Lead Data Scientist

The Vanguard Group • Malvern, PA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

At Vanguard, the mission is to work for the long-term financial wellbeing of clients, leading through products and services that transform clients' lives, and fostering individual and team development. The Lead Data Scientist role involves developing complex queries and performing extensive programming to access, transform, and prepare large-scale data for statistical modeling and AI applications. This position leads diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics initiatives to support strategic and operational decision-making. It requires identifying data inconsistencies, documenting assumptions, and addressing data quality gaps to ensure reliable model outcomes. The Lead Data Scientist designs, trains, evaluates, and deploys machine learning and AI models, and applies generative AI techniques to enable automation, insight generation, and intelligent user experiences. The role also guides model validation, performance monitoring, explainability, and responsible AI practices. Engagement with business and technology stakeholders is crucial to understand problems, formulate hypotheses, and translate requirements into analytic and AI solutions. This role serves as an AI and analytics expert on cross-functional initiatives, contributing to enterprise-wide data and AI maturity, and involves preparing and delivering clear, concise insight presentations and recommendations to both technical and non-technical audiences. Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of its crew members.

Requirements

• 7 + years of experience in data science, analytics, or related quantitative roles.
• Strong programming skills (e.g., Python, SQL) for data wrangling, modeling, and production ready solutions.
• Hands on experience with statistical modeling and machine learning techniques.
• Proven ability to translate complex analytical results into business insights.
• Experience with generative AI, LLMs, vector databases, or AI orchestration frameworks.
• Familiarity with cloud based data and AI platforms.
• Experience working in regulated or large scale enterprise environments.

Responsibilities

• Develops complex queries and performs extensive programming to access, transform, and prepare large scale data for statistical modeling and AI applications.
• Leads diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics initiatives to support strategic and operational decision-making.
• Identifies data inconsistencies, documents assumptions, and addresses data quality gaps to ensure reliable model outcomes.
• Designs, trains, evaluates, and deploys machine learning and AI models (e.g., supervised/unsupervised learning, NLP, time series, optimization).
• Apply generative AI techniques (e.g., LLMs, embeddings, prompt engineering, agents) to enable automation, insight generation, and intelligent user experiences.
• Guides model validation, performance monitoring, explainability, and responsible AI practices.
• Engages with business and technology stakeholders to understand problems, formulate hypotheses, and translate requirements into analytic and AI solutions.
• Serves as an AI and analytics expert on cross functional initiatives, contributing to enterprise wide data and AI maturity.
• Prepares and delivers clear, concise insight presentations and recommendations to technical and non technical audiences.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees