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Data Strategy Lead Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Lead Data Architect Location: Suitland, MD (Hybrid) Terms: Full-time Clearance/Work Authorization ... This role requires someone who can balance long-term data strategy with operational delivery ...

Principal Data Lead

Fairfax, VA · On-site +1

$160K - $200K/yr

In this role, you'll own execution of the data strategy for a multi-year enterprise data platform, lead the data supply chain, and drive a multi-phase metadata maturity program that raises the bar ...

Principal Data Lead

Fairfax, VA · On-site +1

$160K - $200K/yr

In this role, you'll own execution of the data strategy for a multi-year enterprise data platform, lead the data supply chain, and drive a multi-phase metadata maturity program that raises the bar ...

Data Strategist

Alexandria, VA · On-site +1

$115K - $125K/yr

... lead enterprise data strategy, governance, and analytics modernization efforts supporting DHS Health IT initiatives. This position will collaborate with business leaders, technical teams, and ...

Interpreting and delivering impactful strategic plans improving data integration, data quality, and data delivery in support of business initiatives and roadmaps. * Assessing and advocating data ...

Showing results 21-40

Data Strategy Lead information

See Virginia salary details

$30

$69

$95

How much do data strategy lead jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 13, 2026, the average hourly pay for data strategy lead in Virginia is $69.48, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $60.05 and $77.93 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Data Strategy Lead?

A Data Strategy Lead is a professional responsible for developing and guiding an organization’s overall data strategy. This includes aligning data initiatives with business goals, overseeing data governance, and ensuring data quality and compliance. They collaborate with various departments to identify data needs, design frameworks for data management, and drive the adoption of data-driven decision-making. Their role is crucial in helping organizations leverage data as a strategic asset for growth and innovation.

How does a Data Strategy Lead typically collaborate with other departments to drive data initiatives?

A Data Strategy Lead works closely with cross-functional teams such as IT, business intelligence, marketing, and operations to align data initiatives with overall business goals. This involves facilitating workshops, translating business needs into data requirements, and ensuring data governance standards are met across departments. Regular collaboration helps break down silos, ensures data quality, and enables the organization to make informed, data-driven decisions. Effective communication and relationship-building skills are essential for success in this role.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Data Strategy Lead, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Data Strategy Lead, you need a strong background in data analytics, data governance, and business strategy, usually supported by a degree in data science, business, or a related field. Familiarity with data visualization tools (like Tableau or Power BI), data management platforms, and certifications such as Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) are typically required. Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills help drive cross-functional collaboration and align data initiatives with business goals. These skills and qualities are crucial for maximizing data value, ensuring data integrity, and driving strategic business decisions.

What is the difference between Data Strategy Lead vs Data Analyst?

AspectData Strategy LeadData Analyst
Required CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in Data Science, Business, or related fields; experience in data strategyBachelor's in Data Science, Statistics, or related fields; proficiency in data analysis tools
Work EnvironmentStrategic planning, cross-department collaboration, executive communicationData collection, cleaning, analysis, reporting
Employer & Industry UsageBusiness, tech companies, consulting firms focusing on data-driven decision makingVarious industries including finance, marketing, healthcare, and retail

The Data Strategy Lead focuses on developing and guiding overall data initiatives and aligning data goals with business strategy, often working with executives. In contrast, a Data Analyst primarily handles data collection, analysis, and reporting to support specific projects. Both roles require strong analytical skills, but the Data Strategy Lead emphasizes strategic planning and leadership, while the Data Analyst concentrates on technical data processing.

What cities in Virginia are hiring for Data Strategy Lead jobs?

Cities in Virginia with the most Data Strategy Lead job openings:

Infographic showing various Data Strategy Lead job openings in Virginia as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 84% Full Time, 13% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $144,522 per year, or $69.5 per hour.

Director, Data Scientist - External Data Strategy

Mclean, VA • On-site

Capital One
Funds, Trusts and Financial Programs • 10K+ employees

Full-time

Re-posted 7 days ago


Key responsibilities

  • Partner with cross-functional teams to deliver data and insights that drive the business

  • Build machine learning models and data pipelines through all phases of development

  • Lead a team of 10-15 data scientists by setting strategic goals, providing technical oversight, and developing team members


Capital One rating

7.8

Company rating: 7.8 out of 10

Based on 148 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz


Job description

Director, Data Scientist - External Data Strategy

Data is at the center of everything we do. As a startup, we disrupted the credit card industry by individually personalizing every credit card offer using statistical modeling and the relational database, cutting edge technology in 1988! Fast-forward a few years, and this little innovation and our passion for data has skyrocketed us to a Fortune 200 company and a leader in the world of data-driven decision-making.

As a Data Scientist at Capital One, you'll be part of a team that's leading the next wave of disruption at a whole new scale, using the latest in computing and machine learning technologies and operating across billions of customer records to unlock the big opportunities that help everyday people save money, time and agony in their financial lives.

