Senior Data Scientist Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

MANTECH seeks a motivated, career and customer-oriented Senior Data Scientist to join our team in Springfield, VA. This role is 100% on-site.

The Senior Data Scientist leads the integration and application of advanced data analytics to solve complex business challenges and enhance mission security. The contractor will serve as a subject matter expert (SME), responsible for the entire lifecycle of data analysis-from refining business requirements and developing sophisticated analytical models to provide strategic recommendations that improve organizational efficiency and mitigate insider threats. This role demands a blend of deep technical expertise, strong business acumen, and the ability to lead, manage, and support critical operational and policy-related initiatives.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Advanced Analytics and Model Development: Architect, develop, and maintain advanced analytic models, visualizations, and tools to deter, detect, and mitigate insider threats.

• Apply expert knowledge of industry-standard data science principles to identify anomalous events and provide actionable intelligence.

• Strategic Business Analysis: Proactively collaborate with project requestors, senior stakeholders, and program managers to define, clarify, and refine complex business needs and strategic objectives. Utilize data-driven insights to recommend significant changes and process improvements.

• Process Improvement and Policy Operations: Lead, manage, and support business operations and policy development lifecycles. Serve as an SME for the development, review, coordination, promulgation, and compliance of enterprise-wide policies, including the maintenance of Self-Inspection Checklists and related documentation.

• Risk and Performance Analytics: Own the development and maintenance of sophisticated risk-scoring models and other data analytics tools. Drive the implementation and sustainment of data analysis platforms, ensuring system integrity by capturing and analyzing metrics on system errors, failures, and performance.

• Stakeholder Engagement and Communication: Translate complex quantitative and qualitative analysis into clear, compelling visuals, dashboards, and executive-level reports. Provide authoritative visual, technical, and editorial guidance, and confidently brief senior leadership on analytical findings, forecasts, and strategic recommendations.

• Data Governance and Integrity: Oversee the capture, maintenance, and accumulation of statistics, ensuring the accuracy of data related to timelines, product transfers between domains, and other key performance indicators.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 7+ years proven experience in integrating, developing, and maintaining analytic models, visualizations, and tools, preferably in a security or threat-detection context and a

• Master's Degree in Data Science, Statistics, Business, or a related field. In lieu of a masters degree, 10+ years of experience. In lieu of a bachelor's degree, 15+ years of experience

• Expert-level knowledge of data analytics and data science principles, with a demonstrated ability to apply them to identify anomalous events and create data-driven forecasts.

• Mastery of data visualization and dashboard development using data sets from various sources.

• Exceptional ability to transform complex data sets into compelling visuals, reports, and briefings for leadership.

• Direct experience supporting and maintaining risk-scoring models or similar predictive analytic systems.

• Proficiency in creating and editing visual content such as charts and graphs to represent data.

• Demonstrated coding experience to support writing scripts with tools such as but not limited to Java and Python. Demonstrated ability to use Share Point, Tableau, Redmine, and other systems/databases to manipulate and build data visualization.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in a leadership or mentorship role within a data analytics or business intelligence team.

• Familiarity with geospatial analysis, web development principles, or specific program leadership reporting structures

Clearance Requirements:

• Must have a current/active TS/SCI security clearance and be willing and able to obtain a polygraph.

Physical Requirements:

• The person in this position must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time. Occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, or to communicate with co-workers, management, and customers, via email, phone, and or virtual communication, which may involve delivering presentations.