Data Scientist Contract Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Thomson Reuters Special Services (TRSS) is looking for a Data Scientist to support our DoD/DoW customers. Data Scientists supporting these efforts work at the intersection of data science, applied research, and software engineering to develop advanced capabilities, prototype new applications, and help deliver cutting edge products for high impact government missions. Success in this role requires strong technical depth, the initiative to operate with minimal direction, creativity to develop novel solutions, and the ability to translate emerging methods into practical capabilities.
These positions are part of cross-functional teams that include Software Engineers, Product Managers, Analysts, and other technical contributors. TRSS Data Scientists build and deliver ML/AI enabled capabilities for mission and operational problem areas (e.g., Cyber Operations, Supply Chain Integrity, and other customer driven domains) by developing data pipelines, features, and models. They apply methods such as NLP/LLMs, geospatial and temporal analytics, anomaly and pattern detection, forecasting and simulation, and multi-modal data fusion while working collaboratively using modern development practices such as version control, automated testing, containerized deployments, code review, and iterative delivery. This is a hybrid role open to candidates in the Washington, DC area.
Outside of contract work, TRSS Data Scientists contribute to internal innovation by participating in research and development (R&D), developing and maintaining shared capabilities, strengthening technical skills, and supporting business development efforts such as proof-of-concept projects and capabilities briefings.
About the Role:
If you are excited about this role but your past experience does not perfectly align with every qualification listed, we still encourage you to apply. TRSS is looking for self-starting, diverse candidates who thrive in collaborative environments and are eager to expand their technical horizons. Your ability to learn quickly, take initiative, and collaborate effectively matters just as much as your current tech stack.
Minimum Qualifications

• United States Citizenship (essential to comply with government contract requirements).

• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance or agency work suitability determination, as required by assignment.

• Willingness to work full time in a hybrid work environment in the Washington DC area.

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in a technical field (e.g., data science, statistics, computer science, mathematics, engineering, physical/biological sciences, or geographic information systems (GIS)) or another field whose course of study involved a substantial technical or quantitative component.

• At least 3 years of relevant experience. Relevant experience can include some combination of:

• Applied Research and Development: designing, testing, evaluating, and refining data science, machine learning, AI, or analytic approaches to address technical or mission-driven problems.

• Rapid Prototyping and Application Development: building proof-of-concept workflows, APIs, features, applications, or decision-support tools to demonstrate and mature new capabilities.

• Large Data Management: querying, extracting, cleaning, verifying, integrating, resolving, and maintaining structured and unstructured data.

• Large Data Analysis: statistical methods, graph networks, anomaly detection, spatial analysis, temporal analysis, forecasting, and pattern discovery.

• Large Data Modeling: machine learning, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, computer vision, simulation, classification, clustering, and related analytic methods.

• Large Data Storytelling: explaining insights and methodology to technical and non-technical audiences, dashboards, plots & visualizations, and direct experience with customers.

• Programming: Candidates must have practical experience writing, editing, customizing, and executing code written in Python.

• Development Tools: Candidates must have experience using common day-to-day development tools including Python, Docker, FastAPI, and Git/GitHub.

• SQL proficiency: Candidates must have experience using SQL for data extraction, pipelining, transformation, or exploration.

• Ability to handle sensitive, confidential, or regulated data in accordance with applicable policies and requirements.

• Ability to interface directly with customers at all levels and be a representative of TRSS.

• Ability to work both independently and as a member of a team. Teams may include other Data Scientists or be cross-disciplinary and include Software Engineers, Product Managers, Subject Matter Expert Analysts, and/or Data Engineers.

• Ability to interpret customer requests and/or problem statements into clear project plans, develop project goals and methods, and deliver actionable results within required timeframes.

• Ability to work using modern software development practices, including shared repositories, version control, testing, documentation, containerization, and iterative development.

About You:

• Current/Active government work suitability or security clearance.

• Experience supporting DoD/DoW, intelligence, or other government research and development programs.

• Programming skills in multiple languages other than Python (Python is a minimum requirement) including R, Java, JavaScript, or SQL.

• Experience with software development, including managing collaborative codebases, version control, linting/testing, containerization, CI/CD (Kubernetes), agentic workflows, and interacting with REST APIs.

• Experience contributing to shared project/product repositories in collaborative development environments.

• Experience building prototype or production applications that operationalize data science, machine learning, or AI capabilities.

