Senior Data Scientist

Department: Technology reports to: Senior Director, Data Science and Machine Learning Location: Remote; hybrid to NYC office highly preferred Travel: < 10% Salary Range: $99,800 - $132,300

Position Overview

The Senior Data Scientist is a hands-on analytical role responsible for building, deploying, and maintaining models and reports that drive evidence-based decision-making across Vibrant's programs and operations. This role supports the full data science lifecycle from exploratory analysis and model development through deployment, monitoring, and stakeholder communication. The ideal candidate is technically strong, communicates clearly with non-technical audiences, and is motivated by the opportunity to apply data science in service of mental health and crisis care.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Design, develop, validate, and deploy predictive models and analytical reports that address core business and programmatic objectives.
• Ensure models and reports are explainable, well-documented, and accompanied by clear articulation of assumptions, opportunities, and limitations.
• Monitor deployed models for data drift, performance degradation, and quality issues; lead remediation efforts as needed.
• Translate complex analytical findings into accessible insights for program staff, leadership, and external partners.
• Champion data literacy across the organization - partnering with business users to build understanding of how models and reports inform Vibrant's work.
• Develop and deliver training materials and workshops on data literacy, analytical thinking, and model interpretation.
• Collaborate with data engineers and analytics teams to ensure data pipelines and infrastructure meet modeling and reporting needs.
• Apply statistical and machine learning methods rigorously - selecting appropriate techniques, validating assumptions, and assessing uncertainty.
• Contribute to Vibrant's data science infrastructure, including model registries, version control, and deployment pipelines on AWS.
• Support ad hoc analytical requests from program and operational teams.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Required Skills/Abilities

• Strong proficiency in Python and/or R for data analysis, modeling, and reporting; familiarity with relevant libraries (scikit-learn, pandas, tidyverse, etc.)
• Experience with model development, validation, deployment, and ongoing quality control in a production environment.
• Hands-on experience with AWS data science services, including SageMaker for model training and deployment.
• Advanced statistical knowledge - including regression, classification, clustering, causal inference, and experimental design.
• Experience working with large, complex datasets in cloud-based data warehouse environments (Redshift, Snowflake, or similar).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills - able to present findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences alike.
• Strong analytical curiosity, attention to detail, and ability to work independently on ambiguous problems.
• High level of influencing ability.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in a quantitative discipline (statistics, computer science, epidemiology, public health, applied mathematics, or related field), or equivalent applied experience.
• 4+ years of applied data science experience, including AI/ML model development and code-based analysis and reporting.
• Experience in public health, behavioral health, social services, or a mission-driven organization a strong plus.
• Prior experience as a team lead or similar helpful.
• Familiarity with equity-centered data practices and considerations for algorithmic fairness a plus.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time.
• Will constantly operate a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer.
• Will frequently communicate over video calls with internal and external stakeholders.

Compensation & Benefits

We determine base pay through a comprehensive review of skills, experience, education, certifications, geographic location, and other relevant factors. The range listed reflects the compensation parameters for the role and does not represent the full compensation package. A complete overview of compensation and benefits will be provided by the Talent Acquisition team during the hiring process.

• medical
• dental
• vision
• supplemental income insurance
• employer paid disability insurance
• employer paid life insurance
• pre-tax FSA for medical and dependent care
• 401K available

Diversity & Inclusion

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they are able to perform every task in the job description.

We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background.

Vibrant will consider any equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education and experience to meet minimum qualifications.

Vibrant Emotional Health is an equal opportunity employer.

Applicants are considered for positions without regard to veteran status, uniformed service member status, race, creed, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, citizenship status, national origin, marital status, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, caregiver status or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

For 50 years, Vibrant Emotional Health, formerly the Mental Health Association of New York City (MHA-NYC), has been at the forefront of promoting emotional well-being for all people.