About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, IT.

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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Position overview

Confidential Client is hiring a Federal Associate Data Scientist based in Herndon, VA. This entry-level associate role supports federal programs by building predictive and prescriptive models, preparing and cleaning data, and delivering insights to technical and non-technical stakeholders. Candidates must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. federal security clearance.

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What You’ll Do

• Implement, validate, and maintain predictive and prescriptive statistical and machine learning models (focus on large-scale / big data use cases).
• Clean, integrate, and transform data programmatically for efficient reuse and reproducibility.
• Use open-source and commercial tools (examples: Python, R, TensorFlow, plus client-specific toolsets) to prototype and productionize analytics.
• Work in Agile, collaborative teams alongside engineers, consultants, database administrators, and other data scientists.
• Evaluate model performance, surface insights, and present findings to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Support federal clients by applying relevant compliance and security standards to analytical work.
• Travel as required for federal engagements (role indicates willingness to travel up to 100%).

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What We’re Looking For

• Strong fundamentals in mathematics and computer science (algorithms, statistics).
• Proficiency in at least one statistical/programming language such as Python, R, Scala, SAS, SPSS, or MATLAB.
• Basic understanding of predictive/prescriptive modeling and machine learning concepts.
• Familiarity with programming/scripting (Java or Python helpful).
• Problem-solving mindset: debugging, troubleshooting, and designing technical solutions.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. federal security clearance (required).
• Willingness to travel for client work.

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Minimum education & experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, or similar).
• This is an entry-level / associate program role; transferable skills and relevant academic projects or internships are considered.

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Location, timing & compensation

• Location: Herndon, VA (20170). On-site or client-site work as required by federal contracts.
• Anticipated start window: between March and August 2027.
• Estimated annual compensation (posted): $142,880 per year — estimated.
• Employment type: Full-time.

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Why join (growth & training)

• Early-career growth working on mission-driven federal programs.
• Exposure to modern ML tooling and cross-functional teams.
• Structured learning, mentoring, and professional development opportunities to accelerate analytics skills and career mobility.

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Clearance & compliance

• Candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. federal security clearance. Background checks and clearance processes will be required if selected.
• This posting complies with applicable U.S. hiring laws.

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Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.