Data Scientist at Descartes Labs

The Company 


Descartes Labs Government (DLG) is a dual-use data intelligence company.  Through our patented SaaS technology stack, we rapidly prototype data-as-a-service and insights-as-a-service solutions for government customers.  By leveraging our AI/ML, data fusion, data analytics, and data science expertise with our patented foundational GEOINT technology, DLG creates solutions that give operational advantage to a variety of mission use cases.
DLG is proud to be a remote-first, distributed organization that recognizes that people have different needs and motivations for building a life and career that matters and works for them. While embracing a deliberately distributed, 100 percent remote workforce, candidates for this position must reside in the Washington, DC area which will provide them better access to our customers and technology necessary to source for business opportunities.  We focus on helping our employees produce positive outcomes and we recognize that the path to getting there will look different for everyone.

The Role:


DLG is on the path to empowering our customer organizations with predictive intelligence and data-driven decisions. We are looking for an experienced Data Scientist to join our team. The ideal candidate is adept at using large data sets to find opportunities for product and process optimization and using models to test the effectiveness of different courses of action. They must have strong experience using a variety of data mining/data analysis methods, using a variety of data tools, building, and implementing models, using/creating algorithms, and creating/running simulations. The right candidate will have a passion for discovering solutions hidden in large data sets and working with customers to improve outcomes.

Top Secret Clearance is preferred.


Your Impact:

Mine and analyze data from public sources, derived analytics, or customer provided databases to drive optimization and improvement of product development and customer mission.
Carry out and provide support to scientists designing data collection, data analysis, and interpretation of complex datasets to enable our data-driven services and solutions.
Develop custom data models and algorithms to apply to data sets.
Collaborate with other scientists and engineers in developing models to characterize, diagnose and/or predict patterns related to mission problem sets.
Actively participate as a member of a cross-disciplinary team, openly communicating your ideas, insights, and feedback and helping to continuously improve processes. 



What You Bring:

Demonstrable experience with AWS services like S3, Lambda, Fargate, Batch, SageMaker, API Gateway, Athena, RDS, DynamoDBExperience writing clean, efficient Python code involving ETL processes, data manipulation, and standard data science packages (e.g., PyTorch, matplotlib/plotly, shapely, NumPy, Pandas, SKlearn, TensorFlow).
Experience in creating, optimizing, and managing SQL and NoSQL databases
Real-life experience with leading and executing data science projects, from problem formation, data engineering, modeling, and finally deployment. 
Experience with areas such as time series analysis, predictive models, developing, training, and evaluating deep learning and machine learning models and their real-world advantages/drawbacks.
Knowledge of advanced statistical techniques and concepts (regression, properties of distributions, statistical tests, and proper usage, etc.) and experience with applications.
They must have a proven ability to drive business results with their data-based insights.
Ability to communicate and visualize complex data in a simple actionable way.



Bonus Skills/Experience

5-7 years of experience manipulating data sets and building statistical models, has a master’s or PhD in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or another quantitative field.
Experience with agile development practice, code repositories (i.e., Git), open-source scientific computation, computer vision, modeling, or machine learning tools.



Our Tech Stack 

AWS 
CDK  
Linux 
Python 
Docker
Kubernetes 
AWS 
Git 
Bazel
ArgoCD 



Who You Are

Curious. You are always exploring and experimenting, interested in why and how, seeking not only to understand but to make work and the world better. You enthusiastically share your learning with others and actively seek information and knowledge. 
Conscientious. You are determined, always keep your promises, and are forward thinking. Principled and integrous, you take your commitments seriously.
Humble. Unpretentious and self-aware, you cultivate compassion for others and take responsibility for your mistakes. Egoes are barriers to doing the best work and always learning. 
Open and Inclusive. You are receptive and interested in new ideas and perspectives, even when those perspectives don’t agree with your views. You value and respect difference and create ways for all people to contribute to the organization. 
Collaborative. You know it takes a team to get anything accomplished and you actively and inclusively work across the organization. You listen intently and openly and are always focused first on creating the best results. 
Adaptable. You are able to navigate changing circumstances and environments with ease and approach uncertainty with enthusiasm, while inspiring others towards effective goal setting and accomplishment. 



Pay
The base salary range for this position is $134,000-$180,000. Please note the base salary range is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level & competencies as well as security clearance.


Top Reasons to Work at Descartes Labs Government 

We pride collaboration over ownership, iteration over perfection, principles over rules, and discussion over directives
We’re using the world’s top technology to solve the governments largest problems. We look at DLG as a work environment where people are included, treat their colleagues with professional regard and respect, and thrive as a resultWe’re a highly collaborative company that constantly promotes success through teamwork
We strongly encourage and enjoy a flexible work environment
DLG offers a generous compensation package including competitive salary; choice of medical plan; dental, life, and disability insurance; a 401K plan; paid holidays and paid time off.


You belong here! If your experience and interests match with some of the above, we want you to apply.