Senior Data Scientist

ARA; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Applied Research Associates, Inc. seeks a Senior Data Scientist to analyze data, build models, and create visualizations for DHS missions. You will work with a multi‑disciplinary team to deliver actionable insights and prototypes in an agile environment.

Responsibilities include leading analytics workflows, automating data tasks, and contributing to documentation and training materials for customers. U.S. citizenship and clearance eligibility are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or higher in data science, statistics, CS, or math with 8+ years of experience or Master's with 6+ years.
• US citizenship and ability to obtain DHS suitability clearance.
• Experience with Agile, Jira, GitLab, and managing customer scope, budgets, and milestones.
• Experience analyzing large datasets and applying ML/statistical techniques.
• Proficiency in Python, R, SQL, SAS; data visualization with Tableau/Power BI.
• Familiarity with pandas, NumPy, scikit-learn, PyTorch; visualization with matplotlib/seaborn/Plotly.
• Experience with APIs, CSV/JSON, relational databases; strong documentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate teams to process, clean, and transform data.
• Develop analytics, ML models, and exploratory analysis.
• Create visualizations to reveal patterns and performance signals.
• Translate user needs into analytic tasks with customers.
• Lead design, testing, and deployment of data workflows.
• Build scripts/tools to automate routine data tasks.
• Prepare documentation, user guides, and training materials.
• Stay current on analytic methods and best practices; contribute to sprint activities.

Skills

Agile development

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in data science, statistics, computer science, mathematics, or a related field

Master's degree

Tools

Python

R

SQL

SAS

Tableau

Power BI

Pandas

NumPy

scikit-learn

PyTorch

Plotly

Jira

GitLab

Job description

The Capabilities, Analysis and Development (CAD) division of Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) has an outstanding opportunity for a Senior Data Scientist to support a multi‑disciplinary team providing data analysis and visualization support across the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) mission space. You will support data-driven decision making by analyzing data, developing basic models, creating visualizations, and generating actionable insights as part of a multi-disciplinary team delivering analytical and software solutions for national security missions. This role is ideal for early-career data scientists passionate about solving real operational problems and building prototypes in an agile environment.

This position is contingent upon award of a contract expected in July 2026.

Essential Functions

• Coordinate teams as they process, clean, and transform structured and unstructured data.
• Support development of analytics, machine learning and statistical models, and exploratory data analysis.
• Create visualizations to identify patterns, trends, and performance indicators.
• Work with customers to translate user needs into analytic tasks.
• Lead the design, testing, and deployment of data and analytic workflows.
• Build and deploy scripts and tools to automate routine data tasks.
• Help prepare documentation, user guides, and training materials.
• Stay current on emerging technologies, analytic methods, and industry best practices.
• Collaborate with and potentially lead an agile team, and contribute to sprint activities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in data science, statistics, computer science, mathematics, or a related field with 8+ years’ experience, or a Master’s degree with 6+ years’ experience.
• Must be a US citizen.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a DHS Suitability clearance.
• Experience in Agile development practices and collaborative tools such as Jira and Gitlab.
• Experience in project management, coordinating with customers, and establishing scope, budget, and timelines for milestones and product releases.
• Experience performing analysis on large datasets and knowledge of machine learning tools and statistical techniques to produce solutions.
• Proficiency with common data science scripting tools and software (Python, R, SQL, SAS) and data visualization (Tableau, Qlik, Power BI) tools.
• Experience with common data packages such as pandas, NumPy, scikit‑learn, pytorch, and data visualization frameworks such as matplotlib, seaborn, and Plotly.
• Experience with APIs, CSV/JSON datasets, relational databases.
• Ability to write clearly and produce documentation, user guides, and training materials.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience conducting data analyses in cloud environments such as AWS, Azure, Data Bricks, Google Cloud.
• Strong experience with geospatial analyses, as well as ESRI products such as ArcGIS
• Experience in project management, coordinating with customers, and establishing scope, budget, and timelines for milestones and product releases.
• DHS Suitability

Compensation & Benefits

Pay Ranges: From $130,00.00 - $160,000.00 per year based on years of experience, degree and any special skills and knowledge that they may bring to the position.

• ARA offers competitive benefits that address our employees’ needs now and in the future. Learn more about each of our benefits at https://www.ara.com/benefits/

Company Information

Applied Research Associates, Inc. is an employee-owned international research and engineering company recognized for providing technically superior solutions to complex and challenging problems in the physical sciences. The company, founded in Albuquerque, NM, in 1979, currently employs over 1200 professionals. ARA offices throughout the United States and Canada provide a broad range of technical expertise in defense technologies, civil technologies, computer software and simulation, systems analysis, environmental technologies, and testing and measurement. The corporation also provides sophisticated technical products for environmental site characterization, pavement analysis, and robotics.

At ARA, employees are our greatest assets. The corporation realizes that employee ownership fosters greater creativity and initiative along with higher performance and customer satisfaction levels. ARA gives its employees the tools, training, and opportunities to take more active roles as owners. The culture is challenging; innovation and experimentation are the norm. Employees are eligible for contributions which not only add to the company’s success, but also their own through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The motto, “Engineering and Science for Fun and Profit” sums up the ARA experience. For additional information and an opportunity to join this unique workplace, please visit our website at www.ara.com.

Qualifications

• Education
• Required
• Bachelors
• Preferred
• Masters
• Experience
• Required8 years
• Data Science Experience
• Behaviors
• Required
• Thought Provoking: Capable of making others think deeply on a subject
• Team Player: Works well as a member of a group
• Functional Expert: Considered a thought leader on a subject
• Innovative: Consistently introduces new ideas and demonstrates original thinking
• Enthusiastic: Shows intense and eager enjoyment and interest
• Detail Oriented: Capable of carrying out a given task with all details necessary to get the task done well
• Dedicated: Devoted to a task or purpose with loyalty or integrity
• Motivations
• Required
• Self-Starter: Inspired to perform without outside help
• Growth Opportunities: Inspired to perform well by the chance to take on more responsibility
• Goal Completion: Inspired to perform well by the completion of tasks
• Entrepreneurial Spirit: Inspired to perform well by an ability to drive new ventures within the business

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.