Senior Data Scientist

This is a U.S. based position. All of the programs we support require U.S. citizenship to be eligible for employment. All work must be conducted within the continental U.S.

Who we are:

Raft (https://TeamRaft.com) is a customer-obsessed non-traditional small business with a purposeful focus on Distributed Data Systems, Platforms at Scale, and Complex Application Development, with headquarters in McLean, VA. Our range of clients includes innovative federal and public agencies leveraging design thinking, cutting-edge tech stack, and cloud-native ecosystem. We build digital solutions that impact the lives of millions of Americans.

We’re looking for an experienced Senior Data Scientist to support our customers and join our passionate team of high-impact problem solvers.

About the role:

This is an opportunity for an experienced Senior Data Scientist to design, develop, and optimize AI/ML models for large-scale data processing and mission-critical applications. You will work on advanced machine learning techniques, natural language processing, and generative AI while collaborating with cross-functional teams to integrate AI solutions into search and retrieval systems. Responsibilities include AI model development, data engineering, distributed computing, and cloud-based optimization. This role is contingent on contract award.

What we are looking for:

• 7-10 years of experience with a bachelor’s degree, or 5+ years of experience with a master’s degree in data science, computer science, engineering, or a related field
• Expertise in machine learning fields such as natural language processing, computer vision, and statistical learning theory
• Hands-on experience with NLP, large language models, text embedding, semantic search, generative AI for text, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)
• Proficiency in data preprocessing, feature engineering, and model evaluation techniques essential for ML projects
• Strong understanding of machine learning algorithms, including supervised and unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning, and neural networks
• Experience with version control systems like Git for effective collaboration and reproducibility
• Experience in an ML engineering or data science role, building, training, and deploying AI/ML models
• Strong programming skills in Python, R, Scala, Java, or C++, with well-documented code for reproducibility
• Experience using Apache Spark and Databricks for distributed AI/ML workloads
• Experience working with petabyte-scale datasets, analyzing hidden patterns, utilizing data visualization tools, writing SQL, and leveraging GPUs for model training
• Expertise in cloud-based data persistence solutions, particularly RDS PostgreSQL and PostgreSQL extensions such as pgvector.
• Experience persisting vectorized data from text embedding processes using Elastic/OpenSearch and vector-enabled RDBMS such as pgvector-enhanced PostgreSQL
• Ability to communicate technical concepts to business, technical, and non-technical audiences and deliver data-driven presentations

Major Duties/Tasks:

• Design, develop, test, and support AI/ML-driven data science solutions for various technical use cases
• Collaborate with data scientists, engineers, and software developers to integrate AI solutions from CDAO and DoD research into search and retrieval products
• Optimize AI models for performance, scalability, and efficiency using cloud-based resources and distributed computing frameworks like Apache Spark and Databricks, while ensuring compatibility with GPU-enabled Kubernetes clusters
• Stay updated on cutting-edge AI/ML research and apply new methodologies to enhance search and retrieval solutions
• Manage the full lifecycle of AI/ML models, from research and development to deployment, monitoring, and optimization
• Apply analytical methodologies to identify and resolve data challenges, develop solutions, and assess performance metrics
• Document and present technical requirements, design considerations, and findings to internal teams and stakeholders
• Develop strategic data modeling processes and ensure accurate analysis of cause-and-effect relationships within large datasets
• Utilize data integration, data visualization, data mining, and analytical tools to generate insights
• Maintain and improve common AI/ML libraries and tools used by multiple teams
• Assist in developing a strategy for rapid prototyping and iterative development of AI/ML solutions

Clearance Requirements:

• Active TS security clearance with SCI eligibility

Salary Range:

• $130,000 - $160,000 
• The determination of compensation is predicated upon a candidate's comprehensive experience, demonstrated skill, and proven abilities

Work Type: 

• McLean, VA
• May require up to 10% travel

What we will offer you:

• Highly competitive salary
• Fully covered healthcare, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) and company match
• Take as you need PTO + 11 paid holidays
• Education & training benefits
• Annual budget for your tech/gadgets needs
• Remote, hybrid, and flexible work options
• Team off-site in fun places!
• Generous Referral Bonuses
• And More!

Our Vision Statement: 

We bridge the gap between humans and data through radical transparency and our obsession with the mission. 

Our Customer Obsession: 

We will approach every deliverable like it's a product. We will adopt a customer-obsessed mentality. As we grow, and our footprint becomes larger, teams and employees will treat each other not only as teammates but customers. We must live the customer-obsessed mindset, always. This will help us scale and it will translate to the interactions that our Rafters have with their clients and other product teams that they integrate with. Our culture will enable our success and set us apart from other companies.

How do we get there? 

Public-sector modernization is critical for us to live in a better world. We, at Raft, want to innovate and solve complex problems. And, if we are successful, our generation and the ones that follow us will live in a delightful, efficient, and accessible world where out-of-box thinking, and collaboration is a norm. 

Raft’s core philosophy is Ubuntu: I Am, Because We are. We support our “nadi” by elevating the other Rafters. We work as a hyper collaborative team where each team member brings a unique perspective, adding value that did not exist before. People make Raft special. We celebrate each other and our cognitive and cultural diversity. We are devoted to our practice of innovation and collaboration. 

We’re an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.