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 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. This position is located within the Statistics and Evaluation Sciences group at Westat.

Job Responsibilities:

• Work as part of 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 developers, in multiple functional areas of the organization on projects related to physical and mental health, public health, transportation, education, economics, and other social sciences.
• Develop programs in languages such as Python, R, Java, and C#, and work with data analytical engines such as PostgreSQL, SQL Server, MySql, and ElasticSearch.
• Work collaboratively to design, build, maintain, and operationalize machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), and deep learning (AI) models.
• Collaborate with internal and external researchers to support 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 plus a minimum of 3 years of practical or postgraduate experience outside of degree-related projects; or doctoral degree in data science, statistics, computer science, or other data-intensive field plus a minimum of 1 years of practical or postdoctoral experience outside of degree-related projects.
• Demonstrated experience using R, Python, Java or C# in data science projects.
• 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).
• Demonstrated experience in ML, NLP and AI methods.

In this role you will use your ability to communicate clearly both in writing and orally with non-technical audiences as you collaborate with our internal team and external clients. You will also need to use your organizational and management skills to successfully prioritize multiple projects and ad-hoc tasks.

Westat offers a well-rounded and comprehensive benefits program focused on wellness and work/life balance. Eligible employees may participate in:

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Paid Parental Leave
• Vacation Leave
• Sick Leave
• Holiday Leave
• 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.