TheExternal Data Strategy team builds the data pipelines, advanced analytics, and models that enable Capital One to understand our customer's financial lives. We lead the full data lifecycle from sourcing new data, designing and implementing features pipelines, to providing support to our data users across the business. We leverage Python, Spark, SQL, Databricks, and other AWS capabilities to deliver powerful data for our customers.

In this role, you will:

  • Partner with a cross-functional team of data scientists, software engineers, and product managers to deliver data and insights that drive the business

  • Leverage a broad stack of technologies - Python, Conda, AWS, Databricks, Spark, and more - to reveal the insights hidden within huge volumes of data

  • Build machine learning models and data pipelines through all phases of development, from design through training, evaluation, validation, and implementation

  • Develop deep subject matter expertise in consumer financial data and how that data enables Capital One to make the right decisions for our customers.

  • Lead a team of 10-15 data scientists as a leader-of-leaders by setting a strategic agenda, providing technical oversight and guidance, and developing talented individual contributors and managers.

  • Flex your interpersonal skills to translate the complexity of your work into tangible business goals

The Ideal Candidate is:

  • Customer first. You love the process of analyzing and creating, but also share our passion to do the right thing. You know at the end of the day it's about making the right decision for our customers.

  • A leader. You challenge conventional thinking and work with stakeholders to identify and improve the status quo. You're passionate about talent development for your own team and beyond.

  • Technical. You're comfortable with open-source languages and are passionate about developing further. You have hands-on experience developing data science solutions using open-source tools and cloud computing platforms.

  • A data guru. "Big data" doesn't faze you. You have the skills to retrieve, combine, and analyze data from a variety of sources and structures. You know understanding the data is often the key to great data science.

Basic Qualifications:

  • Currently has, or is in the process of obtaining one of the following with an expectation that the required degree will be obtained on or before the scheduled start date :

    • A Bachelor's Degree in a quantitative field (Statistics, Economics, Operations Research, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field) plus 9 years of experience performing data analytics

    • A Master's Degree in a quantitative field (Statistics, Economics, Operations Research, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field) or an MBA with a quantitative concentration plus 7 years of experience performing data analytics

    • A PHD in a quantitative field (Statistics, Economics, Operations Research, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field) plus 4 years of experience performing data analytics

  • At least 4 years of experience leveraging open source programming languages for large scale data analysis

  • At least 4 years of experience working with machine learning

  • At least 4 years of experience utilizing relational databases

Preferred Qualifications:

  • At least 3 year of experience working with AWS

  • At least 3 year of experience managing people

  • At least 5 years of experience in Python for large scale data analysis

  • At least 5 years of experience with machine learning

  • At least 5 years experience with Spark

Capital One will consider sponsoring a new qualified applicant for employment authorization for this position.

The minimum and maximum full-time annual salaries for this role are listed below, by location. Please note that this salary information is solely for candidates hired to perform work within one of these locations, and refers to the amount Capital One is willing to pay at the time of this posting. Salaries for part-time roles will be prorated based upon the agreed upon number of hours to be regularly worked.

McLean, VA: $269,100 - $307,200 for Dir, Data Science


New York, NY: $293,600 - $335,100 for Dir, Data Science










Candidates hired to work in other locations will be subject to the pay range associated with that location, and the actual annualized salary amount offered to any candidate at the time of hire will be reflected solely in the candidate's offer letter.

This role is also eligible to earn performance based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonus(es) and/or long term incentives (LTI). Incentives could be discretionary or non discretionary depending on the plan.

Capital One offers a comprehensive, competitive, and inclusive set of health, financial and other benefits that support your total well-being. Learn more at theCapital One Careers website. Eligibility varies based on full or part-time status, exempt or non-exempt status, and management level.

This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days.No agencies please. Capital One is an equal opportunity employer (EOE, including disability/vet) committed to non-discrimination in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Capital One promotes a drug-free workplace. Capital One will consider for employment qualified applicants with a criminal history in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable laws regarding criminal background inquiries, including, to the extent applicable, Article 23-A of the New York Correction Law; San Francisco, California Police Code Article 49, Sections 4901-4920; New York City's Fair Chance Act; Philadelphia's Fair Criminal Records Screening Act; and other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding criminal background inquiries.

If you have visited our website in search of information on employment opportunities or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Capital One Recruiting at 1-800-304-9102 or via email at RecruitingAccommodation@capitalone.com. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.

For technical support or questions about Capital One's recruiting process, please send an email to Careers@capitalone.com

Capital One does not provide, endorse nor guarantee and is not liable for third-party products, services, educational tools or other information available through this site.

Capital One Financial is made up of several different entities. Please note that any position posted in Canada is for Capital One Canada, any position posted in the United Kingdom is for Capital One Europe and any position posted in the Philippines is for Capital One Philippines Service Corp. (COPSSC).


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