Data Scientist

Requisition #: 1627

Job Title: Data Scientist

Location: Washington, D.C.

Clearance Level: Top Secret / SCI, Must Have Clearance to Start

Job Description

Agile Defense is seeking a Data Scientist / Engineer to support the design, development, and operational deployment of scalable, AI-enabled data solutions within the Department of Defense's CDAO ADA IR program. This role is part of a multidisciplinary team integrating advanced analytics, machine learning, and engineering practices into mission‑critical environments at Combatant Commands.

You will help shape and deploy data pipelines, pre‑processing workflows, feature engineering strategies, and machine learning services within secure, containerized environments. The ideal candidate brings a hybrid of statistical modeling fluency and hands‑on software engineering expertise. You will collaborate closely with product managers, full‑stack developers, platform engineers, and mission stakeholders to transform raw data into meaningful insights and decision‑support tools.

This role requires strong technical communication skills, a collaborative mindset, and experience working in agile environments that value reproducibility, testing, and continuous delivery. Familiarity with cloud‑based data platforms such as Databricks, Palantir, or AWS‑native data services is highly preferred.

Education and Background

• A bachelor's degree plus 3 years of recent specialized experience, OR, an associate's degree plus 7 years of recent specialized experience, OR, a major certification plus 7 years of recent specialized experience, OR, 11 years of recent specialized experience

Years of Experience

Depends on educational background and years of work experience.

Required Skills

• 4+ years of experience in applied data science, machine learning engineering, or data pipeline development.
• Proficient in Python, SQL, and distributed data frameworks (e.g., Spark, Databricks, PySpark).
• Experience developing ML models from training to deployment using industry‑standard tools and libraries (e.g., scikit-learn, TensorFlow, XGBoost, MLflow).

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with MLOps, API development, and secure cloud‑based environments (e.g., AWS, Azure, Palantir Foundry).
• Strong understanding of data validation, model testing, and performance evaluation techniques.
• Experience with data visualization and storytelling using tools such as Tableau, Plotly, or Matplotlib.
• Excellent technical communication skills, with the ability to explain complex concepts to non‑technical audiences.

Working Conditions

• Onsite in a SCIF in the Pentagon.

Compensation

$130,000 - $155,000 a year

Benefits

Agile Defense invests in its employees beyond just compensation. Benefits include Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, Holiday Pay, short‑term and long‑term Disability, Retirement and Learning & Development opportunities as well as other optional benefit elections dependent upon position.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

Hiring Process Disclaimer

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.