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Ascension LLC is seeking a Senior Data Scientist to support a federal oversight mission focused on transforming complex data into actionable insights. This role is ideal for an experienced analytics professional who can design, develop, validate, document, and explain advanced analytical solutions that help identify patterns, trends, anomalies, risks, and potential indicators of fraud, waste, abuse, or operational inefficiency.

The Senior Data Scientist will support the Department of War Office of Inspector General’s Analytics Team by applying statistical analysis, predictive modeling, machine learning, data mining, natural language processing, anomaly detection, and other advanced analytics techniques to support audits, evaluations, investigations, and mission support activities. The PWS states that DoW OIG seeks to enhance its ability to surface data and actionable insights, improve the efficiency of audits, evaluations, and investigations, and identify patterns and anomalies affecting DoW programs and operations.

This position requires a technically strong, mission-oriented professional who can work independently, collaborate with business and technical stakeholders, and communicate complex methods in clear, practical terms for non-technical audiences.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Senior Data Scientist will design and execute advanced analytics solutions that support data-driven oversight, decision-making, and operational improvement. The ideal candidate will bring strong experience in statistical analysis, machine learning, Python or R, SQL, data visualization, model validation, and model documentation. The candidate should be comfortable working in a secure federal environment where analytical methods must be defensible, repeatable, transparent, and clearly documented.

This role requires a detail-oriented and self-driven professional who can operate in an evolving environment with limited supervision. The Senior Data Scientist must be able to translate loosely defined mission needs into structured analytical questions, assess available data sources, develop appropriate analytical methods, test assumptions, identify limitations, and deliver findings in a way that supports government decision-makers.

The PWS requires data science support across advanced analytics, statistical analysis, model lifecycle management, solution development, knowledge transfer, AI/ML governance, ethics, and documentation. The Senior Data Scientist will help ensure models and analytical products meet OIG standards for accuracy, objectivity, clarity, compliance, and sustainability.

Anticipated Day-to-Day Activities

• Develop predictive analytics, statistical models, machine learning solutions, and analytical workflows to support federal oversight activities.
• Analyze structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data to identify patterns, trends, anomalies, risks, and mission-relevant insights.
• Design statistical approaches, including sampling plans, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, classification models, confidence intervals, and anomaly detection methods.
• Perform exploratory data analysis to assess data quality, completeness, relevance, and usability.
• Build machine learning models using appropriate algorithms, feature engineering methods, validation techniques, and performance measures.
• Document model assumptions, limitations, data sources, methodology, validation results, usage guidance, and governance procedures.
• Monitor deployed models for model drift, performance degradation, bias, fairness concerns, and retraining needs.
• Create visual artifacts, dashboards, analytical summaries, and briefings that explain model outputs and findings to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Collaborate with data engineers, BI analysts, project managers, and government stakeholders to define requirements and align analytical products to mission priorities.
• Support natural language processing, text analysis, topic modeling, sentiment analysis, time series analysis, network analysis, geospatial analysis, or computer vision activities as needed.
• Validate analytical outputs through peer review, testing, reproducibility checks, and defensible documentation.
• Prepare statistical analysis plans, model documentation, knowledge transfer materials, user guidance, and findings reports.
• Conduct knowledge transfer sessions and provide technical guidance to government personnel.
• Maintain work products in designated repositories such as SharePoint, Azure DevOps, or other government-approved collaboration tools.
• Ensure all data science products comply with applicable data privacy, security, ethical, and governance requirements.
• Recommend process improvements, automation opportunities, and analytical enhancements that improve the customer’s ability to use data effectively.