Principal Data Scientist

Salary: $183,000 - 250,000 per year Requirements:

• PhD in mathematics, statistics, computer science, data science, or a related social science field.
• At least 15 years of progressively responsible experience working with large datasets, statistical and quantitative modeling, programming, data mining, clustering, and segmentation.
• Expert knowledge of statistics, mathematics, computer science, machine learning, and scientific methods of inquiry.
• Demonstrated experience leading large data science organizations, including direct management of teams of approximately 40 or more data scientists and technical professionals.
• Extensive hands-on experience developing, deploying, and scaling production AI/ML solutions, including NLP, predictive analytics, record linkage, and synthetic data.
• Strongly preferred: experience coordinating work across larger organizations or programs involving 100 or more staff.
• Ability to explain complex AI, machine learning, and Responsible AI concepts to executive leaders, clients, public audiences, and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience establishing or operating AI governance programs aligned with NIST frameworks and federal AI guidance.
• Strong problem-solving, quantitative and qualitative analysis, organization, and prioritization skills.
• Experience with client communications and relationship management, technical writing, verbal communication, data visualization, and presentations.
• Ability to explain technology, techniques, and approaches to others.
• Strong programming skills using statistical packages and database tools such as SAS, SQL, Python, R, Tableau, Hadoop, Hive, MapReduce, or other large-data systems.
• U.S. citizenship is required for project security clearance requirements.
• Preferred: experience with the U.S. Census Bureau, Census-related programs, or other large-scale population statistics organizations.
• Highly desirable: experience with international population counts, census operations, or national statistical agencies, such as Statistics Canada.
• Preferred knowledge of demographic estimation, survey methodology, record linkage, population measurement, and official statistics.
• Preferred established leadership in Responsible AI, AI governance, and trustworthy AI implementation in research, government, or large enterprise settings.
• Preferred success managing large, geographically distributed analytics and data science teams.
• Domain expertise is preferred.

• Help shape strategy and vision for major or complex data and analysis projects, and manage the activities and work products of data analysts and data scientists as needed.
• Advise task leaders on data acquisition, questionnaire content, analysis, and dissemination.
• Design, develop, and deploy algorithms, models, and workflows; structure large datasets; evaluate data; and build models and business applications.
• Identify and analyze data from multiple sources, recommend applications that support project and corporate initiatives, and provide insights on business issues.
• Apply and oversee advanced machine learning and natural language processing, and oversee AI implementations.
• Develop platforms and tools that strengthen our analytical capabilities.
• Work with project leaders to explain how data informs processes and decisions, and advise organizational leaders on strategic implications.
• Lead large-scale AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics initiatives, including NLP, predictive modeling, record linkage, and synthetic data generation in production environments.
• Lead and mentor multidisciplinary teams of data scientists and technical staff delivering enterprise-scale AI/ML solutions.
• Serve as a Responsible AI subject matter expert, communicating governance, risk management, and ethical practices to leaders, clients, public audiences, and technical teams.
• Support the creation and implementation of AI governance frameworks aligned with NIST standards and federal best practices.
• Collaborate with Census and population statistics stakeholders to advance survey research, demographic estimation, and population measurement methods.
• Recommend data management methods and oversee data merging, cleaning, transformation, and harmonization.
• Develop hypotheses, design experiments, and test the feasibility of proposed initiatives.
• Participate in business development, lead proposal efforts, and write technical proposal sections.
• Train and supervise staff on protocols and assigned tasks, and perform other duties as assigned.

• AI
• Census
• Hadoop
• Hive
• Support
• Machine Learning
• Python
• SAS
• SQL
• Security
• Tableau

More:

We are NORC at the University of Chicago, an objective, non-partisan research institution whose teams have delivered research, innovative methods, and rigorous analysis since 1941. Our Statistics and Data Science department develops statistical methods and provides expertise across study design, data collection, data quality, quantitative analysis, and dissemination, supporting decisions for government, corporate, and nonprofit clients. We are hiring a Principal Data Scientist for a hybrid role based in our downtown Washington, DC office, with regular presence at the office and client site. The position may be part-time or full-time and is contingent on contract award. The full-time pay range is $183,000–$250,000; the role is bonus eligible, and bonus payments depend on program terms and individual performance. Regular staff qualify for our benefits program, including subsidized health insurance from the first day, dental and vision coverage, retirement plans, life and disability insurance, paid time off, holidays, parental and bereavement leave, tuition assistance, and an Employee Assistance Program. We offer a business-casual environment, opportunities for continuous learning, and a collegial culture centered on impactful research and collaboration.

last updated 42 week of 2026