Lead Data Scientist, Operational Analytics & Insights

Peraton; Bowie (MD); On-site; USD 104,000 - 166,000; Full time

Job summary

Peraton Labs is seeking a Senior Data Scientist in Operational Analytics to transform complex workstream and program data into trusted metrics, dashboards, and analytics products for FAA modernization initiatives. The role involves building insights and decision-support tools that inform leadership and mission stakeholders.

The candidate should have deep experience with data modeling, validation, and dashboard logic, plus strong skills in Python, SQL, R, and visualization platforms.

Qualifications

• 8+ years with a BS/BA, 6+ years with an MS/MA, or 3+ with a PhD in Data Science, CS, Statistics, Math, or related technical field.
• Experience analyzing complex structured, semi-structured, operational, program, or business datasets to support decision‑making.
• Proficiency with Python, R, SQL, or similar analytical tools, with the ability to develop notebooks, scripts, queries, and reusable analysis artifacts.
• Experience with exploratory data analysis, data cleaning, statistical analysis, trend analysis, anomaly detection, forecasting, classification, clustering, or predictive modeling.
• Experience defining or supporting metrics, KPIs, dashboards, reports, or decision‑support products.
• Ability to assess data quality, completeness, consistency, and analytical usefulness.
• Ability to translate ambiguous operational and stakeholder questions into structured analyses and measurable outputs.
• US Citizenship and the ability to obtain an FAA Public Trust clearance.

Responsibilities

• Analyze workstream, requirements, IMS, schedule, risk, operational, and program data to identify trends, dependencies, gaps, anomalies, and decision‑relevant insights.
• Define operational metrics, KPIs, analytical logic, thresholds, and decision‑support views for Digital Command Center dashboards and advanced analytics products.
• Assess the quality, completeness, consistency, and usability of data made available through enterprise data repositories.
• Partner with data architects and data engineers to identify data gaps, transformation needs, metadata requirements, and analytics‑readiness issues.
• Support AI‑enabled analytics workflows by helping define trusted data inputs, context, validation criteria, and human‑in‑the‑loop review considerations.
• Develop notebooks, scripts, SQL queries, statistical analyses, models, and reusable analytical artifacts to support data exploration and decision‑making.
• Translate ambiguous operational questions into structured analysis, measurable metrics, and clear recommendations.
• Communicate assumptions, limitations, findings, and implications to technical teams, program leadership, and mission stakeholders.

Skills

Python

R

SQL

Data analysis

Dashboard design

Education

BS/BA +8 years

MS/MA +6 years

PhD +3 years

Tools

Tableau

Power BI

AWS/Redshift/Databricks

Job description

Peraton Labs is seeking a Senior Data Scientist in Operational Analytics to transform complex workstream and program data into trusted metrics, dashboards, and analytics products for FAA modernization initiatives. The role involves building insights and decision-support tools that inform leadership and mission stakeholders.

The candidate should have deep experience with data modeling, validation, and dashboard logic, plus strong skills in Python, SQL, R, and visualization platforms.