Data Scientist SME

Leidos National Security Sector combines technology-enabled services and mission software capabilities in the areas of cyber logistics security operations and decision analytics to support our defense and intel customers mission to defend against evolving threats around the world. Our teams focus is to ensure our customers have the right tools technologies and tactics to keep pace with an ever-evolving security landscape and succeed in their pursuit to protect people and critical assets.

The Intelligence Production Solutions Division (IPSD) part of the Decision Advantage Solutions Business Area is seeking a Data Scientist Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the Chinook this highly specialized role you will lead complex mission-critical projects that leverage advanced data science techniques machine learning and artificial intelligence to address key intelligence challenges. As a SME you will apply deep expertise in data science and geospatial analytics to help solve high-stakes problems related to national security defense and geospatial intelligence.

This role requires both a strategic and hands-on approach providing subject matter leadership and guidance to teams while working closely with customer stakeholders and mission experts. If you are an experienced data scientist with expertise in geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) we want you to be part of our growing team!

Position may be performed in the following locations below. Please note Gaithersburg MD is the primary work location for the program.

• Gaithersburg MD
• Alexandria VA
• Chantilly VA
• Aurora CO
• St. Louis MO

Clearance Level Required:

Top Secret with the ability to obtain SCI as well as a Polygraph.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Serve as the technical SME in data science and geospatial analytics providing high-level guidance on complex technical problems related to the GEOINT mission.
• Lead the design and development of sophisticated data science models and machine learning algorithms to analyze large multi-source geospatial data sets (e.g. satellite imagery sensor data geospatial databases).
• Apply deep knowledge of GEOINT remote sensing and spatial analysis to develop and implement solutions that enhance data-driven decision-making capabilities.
• Provide strategic recommendations for leveraging new and emerging technologies including machine learning AI and cloud platforms to improve analytical workflows efficiency and mission outcomes.
• Mentor and train junior data scientists and analysts ensuring the application of best practices in data science and the development of mission-relevant expertise.
• Work closely with GEOINT analysts program managers engineers and other stakeholders to identify critical requirements define technical approaches and ensure that solutions align with mission objectives.
• Conduct applied research to explore innovative data science techniques and emerging trends (e.g. deep learning reinforcement learning advanced geospatial algorithms) that can be applied to solve real-world intelligence problems.
• Oversee the deployment and operationalization of data science models ensuring they are scalable reliable and deliver actionable insights to GEOINT decision-makers.
• Maintain high-quality documentation for models methodologies and analysis processes to support reproducibility training and knowledge transfer.

Basic Qualifications:

• US citizenship is required per contract.
• Bachelors degree in Data Science Computer Science Geospatial Science or related field and 12-15 years of prior relevant experience or Masters with 10-13 years of prior relevant experience. May possess a Doctorate in technical domain.
• 10 years of professional experience in data science.
• 5 years of experience with GEOINT or geospatial data analysis.
• Proven expertise in developing and implementing machine learning and AI models particularly in context of geospatial or remote sensing.
• Deep knowledge of geospatial analytics tools (e.g. GIS ArcGIS) remote sensing techniques and the application of data science in the IC.
• Expert proficiency in Python (or similar languages) and experience with data science libraries (TensorFlow PyTorch Pandas NumPy).
• Strong experience with big data processing tools (e.g. Spark Hadoop AWS or Azure cloud platforms).
• Expertise in working with geospatial data formats (e.g. GeoTIFF Shapefiles WMS WFS) and spatial libraries (e.g. GeoPandas Rasterio GDAL).
• Advance experience in developing and operationalizing AI/ML models and algorithms for geospatial data (e.g. object detection from satellite imagery spatial clustering predictive analytics).
• Strong background in data visualization and reporting tools (e.g. Tableau PowerBI).
• Strong leadership communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work directly with senior government officials analysts and technical teams.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills with a demonstrated ability to translate technical challenges into actionable insights.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced certifications in data science or machine learning.
• Familiarity with the customer mission and specific geospatial intelligence challenges.
• Expertise in advanced deep learning techniques particularly in computer vision and image analysis for geospatial applications.
• Experience with cloud-native applications and distributed computing in a geospatial context.
• Familiarity with satellite data analysis and remoting sensing models.
• Published research or technical papers in geospatial intelligence machine learning or data science.

#Chinook

Come break things (in a good way). Then build them smarter.

Were the tech company everyone calls when things get weird. We dont wear capes (theyre a safety hazard) but we do solve high-stakes problems with code caffeine and a healthy disregard for how its always been done.

Original Posting:

Pay Range:

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job education experience knowledge skills and abilities as well as internal equity alignment with market data applicable bargaining agreement (if any) or other law.