Data Scientist

Bureau of Reclamation • Lakewood, CO

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Data Scientist serves in the Technical Service Center and develops data-driven solutions to mission challenges. The role transforms structured and unstructured data into actionable information through data workflows, statistical modeling, AI/ML applications, optimization, and exploratory data analysis. It also builds and maintains pipelines that collect, clean, validate, and organize data from multiple enterprise systems, and develops analytical tools, queries, dashboards, and visualizations using programming languages and business intelligence platforms.

The position supports data quality and governance practices, including data access, usage, metadata documentation, and security, in alignment with Bureau policies, Departmental guidance, and Federal regulations. It assists with predictive and statistical models for forecasting, workload estimation, and resource planning, and validates results using standard methods. The Data Scientist collaborates with multidisciplinary teams, communicates analytical findings to decision makers, and prepares technical documentation and oral presentations.

The position is located in Lakewood, Colorado. Its duties are suitable for telework, which may be allowed with supervisor approval. A one-year probationary period is required.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Must pass a background investigation and receive favorable adjudication.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered for Selective Service.
• Participation in Direct Deposit is required.
• Must successfully pass E-Verify employment verification.
• Must serve a one-year probationary period.
• Must meet the basic education requirement: a bachelor's-level major in mathematics, statistics, computer science, data science, or a directly related field; or 30 semester hours equivalent to such a major plus additional education or appropriate experience.
• For GS-11, must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-09 in the Federal service or comparable experience, demonstrating at least two listed areas: coding in Python, R, or SQL to query, clean, and validate data from multiple systems; building Tableau or Microsoft Power Platform dashboards and visualizations; applying statistical modeling, machine learning, or optimization to identify trends and support forecasting or resource planning; testing AI/ML models and analytical tools and documenting data quality issues; or preparing technical documentation and delivering presentations that translate analytical findings for decision makers.
• As an alternative to specialized experience, must have at least three years of progressively higher-level graduate education (54 semester hours or equivalent) leading to a directly related Ph.D., a directly related Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or a qualifying combination of graduate education beyond the first two years and professional experience.
• Resume must state whether experience was full-time (or 40 hours a week) or part-time and, for part-time work, the hours worked per week.

Responsibilities

• Develop workflows to transform structured and unstructured data into actionable information using statistical modeling, AI/ML applications, optimization, and exploratory data analysis.
• Design, build, and maintain pipelines to collect, clean, validate, and organize data from multiple enterprise systems.
• Develop analytical tools, queries, dashboards, and visualizations using programming and scripting languages such as Python, R, and SQL, and tools such as Tableau and the Microsoft Power Platform.
• Develop data quality checks and procedures, and support data governance practices for data access, usage, metadata documentation, and security.
• Assist in developing, testing, and refining predictive and statistical models for forecasting, workload estimation, and resource planning; validate results using standard statistical and computational methods.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to understand data needs, explain technical concepts, and align analytical projects with program and business goals.
• Communicate analysis results clearly to help Reclamation decision makers make informed decisions about programmatic and administrative functions.
• Deliver oral presentations to internal team members and Reclamation clients and collaborators.
• Draft technical documentation, including briefing papers, standard operating procedures, technical tool documentation, and technical memorandums.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and eligibility.
• Recruitment or relocation incentive may be offered at the agency's discretion if the candidate is eligible.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level