Associate Data Scientist – Defense Industrial Base Institute

About the role

The Defense Industrial Base Institute at Northeastern University is seeking an Associate (Junior) Data Scientist to support federally funded defense projects. The role involves applying machine‑learning and AI methods to autonomy, sensing, communication, and decision‑support systems.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and maintain data pipelines and analytical components for the Navigator methodology.
• Provide technical expertise and analytical support to principal investigators on ML/AI projects, including model validation and deployment.
• Design, validate, and interpret statistical and machine‑learning models, and communicate results to non‑technical stakeholders.
• Support research and development efforts, test and validate AI tools, and contribute to proposal scoping and internal system recommendations.

Required profile

• Master’s degree in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics or related field.
• 2–4 years of professional experience in software engineering, data science, or applied R&D with exposure to ML/AI system development.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain a security clearance.

Required skills

• Advanced proficiency in Python and/or R.
• Experience with C++ and/or Java for performance‑critical components.
• Data visualization tools such as Tableau, Power BI, matplotlib, Plotly.
• Version control (Git/GitHub) and reproducible research practices.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GovCloud equivalents).

What we offer

• Competitive salary range $76,335 – $107,823 per year.
• Comprehensive benefits package including retirement plans with generous matching, tuition waiver for classes and advanced degrees, medical, vision, dental, paid time off, and wellness programs.