Senior Data Scientist

Carnegie Mellon University•Pittsburgh, PA

About The Position

Data Scientists at the SEI use advanced statistics, data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to help government and industry clients research and solve cybersecurity challenges. The Senior Data Scientist works with customers to identify problems that can benefit from advanced statistical techniques, plan and develop prototype solutions, and build final products. The role involves collaborating with cybersecurity professionals and university faculty to create technologies that can influence national cybersecurity strategy. The position includes co-authoring research proposals, conducting studies, and presenting findings to DoW sponsors and at academic conferences. Current work spans generative AI and large language models, computer vision, multimodal AI, agentic AI, and AI system assurance. The team also develops metrics and experimental designs for large-scale cybersecurity research programs, human-in-the-loop machine learning solutions, and classifiers for identifying security vulnerabilities.

Requirements

A BS in data science, machine learning, computer science, statistics, or a related highly quantitative discipline with 10 years of experience, or an equivalent combination of training or experience; or an MS in one of these fields with 8 years of experience; or a PhD in one of these fields with 5 years of experience.
Willingness to complete modest travel to various locations.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Department of War security clearance and will be subject to a background check.
Experience in predictive modeling, data science, and/or AI and machine learning.
Deep understanding of statistical modeling techniques and advanced data analytics.
Proficiency with at least one mathematical or statistical programming package, such as R, Python libraries (NumPy, SciPy, pandas, or polars), or MATLAB.
Innovative and inquisitive approach, with the ability to imagine novel analytical solutions.
Ability to thrive in a multidisciplinary environment.
Strong communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Expertise in one or more of the following: recommendation systems; time-series forecasting (Prophet, NeuralProphet, Chronos, Lag-Llama, etc.); NLP/LLMs (fine-tuning, RAG, evaluation, prompt engineering); causal inference, uplift modeling, or synthetic controls; modern ML frameworks (LightGBM/XGBoost, CatBoost, PyTorch, JAX, TensorFlow); LLMs or agentic workflows (LangChain, LlamaIndex, Haystack); model deployment (FastAPI, Triton, KServe, SageMaker, Vertex AI, or similar); or big data technologies (Spark, Trino, Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks).
Experience in cybersecurity and privacy.
Experience in U.S. Government work and/or with FFRDCs, UARCs, or National Labs.
Demonstrated ability to learn new concepts and grow into new areas of work.

Responsibilities

Work with customers to identify problems where advanced statistical techniques can help.
Plan and develop prototype solutions and build final products.
Co-author research proposals and execute studies.
Present findings to DoW sponsors and at academic conferences.
Contribute to work involving generative AI and large language models, computer vision, multimodal AI, agentic AI, and assurance of AI systems.
Develop metrics and experimental designs for large-scale cybersecurity research programs.
Develop human-in-the-loop machine learning solutions and classifiers to identify security vulnerabilities.
Travel modestly to various locations to support the SEI’s overall mission.