• Experience in one or more of the following areas: NLP and information extraction, LLMs and agentic AI, geospatial analytics, temporal analysis, anomaly detection, cyber operations (OCO/DCO), forecasting and simulation.

#LI-SW1
What's in it For You?

• Hybrid Work Model: We've adopted a flexible hybrid working environment (2-3 days a week in the office depending on the role) for our office-based roles while delivering a seamless experience that is digitally and physically connected.
• Flexibility & Work-Life Balance: Flex My Way is a set of supportive workplace policies designed to help manage personal and professional responsibilities, whether caring for family, giving back to the community, or finding time to refresh and reset. This builds upon our flexible work arrangements, including work from anywhere for up to 8 weeks per year, empowering employees to achieve a better work-life balance.
• Career Development and Growth: By fostering a culture of continuous learning and skill development, we prepare our talent to tackle tomorrow's challenges and deliver real-world solutions. Our Grow My Way programming and skills-first approach ensures you have the tools and knowledge to grow, lead, and thrive in an AI-enabled future.
• Industry Competitive Benefits: We offer comprehensive benefit plans to include flexible vacation, two company-wide Mental Health Days off, access to the Headspace app, retirement savings, tuition reimbursement, employee incentive programs, and resources for mental, physical, and financial wellbeing.
• Culture: Globally recognized, award-winning reputation for inclusion and belonging, flexibility, work-life balance, and more. We live by our values: Obsess over our Customers, Compete to Win, Challenge (Y)our Thinking, Act Fast / Learn Fast, and Stronger Together.
• Social Impact: Make an impact in your community with our Social Impact Institute. We offer employees two paid volunteer days off annually and opportunities to get involved with pro-bono consulting projects and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives.
• Making a Real-World Impact: We are one of the few companies globally that helps its customers pursue justice, truth, and transparency. Together, with the professionals and institutions we serve, we help uphold the rule of law, turn the wheels of commerce, catch bad actors, report the facts, and provide trusted, unbiased information to people all over the world.

In the United States, Thomson Reuters offers a comprehensive benefits package to our employees. Our benefit package includes market competitive health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance programs, as well as a competitive 401k plan with company match. In addition, Thomson Reuters offers market leading work life benefits with competitive vacation, sick and safe paid time off, paid holidays (including two company mental health days off), parental leave, sabbatical leave. These benefits meet or exceeds the requirements of paid time off in accordance with any applicable state or municipal laws. Finally, Thomson Reuters offers the following additional benefits: optional hospital, accident and sickness insurance paid 100% by the employee; optional life and AD&D insurance paid 100% by the employee; Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts; fitness reimbursement; access to Employee Assistance Program; Group Legal Identity Theft Protection benefit paid 100% by employee; access to 529 Plan; commuter benefits; Adoption & Surrogacy Assistance; Tuition Reimbursement; and access to Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
Thomson Reuters complies with local laws that require upfront disclosure of the expected pay range for a position. The base compensation range varies across locations.Eligible office location(s) for this role include one or more of the following: New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and/or Irvine, CA; McLean, VA; Washington, DC. The base compensation range for the role in any of those locations is $117,700 USD - $218,600 USD.Base pay is positioned within the range based on several factors including an individual's knowledge, skills and experience with consideration given to internal equity. Base pay is one part of a comprehensive Total Reward program which also includes flexible and supportive benefits and other wellbeing programs.This role may also be eligible for an Annual Bonus based on a combination of enterprise and individual performance.
About Us
Thomson Reuters informs the way forward by bringing together the trusted content and technology that people and organizations need to make the right decisions. We serve professionals across legal, tax, accounting, compliance, government, and media. Our products combine highly specialized software and insights to empower professionals with the data, intelligence, and solutions needed to make informed decisions, and to help institutions in their pursuit of justice, truth, and transparency. Reuters, part of Thomson Reuters, is a world leading provider of trusted journalism and news.
We are powered by the talents of 26,000 employees across more than 70 countries, where everyone has a chance to contribute and grow professionally in flexible work environments. At a time when objectivity, accuracy, fairness, and transparency are under attack, we consider it our duty to pursue them. Sound exciting? Join us and help shape the industries that move society forward.
As a global business, we rely on the unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences of all employees to deliver on our business goals. To ensure we can do that, we seek talented, qualified employees in all our operations around the world regardless of race, color, sex/gender, including pregnancy, gender identity and expression, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, citizen status, veteran status, or any other protected classification under applicable law. Thomson Reuters is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer providing a drug-free workplace.
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