Fantastic Senior Data Scientist opportunity to practice data science and oversee open-source data activities for a government customer in Washington D.C. (Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling). The position is part of a team that focuses on open-source data collection, data processing, data visualization, and data analysis using cutting-edge/innovative methods. Software development will often be performed by the team to expand capabilities. This position supports an ARA strategic initiative, enables career advancement, and contributes to national security.

A senior data scientist is needed to perform assorted data science tasks upon open-source information; and supervise the work performed by a team of innovative data engineers and open source data collectors. At ARA, we strive to hire valuable colleagues with not only the right skills, but who also demonstrate our core values of passion, freedom, service, and growth. Serving in this position will promote fostering those values and supporting national security.

The data scientist will be focused on developing operational analytics that result in workflow efficiency and/or extract new insights from collected data holdings. Leveraging available technology, they will work closely with both the data engineers and collectors to bridge technical gaps.

Ideal candidates will seek opportunities to more rapidly or thoroughly address open source collection requirements with quantitative data. The data scientist will identify ways to cleanse and enrich publicly available information (PAI) datasets to better address these requirements.

Data scientists will also be expected to support the government customer’s data evaluation objectives by ingesting and normalizing sample data into the query environment; conducting statistical analysis and providing subject matter expertise during evaluation exercises. Also, optimizing data extraction from large data sets; and creating, validating, and implementing data models to solve problems/answer questions.

The data scientist will be required to convey his/her findings through written products, oral briefings, and interactive data visualization.

Senior Data Scientist Required Experience & Skills:

• Must be a US Citizen with an active TS clearance with SCI eligibility and willing to submit to a counterintelligence (CI) polygraph
• Bachelor’s degree in applicable field (data science, computer science, mathematics, computational analytics, etc.)
• Data Science experience (10+ years)
• Project Management experience (3+ years)
• Advanced use of Python, SQL, R or other statistical software
• Understanding of “big data” analytic methodologies and technologies
• Expertise using Amazon Web Services and other cloud platforms
• Background in geospatial data science

Senior Data Scientist Preferred Experience & Skills:

Above all, we value passion, a desire to learn, and teamwork. We are confident that if you possess the right attitude, work ethic, and skill set that you could succeed in the role. In addition to the experience and skills above, if you have any of the following you will be able to accelerate your effectiveness and impact.

• Active TS-SCI security clearance
• CI polygraph taken within past 5 years
• Master’s degree in applicable field (data science, computer science, mathematics, computational analytics, etc.)
• Project Management experience (5+ years)
• AWS certifications
• Prior Intelligence Community work experience
• Prior experience with open-source data
• CI polygraph taken within past 5 years

About Us:

Applied Research Associates, Inc. (aka ARA) is an employee-owned international research and engineering company known for providing technically superior solutions to complex and challenging problems in the physical sciences. We were founded in Albuquerque, NM in 1979 as the disco era was, thankfully, closing out and the personal computer era was beginning. We employ over 1,400 professionals and continue to grow. ARA offices throughout the U.S. and Canada provide a broad range of technical expertise in defense, civil, and health technologies, computer software and simulation, systems analysis, environmental technologies, and testing and measurement. Around ARA you are equally likely to hear a conversation about Kubernetes clusters as you are a debate on merits of a reverse polish notation (RPN) calculator!

While this is all of the Year One and Beyond stuff, Day One is highly impressive too. These are things like our competitive salary (DOE), Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) & 401(k) with matching program, benefits package which includes medical, dental vision, flex spending, telehealth services, company-paid life & disability insurance including paid maternity disability leave through our company-paid short-term disability benefit, domestic partner coverage, dependent care flex spending, daycare discounts, pet insurance, relocation opportunities, floating holidays, tuition reimbursement, professional development as well as flexible schedules with remote/work from home options. ARA also prides ourselves on having a challenging culture where innovation & experimentation are the norm. At ARA, employees are our greatest assets, so we give our employees the tools, training, and opportunities to take active roles as owners. The motto, “Engineering and Science for Fun and Profit” sums up the ARA experience. The company realizes employee ownership spawns greater creativity and initiative along with higher performance and customer satisfaction levels.

ARA is passionate about inclusion and diversity in our workplace. In 2018 40% of our new employees voluntarily self-identified as protected veterans. (Source-AAP EOY 2018 Veterans Data Collection Report). We are also very proud of our Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) whose purpose is to motivate, support, and encourage professional career development for women to maximize career and professional accomplishments. Additionally, the Southeast Division looks not only for the right skills, but also for a cultural fit. We seek colleagues who will contribute to the unique culture that makes ARA such a great place to work. Some of the social impact aspects we have implemented at our division include monthly get-togethers, team outings to local baseball games in the summer, board game lunches, holiday party, corn hole tournaments, chili cook-offs and so on. For additional information and an opportunity to join this unique workplace, please apply at careers.ara.com.