Description
Leidos is seeking a Senior AI/Data Scientist to drive advanced AI development for a strategic Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) contract, executed in direct partnership with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). You will work within a multi-disciplinary team of engineers, scientists, and software developers to physically and functionally characterize hardened facilities and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) processes in order to create physics based models capable of supporting various simulations. This role supports customers operating in classified environments and requires close collaboration with subject matter experts, designers, engineers, analysts, and mission stakeholders to deliver innovative, operationally relevant data science and AI solutions. The Senior Data Scientist will lead complex analytics efforts across the full solution lifecycle-from problem definition and requirements development through design, implementation, deployment, and ongoing operations and maintenance (O&M). The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise, strong mission awareness, and the ability to communicate analytic insights to senior decision-makers.
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Key Responsibilities
Serve as a senior technical contributor and analytic lead on complex, high-impact national security programs
Partner with government customers and subject matter experts to define mission problems and analytic objectives
Translate ambiguous operational challenges into actionable data science requirements and solution designs
Design, develop, and deploy advanced analytics, statistical models, and machine learning solutions
Apply advanced data science techniques including exploratory data analysis, feature engineering, predictive modeling, hypothesis testing, and algorithm development
Architect and deploy advanced machine learning models (e.g., Physics-Informed Neural Networks, Generative AI) that fuse engineering data with first-principles physics.
Translate and integrate structured and unstructured data from diverse sources across classified environments into physical and functional characteristic models for hardened facilities and WMD processes to support effects-based simulations.
Communicate analytic findings, insights, and recommendations to senior technical and non-technical stakeholders. Bridge the gap between software engineers, intelligence analysts, and domain scientists to integrate data pipelines and transition proof-of-concepts into production.
Support deployment, monitoring, and ongoing operations and maintenance (O&M) of analytic solutions
Design, test, and deploy AI-driven software solutions to dramatically increase the efficiency, scale, and accuracy of engineering and scientific assessments.
Architect, deploy, and maintain advanced AI/ML pipeline components across disparate security enclaves, transitioning models from low-side development environments to the High Side.
Apply data science and AI algorithms to streamline overall program management, resource allocation, and mission execution metrics.
Mentor and guide junior data scientists and contribute to analytic standards, best practices, and reusable frameworks
Maintain awareness of emerging data science, AI, and big-data technologies relevant to national security missions
Required Qualifications
U.S. Citizenship is required
Candidate must be eligible to obtain a TS/SCI w/ poly level clearance
Master's degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, or a related quantitative field with 15+ years of relevant experience, or Bachelor's degree with 18+ years of relevant experience
Extensive experience applying data science and advanced analytics to complex, mission-focused problems
Expert-level proficiency in Python and/or R, including advanced data science and machine learning libraries
Strong experience working with large, complex datasets from multiple sources
Proven experience developing, testing, deploying, and maintaining software applications and AI models within a JWICS (Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System) network environment.
Understanding of secure cross-domain solutions (CDS), data-transfer protocols, and the deployment of MLOps pipelines across air-gapped systems
Demonstrated ability to lead technical efforts and influence analytic direction on large or complex programs
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including briefing senior leaders
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in engineering data solutions within AWS (Amazon Web Services) GovCloud or Commercial Cloud Services (C2S).
Experience with Agile Scrum Development/Agile methodology.
Experience supporting intelligence community, Department of Defense, or other national security customers
Experience operating in classified computing environments
Expertise in one or more advanced domains such as machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, graph analytics, or predictive modeling
Experience with cloud-based or enterprise analytics platforms
Demonstrated experience mentoring technical staff or serving as a technical lead
Demonstrated experience providing instruction, instructional design, or curriculum development
If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.
Original Posting:
July 23, 2026
For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.
Pay Range:
Pay Range $154,050.00 - $278,475.00
The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.
About Leidos
Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com .
Pay and Benefits
Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits .
Securing Your Data
Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos' name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system - never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at LeidosCareersFraud@leidos.com .
If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/) .
Commitment to Non-Discrimination
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.
REQNUMBER: R-00187975
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. Leidos will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment in accordance with relevant Laws. Leidos is an equal opportunity employer/disability/vet.
