Lead Data Scientist

Peraton is seeking an experience Lead Data Scientist to join our team of qualified and diverse individuals. This position supports our customer as part of an application transformation and modernization initiative. This program is driving a large-scale transformation of systems into a data-centric cloud-native ecosystem capable of supporting high-volume near real-time data processing and advanced analytics. The work includes modernization of legacy applications development of new cloud-native solutions and implementation of DevSecOps and scaled Agile practices across the organization.

As a Lead Data Scientist at Peraton you will define and drive enterprise data science and AI/ML strategy across a large-scale federal modernization program.

You will lead efforts spanning advanced analytics machine learning MLOps AI governance and operational analytics integration across complex enterprise systems. This role requires close collaboration with data engineering architecture application development and operational teams to ensure AI/ML capabilities are production-ready scalable explainable and integrated into enterprise workflows.

You will operate at both strategic and hands-on levels guiding technical direction developing advanced models and ensuring analytics solutions deliver measurable mission impact.

Location: Suitland MD (Hybrid)

• Provide technical leadership across enterprise data science and AI/ML initiatives within a large-scale modernization program
• Design develop validate deploy monitor and scale machine learning and advanced analytics solutions in production environments
• Lead implementation of MLOps practices supporting model lifecycle management automation observability and continuous improvement
• Apply advanced data science techniques including NLP LLMs deep learning reinforcement learning anomaly detection and time series analysis
• Design and support event-driven analytics and real-time/streaming ML pipelines
• Collaborate with data engineers architects application teams and SMEs to integrate AI/ML capabilities into enterprise systems and operational workflows
• Support system-of-systems (SoS) integrations across multiple systems vendors contractors and interdependent platforms
• Establish AI governance frameworks supporting fairness bias mitigation explainability transparency and compliance with standards such as the NIST AI Risk Management Framework
• Develop reproducible analytics workflows technical documentation analysis plans dashboards and reporting deliverables
• Support DataOps and Agile data science practices including iterative development pipeline automation CI/CD integration and collaborative model delivery
• Ensure analytics solutions align with enterprise security privacy and compliance requirements
• Drive improvements in data quality validation accessibility and operational analytics reliability
• Present findings recommendations and technical approaches to executive leadership and stakeholders
• Mentor data scientists and analytics teams while promoting best practices across the organization

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree and 16 years of experience or an Associates degree and 18 years of experience or a High School diploma/equivalent and 20 years of experience.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen with the ability to obtain a Public Trust clearance
• 15 years of experience in data science AI/ML advanced analytics or enterprise modernization initiatives
• Proven experience leading AI/ML and analytics efforts across large-scale complex systems
• Deep expertise in machine learning statistical modeling and advanced analytics techniques
• Experience implementing end-to-end MLOps pipelines including model training validation deployment monitoring and scaling
• Experience with NLP LLMs deep learning reinforcement learning anomaly detection and time series analytics
• Experience designing and supporting real-time or streaming analytics architectures
• Experience integrating AI/ML solutions across system-of-systems (SoS) environments and distributed enterprise platforms
• Experience implementing AI governance frameworks addressing explainability fairness transparency and bias mitigation
• Experience with large-scale distributed data environments and cloud-native analytics platforms
• Experience with DataOps CI/CD integration and Agile/SAFe delivery models
• Strong experience with Python R Spark TensorFlow PyTorch Databricks and related AI/ML technologies
• Experience developing dashboards technical reports analysis plans and reproducible analytics workflows
• Experience collaborating across engineering architecture application and operational teams at enterprise scale

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD is highly preferred in related technical field
• Experience supporting statistical and similarly large-scale federal modernization programs
• Experience implementing enterprise AI governance or responsible AI initiatives
• Experience with event-driven architectures streaming analytics or operational AI systems
• Experience supporting large-scale data modernization or enterprise analytics transformation efforts
• Experience working within DevSecOps-enabled AI/ML delivery environments

Peraton is a next-generation national security company that drives missions of consequence spanning the globe and extending to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. As the worlds leading mission capability integrator and transformative enterprise IT provider we deliver trusted highly differentiated solutions and technologies to protect our nation and allies. Peraton operates at the critical nexus between traditional and nontraditional threats across all domains: land sea space air and cyberspace. The company serves as a valued partner to essential government agencies and supports every branch of the U.S. armed forces. Each day our employees do the cant be done by solving the most daunting challenges facing our customers. Visit to learn how were keeping people around the world safe and secure.