Senior Data Scientist

Carnegie Mellon University; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Retirement plan

Tuition benefits

Paid time off

Job summary

Carnegie Mellon University seeks a data science leader to apply predictive modeling and AI methods to cybersecurity challenges. You will work with DoW sponsors and industry partners to design studies, develop prototypes, and deliver final products.

The role requires presenting findings at conferences and co‑authoring research proposals. Applicants should hold advanced degrees in quantitative fields with substantial experience in ML, data analytics, and big data, and be willing to travel for SEI

Qualifications

• BS in data science, machine learning, computer science, statistics, or related highly‑quantitative discipline with ten (10) years of experience or equivalent combination of training or experience.
• MS in data science, machine learning, computer science, statistics, or related highly‑quantitative discipline with eight (8) years of experience.
• PhD in data science, machine learning, computer science, statistics, or related highly‑quantitative discipline with five (5) years of experience.
• Willingness to complete modest travel to various locations to support the SEI’s overall mission.
• Subject to a background check and must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Department of War security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Work with customers to identify areas where advanced statistical techniques can help tackle problems.
• Plan and develop prototype solutions, and build final products.
• Co‑author research proposals, execute studies, and present findings to DoW sponsors and at academic conferences.

Skills

Predictive modeling

AI / machine learning

Statistical modeling

Data analytics

Programming (Python)

Programming (R)

Big data

ML frameworks

Deployment

Education

Bachelor's degree in a highly‑quantitative discipline

Master's degree in a related field

PhD in a related field

Tools

R

Python

numpy/scipy/pandas/polars

MATLAB

LightGBM/XGBoost/CatBoost

PyTorch

JAX

TensorFlow

LangChain/LlamaIndex/Haystack

FastAPI

SageMaker

Vertex AI

Spark

BigQuery

Job description

What We Do

Data Scientists at the SEI use advanced statistics, data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to help our government and industry clients research and solve cybersecurity challenges. In this role, you will work with our customers to identify areas where advanced statistical techniques can help tackle problems, plan and develop prototype solutions, and build out final products. You will co‑author research proposals, execute studies, and present findings to DoW sponsors and at academic conferences.

Current Work

• Research in generative AI and large language models
• Computer vision, multimodal AI, and agentic AI
• Assurance of AI systems
• Metrics and experimental designs for large‑scale cybersecurity research programs
• Human‑in‑the‑loop machine learning solutions
• Classifiers to identify security vulnerabilities

Requirements

• BS in data science, machine learning, computer science, statistics, or related highly‑quantitative discipline with ten (10) years of experience or equivalent combination of training or experience;
• MS in data science, machine learning, computer science, statistics, or related highly‑quantitative discipline with eight (8) years of experience;
• PhD in data science, machine learning, computer science, statistics, or related highly‑quantitative discipline with five (5) years of experience.
• Willingness to complete modest travel to various locations to support the SEI’s overall mission.
• Subject to a background check and must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Department of War security clearance.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Experience in predictive modeling, data science, and/or AI & machine learning
• Deep understanding of statistical modeling techniques and advanced data analytics
• Proficient with at least one mathematical/statistical programming package (e.g., R, Python, numpy/scipy/pandas/polars, MATLAB, etc.)
• Innovative and inquisitive with ability to imagine novel analytical solutions to problems
• Thrives in a multi‑disciplinary environment
• Strong communication skills
• Expertise in one or more of the following:
  • Recommendation systems
  • Time‑series forecasting (Prophet, NeuralProphet, Chronos, Lag‑Llama, etc.)
  • NLP / LLMs (fine‑tuning, RAG, evaluation, prompt engineering)
  • Causal inference / uplift modeling / synthetic controls
  • Modern ML frameworks: LightGBM/XGBoost, CatBoost, PyTorch, JAX, TensorFlow
  • LLMs / agentic workflows (LangChain/LlamaIndex/Haystack)
  • Experience deploying models (FastAPI, Triton, KServe, SageMaker, Vertex AI, or similar)
  • Experience working with big data (Spark, Trino, Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks)

Desired Experience

• Experience in cybersecurity and privacy is a plus.
• Experience in U.S. Government work and/or with FFRDCs, UARCs, and National Labs is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to learn new concepts and grow into new areas of work.

Benefits

Eligible employees enjoy comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance; a generous retirement savings program with employer contributions; tuition benefits; paid time off and observed holidays; life and accidental death and disability insurance; a free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass; fitness center access and more.

Location

Arlington, VA; Pittsburgh, PA

Equal Opportunity

Carnegie Mellon University is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran.

Disclaimer

Carnegie Mellon University is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran. Statement of Assurance.