Public Sector Data Scientist & AI Strategist

McKinsey; Darien (CT); On-site; USD 173,000 - 211,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Comprehensive benefits package

Travel opportunities

Job summary

McKinsey & Company is seeking a data-driven professional for its SHaPE practice in the United States. You will work with consultants, data scientists, and industry experts to build ML/AI solutions for government, public health, and social sector clients.

The role blends hands-on model development with advisory work, shaping data strategies, governance, and responsible AI adoption while collaborating across teams and client organizations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a quantitative field required; advanced degree a plus.
• 4+ years of professional or academic experience applying ML, statistical modeling, or optimization.
• Proficiency in Python and SQL; foundations in ML and statistics; curiosity about generative/agentic AI.
• Interest in public, healthcare, or social sectors; sector experience is a plus.
• Aptitude for both quantitative and qualitative analysis; strong communication to varied audiences.
• Commitment to high standards, ethics, fairness, explainability, and responsible AI use.
• Willingness to travel up to 80%.

Responsibilities

• Translate client problems into ML/AI solutions, including ML models and data pipelines.
• Advise clients on data analytics maturity, use cases, roadmaps, and operating models.
• Explain analytical outputs and translate insights into actionable recommendations.

Skills

US citizenship

Python

SQL

Machine learning

Statistical modeling

Optimization

Public sector interest

Communication

Leadership

Team collaboration

Fairness/ethics in AI

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science, statistics, mathematics, engineering, economics, data science, or related quantitative field

Advanced degree is a plus

Job description

McKinsey & Company is seeking a data-driven professional for its SHaPE practice in the United States. You will work with consultants, data scientists, and industry experts to build ML/AI solutions for government, public health, and social sector clients.

The role blends hands-on model development with advisory work, shaping data strategies, governance, and responsible AI adoption while collaborating across teams and client organizations.