Data Scientist

Ignite Digital is seeking an experienced Data Scientist to support a U.S. Navy customer in the Norfolk, VA area. This role is ideal for a highly analytical, detail-oriented professional who thrives in data-driven environments and can translate complex analytical insights into actionable outcomes for both technical and non-technical stakeholders. The Data Scientist will leverage advanced statistical methods, machine learning techniques, and data engineering practices to solve complex mission and business challenges within a Naval program environment. Key Responsibilities: Data Acquisition & Preparation: - Gather data from multiple sources, including databases, APIs, and web scraping activities. - Clean, transform, and prepare datasets for analysis. - Develop and maintain automated data pipelines. - Implement data quality checks, validation, and anomaly detection procedures. Analysis, Modeling & Experimentation: - Conduct exploratory data analysis (EDA) to extract insights, identify patterns, and detect anomalies. - Build, optimize, and evaluate statistical models and machine learning algorithms (supervised/unsupervised/deep learning). - Perform A/B testing and other experimental designs to evaluate solution efficacy. - Continuously improve model accuracy, reliability, and performance. Communication, Visualization & Reporting: - Communicate complex analytical findings to technical and non-technical audiences clearly and effectively. - Develop reports, presentations, dashboards, and visualizations to support decision-making. - Create tools to monitor key metrics and operational performance. - Document methodologies, models, results, and code. Collaboration & Innovation: - Work closely with cross-functional teams including data scientists, engineers, analysts, and mission stakeholders. - Stay current with emerging technologies, data science trends, and toolsets. - Participate in code reviews, knowledge sharing sessions, and team development activities. - Identify business and mission problems suited for data-driven solutions and contribute to solution design. - Troubleshoot and resolve data-related and pipeline issues. Required Skills & Experience: - 4+ years of professional experience in data analysis, data science, or a related field. - Proficiency in Python or R. - Experience with key data science libraries such as Pandas, NumPy, Scikit-learn, and others. - Strong SQL skills and experience with relational or NoSQL databases. - Hands-on experience with data visualization tools such as Tableau, Power BI, Matplotlib, or Seaborn. - Solid understanding of statistical modeling (regression, classification, clustering). - Experience developing and deploying machine learning models. - Familiarity with cloud-based ML platforms such as AWS SageMaker, Azure ML, or Google Cloud AI. - Experience with big data systems (Hadoop, Spark) is a plus but not required. - Strong analytical thinking, problem solving, and organizational skills. - Exceptional communication skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks effectively. Education & Certifications: - Bachelor's or Master's degree in a quantitative field such as: - Computer Science - Statistics - Mathematics - Engineering - Economics - Relevant professional certifications (e.g., cloud, data science, ML engineering, analytics) are valued. Security Clearance: - Active DoW SECRET clearance required. Salary: $120k+ to align with education and experience.