Senior Data Scientist

Job Description

senior data scientist to support a proof-of-concept demonstration using natural language processing and other machine learning methods to improve the intake process.

This work is critical to demonstrate the potential of the latest technology to improve the lives of children at risk.

The Senior Data Scientist will be responsible for overseeing and supporting the development, implementation, and

testing of statistical models, integration of NLP, and refinement and testing of the prototype. In addition, algorithmic

trade-offs will be evaluated, and guidance provided to ensure the State’s objectives are satisfied. The Senior Data

Scientist will work closely with State stakeholders and technical team members to ensure the quality of the results and

that the derived methods are transparent, statistically sound, relevant, and documented.

Key Responsibilities

• Create a Development Framework
• Establish a framework for the execution of technical tasks within the proof-of-concept. The framework will

• Identify critical milestones related to information, receipt of data, testing, and delivery.
• Identify key risk factors and means of mitigation.
• Current Processes & Technology
• Participate in critical discussions involving current intake workflows, how decisions are made based on

• Lead the development of a new intake process that leverages natural language processing and other machine

• Identify the functional blocks and reconcile their contributions to solving the prioritized shortcomings.
• Evaluate architectural and computational implementation trade-offs for each functional block. The evaluation

• Evaluate trade-offs of using different data sources, including existing systems, sample data, simulated data, or

• Document the final approach for transparency.
• Design Review(s)
• Create the framework for the design review process.
• Lead the design review and evaluate

children and State resources.

 Technical, schedule, data security, and other risk factors.

 Source of data and its usefulness in demonstrating the efficacy of the approach.

 Proposed methods of test and demonstration.

• Documentation of the process for transparency.
• Implementation of Proof-of-Concept
• Oversee the implementation of the prototype by conducting weekly status updates and, when appropriate, gate

• Provide guidance when needed to mitigate risk and remove technical or administrative roadblocks.
• Conference Room Demonstration
• During the course of 3-4 days, provide conference room support to demonstrate that shows how the prototype

• Capture key stakeholder comments regarding technical aspects of the application.
• Roadmap
• Contribute to the development of a roadmap that illustrates how the developed technology could be integrated

• Agile Development Process
• Contribute to the Agile development process to ensure the success of the project.

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in computer science, mathematics, engineering, physics, or related field.
• Have participated in US Federal Gov’t data science programs requiring TS/SCI clearance, delivering solutions

Prior history of designing and building machine learning algorithms from the ground up.

• Experience with making technical trade-offs between algorithmic approaches. based on collective errors,

• Prior success in developing optimal non-rule-based decision-making systems where the inputs are stochastic.
• Successful history of converting social processes and human decision-making into computational models that

• Data engineering expertise, with demonstrable experience custom building programs processing in excess of

• Proven expertise working with CCWIS data attributes to predict child welfare outcomes, including but not

• Extensive knowledge of statistical algorithms, machine learning, and adaptive systems.