Associate Data Scientist

About the Role

MITRE is a nonprofit engineering, applied research, and advanced technology organization working in the public interest. The Trusted Intelligence & Public Safety Software Systems (TIPSS) Department within MITRE Technology and Engineering (MTE) provides technical expertise in support of public safety and national security missions. This Associate Data Scientist position supports work led by the Field Services Department within the Domestic Security & Strategic Intelligence (DSSI) Division, focusing on identity management, biometrics, and artificial intelligence.

This role is ideal for a recent undergraduate graduate looking to develop technical skills while contributing to real-world mission challenges. The position requires on-site presence a minimum of 3 days per week, with occasional travel.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with senior technical staff and project leadership to understand sponsor needs and translate mission questions into focused analytical tasks.
• Use Python, SQL, and related tools to access, clean, combine, and analyze large datasets.
• Explore data to identify patterns, trends, and opportunities to improve sponsor capabilities and operations.
• Apply statistical methods and develop analytical models, with guidance, to assess findings and support recommendations with sound evidence.
• Create visualizations and dashboards using tools such as Power BI to make findings understandable and useful.
• Help develop actionable recommendations, assess their expected benefits and limitations, and identify how the sponsor could put them into practice.
• Prepare reports and presentations that explain the evidence behind recommendations and help sponsors make informed decisions and adopt improvements.
• Maintain organized code, document data sources and analytical methods, and use version control so that analyses can be reviewed, reproduced, and updated.
• Participate in peer reviews, incorporate feedback, and communicate progress, questions, and data limitations to the team.
• Build familiarity with the sponsor’s mission and relevant technologies in identity management, biometrics, and artificial intelligence.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• U.S. citizenship required for Top-Secret clearance.
• Bachelor’s degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Foundational experience using Python or a comparable programming language for data analysis (demonstrated through coursework, academic projects, internships, research, or personal projects).
• Familiarity with SQL and relational databases.
• Understanding of basic statistical concepts and methods.
• Ability to communicate analytical findings clearly through writing, visualizations, and presentations.
• Organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively and complete assigned tasks under guidance.
• Ability to obtain accounts on sponsor’s unclassified and classified networks.
• Ability to meet hybrid on-site requirements (minimum 3 days per week) and travel occasionally.
• No prior full-time professional experience required.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in the following areas may be demonstrated through coursework, projects, internships, or undergraduate research:

• Using Python and SQL to prepare and analyze data.
• Creating dashboards or visualizations in Power BI or Tableau.
• Using Git or other version control tools.
• Applying statistical or machine learning methods.
• Turning analytical findings into recommendations.
• Exposure to biometrics, identity matching, name matching, or human-language technologies.
• An active Top Secret clearance is preferred but not required to start.

Clearance

• This requisition requires the candidate to have or obtain, within one year from the date of hire, a Top Secret clearance.