Lead Data Scientist - TS/SCI

Vantor; Herndon (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 206,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with company match

Mental health resources

Student loan repayment assistance

Adoption reimbursement

Pet insurance

Job summary

Vantor is seeking a senior analytics lead to design and implement capabilities for UTS threat assessment. This on-site role in Herndon, VA requires an active TS/SCI clearance and experience directing AI/ML projects across data pipelines and modeling workflows.

Responsibilities include defining AI/ML architecture, leading feature engineering, supervising model development, and mentoring staff while coordinating with government partners. Strong communication skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in Computer Science, Data Science, Applied Mathematics, Physics, Operations Research, Engineering, or related field.
• 12+ years of relevant experience with strong technical leadership and roadmap development.
• Proficient in Python and SQL; working knowledge of R is a plus.
• Hands-on experience with data manipulation, feature engineering, ML libraries, and automation tools.
• Ability to communicate complex concepts clearly in writing and speech.
• Must be able to work on-site in Herndon, VA.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical execution of the analytics program and establish project roadmap.
• Define overall AI/ML architecture and lead feature engineering strategy.
• Guide supervised, unsupervised, and deep learning development.
• Direct graph analytics and causal inference activities.
• Lead explainable AI implementation and oversee validation methodology.
• Mentor technical staff and present findings to Government leadership.
• Automate data extraction, cleaning, processing, and analysis workflows using Python/SQL.
• Work with data scientists, engineers, and mission partners to refine requirements.

Skills

Technical leadership

Machine learning

Feature engineering

Data manipulation

Communication

Education

Master's or PhD in Computer Science/Data Science/Applied Mathematics/Physics/Operations Research/Engineering

Tools

Python

SQL

R

Job description

Vantor is forging the new frontier of spatial intelligence, helping decision makers and operators navigate what’s happening now and shape what’s coming next. Vantor is a place for problem solvers, changemakers, and go-getters—where people are working together to help our customers see the world differently, and in doing so, be seen differently. Come be part of a mission, not just a job, where you can: Shape your own future, build the next big thing, and change the world.

To be eligible for this position, you must be a U.S. Citizen. This position requires an active U.S. Government security clearance, applicants who do not currently hold the required clearance will not be eligible for consideration. Employment for cleared roles is contingent upon verification of clearance status.

Export Control/ITAR: Certain roles may be subject to U.S. export control laws, requiring U.S. person status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Please review the job details below.

This position requires an active U.S. Government Security Clearance at the TS/SCI level with CI polygraph.

Project

The team will design, develop, validate, and demonstrate an integrated analytical capability supporting pattern recognition, anomaly detection, predictive analytics, agent-based modeling (ABM) or equivalent, and decision support in a Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance (UTS) environment. The effort will enhance Joint Force survivability by enhancing the characterization of the UTS threat and providing a mission-agnostic risk-management tool for commanders and operators to utilize across the spectrum of conflict. The enterprise will leverage this analysis and these tools to increase isolated personnel (IP) survivability by enhancing evasion training, planning, and execution, while bolstering force protection for PR task forces.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical execution of the analytics program. Provide technical vision, strategy, and leadership for the project roadmap and execution.
• Define overall AI/ML architecture.
• Lead feature engineering strategy.
• Guide supervised, unsupervised, and deep learning development.
• Direct graph analytics and causal inference activities.
• Lead explainable AI implementation.
• Oversee validation methodology.
• Mentor technical staff.
• Present technical findings to Government leadership.
• Support transition planning.
• Automate and maintain data extraction, cleaning, processing, and analysis workflows using Python, SQL, and ETL tools under established best practices.
• Process and analyze structured and unstructured datasets using big data or cloud-native frameworks (e.g., Spark, Hadoop, or managed cloud services).
• Develop, test, and evaluate predictive models and statistical analyses to support mission-focused use cases.
• Contribute to end-to-end data science and data engineering workflows, from data preparation and feature engineering through model development and results delivery, with guidance from senior team members as needed.
• Write clear, well-structured documentation of methods, assumptions, and results; assist with briefings or presentations to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Collaborate closely with data scientists, engineers, analysts, and mission partners to refine requirements and iterate solutions.

Minimum Qualifications

• US Citizen and must have an active TS/SCI clearance, with ability to obtain CI Poly.
• 12+ years of relevant experience. Master's or PhD in Computer Science, Data Science, Applied Mathematics, Physics, Operations Research, Engineering, or related discipline.
• Strong technical leadership experience, to include project roadmap development.
• Strong coding proficiency in Python and SQL, with experience writing production-quality, maintainable code; working knowledge of R is a plus.
• Hands-on experience with data manipulation, feature engineering, machine learning libraries (e.g., scikit-learn, PyTorch, TensorFlow), and automation tools.
• Experience AI/ML programs.
• Ability to clearly communicate technical concepts and analytical results in writing and verbally.
• Must be able to work on-site in Herndon, Va.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with agent-based modeling.
• Experience supporting operational environments and/or Government R&D projects.

Pay Transparency

To support pay transparency, Vantor includes salary ranges in all U.S. job postings. Starting pay for this role will fall within the listed range and will be based on factors such as experience, qualifications, skills, location, and market conditions. Candidates who meet the minimum requirements for the role should not expect to receive compensation at the top of the range. The listed range reflects the expected pay for this position, and final offers will be determined based on each candidate’s experience, expertise, and alignment with the role.

• The base pay for this position within the Washington, DC metropolitan area is: $140,000.00 - $187,000.00 - $205,700.00 annually.

For all other states, we use geographic cost of labor as an input to develop market-driven ranges for our roles, and as such, each location where we hire may have a different range.

Benefits

Vantor offers a competitive total rewards package that goes beyond the standard, including a robust 401(k) with company match, mental health resources, and unique perks like student loan repayment assistance, adoption reimbursement and pet insurance to support all aspects of your life.

• Vantor offers a competitive total rewards package that goes beyond the standard, including a robust 401(k) with company match, mental health resources, and unique perks like student loan repayment assistance, adoption reimbursement and pet insurance to support all aspects of your life.

You can find more information on our benefits at: https://www.Vantor.com/careers

EEO Policy

Vantor is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace. We believe in fostering an environment where all team members feel respected, valued, and encouraged to share their ideas. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.