Westat is an employee-owned corporation providing research services to agencies of the U.S. Government, as well as businesses, foundations, and state and local governments. Westat's research, technical, and administrative staff of more than 2,000 is located at our headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, near Washington, DC.

Westat is committed to building a diverse workforce and a culture of inclusivity, belonging and equity for all. We believe that our greatest strength draws on the different backgrounds, cultures, perspectives and experiences of our employees.

Job Summary: 
Westat is seeking a senior data scientist to oversee a variety of data-driven projects and work with data scientists, statisticians, survey methodologists, system architects and software engineers to approach and visualize problems analytically, think creatively, and develop and deploy data-driven solutions to practical problems.  Westat data scientists apply data science techniques to draw insights from a variety of structured and unstructured data sources, to answer difficult questions, create efficiencies in processes, and make data insights visible.

Job Responsibilities:
•     Lead a dynamic team of data scientists which use modern methods and tools to support data intensive research projects and large-scale data collection efforts. 
•     Coordinate with project and systems staff, including researchers and software engineers, in multiple functional areas of the organization on projects related to physical and mental health, public health, transportation, education, economics, and other social sciences.
•     Provide support and learning opportunities related to programming languages such as Python, R, Java, and C#, as well as data analytical engines such as PostgreSQL, SQL Server, MySql, and ElasticSearch.
•     Work collaboratively to design, build, maintain, and help operationalize machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), and deep learning (AI) models. 
•     Collaborate with internal and external researchers to provide expert advice on data science solutions and techniques (e.g., ML, NLP, Social Network Analysis, Simulation) to meet various project needs.
•     Conduct research and publish in scientific or technical journals on new applications or emerging technologies. 

Basic Qualifications:
•     A master's in data science, statistics, computer science, or other data-intensive field. 
•     A minimum of 5 years of experience.
•     Experience with writing code to support data science tasks. 
•     Experience in Machine Learning or Natural Language Processing or deep learning (AI) methods.

Preferred Qualifications: 
•     Comfortable working with diverse computing environments and platforms (e.g., Windows, Linux, containers, and cloud).
•     Exposure to modern collaboration and software development tools (e.g., Git, GitHub, or GitLab).

Other Required Qualifications:
•     Demonstrated communication skills.
•     Collaboration with teams, managers and/or clients.
•     Organization skills, including time management ability.
•     Detail oriented.

Westat offers a well-rounded and comprehensive benefits program focused on wellness and work/life balance. Subject to plan requirements, employees may participate in:

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Paid Parental Leave
• Vacation Leave (15 days per year)
• Sick Leave (10 days per year)
• Holiday Leave (7 government holidays and 2 Floating holidays)
• Professional Development
• Health Advocate
• Employee Assistance Program
• Travel Accident Insurance
• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Short Term Disability Insurance
• Long Term Disability Insurance
• Life and AD&D Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Supplemental Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account
• Health Savings Account

Westat is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, genetic information, gender identity or expression, or any other protected status under applicable law.