Senior Data Scientist

City of New York • New York City, NY

19h • Onsite

About The Position

Data Analytics at the division of Innovation & Performance Management is responsible for fostering a data-informed Parks by leveraging data to produce insights that cross divisional perspectives. This strategic initiative aims to solve problems and conduct research that improves the effectiveness and efficiency of Parks programs through the lens of data, advancing a vibrant and sustainable park system.

Requirements

• A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
• A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization.
• A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization.
• Education and/or experience which is equivalent to the above.
• At least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described above.
• Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required.

Responsibilities

• Under direct supervision of the Chief Data Officer, exercise a high degree of independent initiative and judgment to serve as the agency’s lead data scientist, guiding complex analytics and data engineering projects from conception through implementation with a focus on rigor, scalability and long-term sustainability.
• Perform applied research and develop analytical frameworks that integrate geospatial, and operational data to answer complex questions and generate actionable insights (e.g., Vital Parks accessibility analysis, usership estimation). Identify trends, relationships and opportunities to improve operational efficiency and strategic planning.
• Lead the design, development and refinement of analytical models and methodologies, including the integration of multiple data sources for operational insights (e.g., sensor and mobility data for visitation estimates and usage patterns). Continuously iterate on methods to improve accuracy, reproducibility and practical application.
• Serve as a technical lead in shaping and improving the agency’s data infrastructure by designing and optimizing data pipelines, automating workflows, and restructuring data systems to support scalable analytics and public-facing tools (e.g., Vital Parks data pipelines, Tableau integration, Open Data outputs).
• Partner with internal and external collaborators including Digital Media, City Planning, academic institutions and private vendors to define project goals, refine methodologies and align data products with operational and policy needs. Facilitate stakeholder engagement to build alignment and ensure successful project implementation.
• Provide technical leadership in data engineering and analytics best practices, including code modularity, reproducibility, version control and data pipeline optimization contributing to the long-term sustainability and maintainability of agency data systems.
• Translate complex analytical processes and results into clear compelling narratives, visualizations and presentations tailored to diverse audiences including executive leadership, technical staff and the public.
• Represent the agency in external forums and professional settings, including leading workshops and presenting at conferences (e.g., Open Data Week, AnEx, Pitchfest) contributing to knowledge sharing and elevating the Agency’s data analytics profile.

What This Job Offers

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