drives missions of consequence spanning the globe and extending to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. As the world's leading mission capability integrator and transformative enterprise IT provider, we deliver trusted, highly differentiated solutions and technologies to protect our nation and allies. Peraton operates at the critical nexus between traditional and nontraditional threats across all domains: land, sea, space, air, and cyberspace. The company serves as a valued partner to essential government agencies and supports every branch of the U.S. armed forces. Each day, our employees do the can't be done by solving the most daunting challenges facing our customers. Visit peraton.com to learn how we're keeping people around the world safe and secure.

Target Salary Range

$146,000 - $234,000. This represents the typical salary range for this position. Salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the individual's experience, education, knowledge, skills, and competencies, as well as geographic location and business and contract considerations. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay.

EEO

EEO: Equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veterans, or other characteristics protected by law.