Mid-Level Data Scientist
- US citizenship
- ITAR / US person
- TS/SCI clearance
How this pay compares
This posting states $116k–$154k a year. Open data scientist jobs in Virginia post a median of $154k a year, the middle half $135k–$165k, across 18 jobs that state their pay, so this one is within the middle half of what they post.
Data scientists and machine learning engineers in Virginia: pay by town and employer
About the job
Vantor is forging the new frontier of spatial intelligence, helping decision makers and operators navigate what’s happening now and shape what’s coming next. Vantor is a place for problem solvers, changemakers, and go-getters - where people are working together to help our customers see the world differently, and in doing so, be seen differently.
Come be part of a mission, not just a job, where you can: Shape your own future, build the next big thing, and change the world. To be eligible for this position, you must be a U.S. Citizen. This position requires an active U.S. Government security clearance, applicants who do not currently hold the required clearance will not be eligible for consideration.
Employment for cleared roles is contingent upon verification of clearance status. Export Control/ITAR: Certain roles may be subject to U.S. export control laws, requiring U.S. person status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). ## Please review the job details below. This position requires an active U.S. Government Security Clearance at the TS/SCI level with CI Polygraph.
Vantor is seeking a Mid-Level Data Scientist to play a key support role within the data science team, responsible for automating data workflows, cleaning and preparing large-scale datasets, and ensuring that senior data scientists have reliable, well-structured data for advanced analytics and modeling. This position requires strong technical skills in data wrangling, scripting, and big data processing frameworks.
The ideal candidate is comfortable working in modern cloud environments, has familiarity with containerization, and is capable of handling data pipelines independently, with some exposure to tools like Clairvoyant for orchestration or pipeline development. This project supports a hard and deeply buried target mission set, providing critical analytic insights to government stakeholders.
Success depends on the development of accurate, scalable, and mission-tailored data solutions that enable timely and informed decision-making.
The work directly impacts national security objectives by transforming complex data into actionable intelligence in a highly specialized and sensitive domain. ## Responsibilities - This position is full time onsite in Reston, VA. - Collaborate with senior data scientists to prepare, clean, and process structured and unstructured datasets for analysis. - Automate ETL workflows and streamline repetitive data preparation tasks using Python, SQL, and scripting tools. - Operate in big data ecosystems using tools such as Spark, Hadoop, or their cloud-native equivalents (e.g., AWS Glue, Azure Synapse, Databricks). - Assist in the development and deployment of data pipelines in collaboration with data engineering and DevOps teams. - Implement basic statistical analyses, visualizations, and reporting to support exploratory data analysis and hypothesis validation. - Maintain detailed documentation of data preparation methods, scripts, and pipeline configurations. - Support integration of data into downstream modeling and LLM/NLP workflows. - Contribute to operationalizing data products, APIs, and internal data access tools. - Build and maintain dashboards using Tableau or similar software. - Gain exposure to knowledge management systems supported by LLMs and assist in tagging or curating training datasets for LLM models. ## Minimum Qualifications - Current/active TS/SCI security clearance and be willing and able to obtain CI polygraph. - 5 years of professional experience in data science, analytics, or data engineering roles. - Bachelor’s degree in data science, computer science, engineering, statistics, GIS, or related discipline.
Degree may be substituted with an additional 2 yrs of experience. - Proficiency in Python and SQL; familiarity with R is a plus. - Experience with data wrangling libraries (e.g., pandas, PySpark) and working with APIs or batch processing tools. - Experience working with SQL and relational databases. - Understanding of data modeling, metadata management, and data governance principles. - Proficient with Tableau or similar dashboard tools. - Exposure to cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP, especially in data-related services. - Strong attention to detail and documentation practices. ## Preferred Qualifications - Master’s degree in a technical field (e.g., Data Science, Computer Science, Engineering). - Experience using Clairvoyant or similar orchestration platforms to manage and monitor data pipelines. - Familiarity with container orchestration tools like Docker, Rancher, or Kubernetes. - Basic knowledge of LLM and NLP concepts, including using pre-trained models for simple tasks like summarization or keyword extraction. - Basic familiarity with GIS tools and data - Experience with graph data science algorithms and graph analytics. - Knowledge of enterprise architecture, metadata standards, or master data management. - Experience working in agile teams or cross-functional technical environments. - Understanding of responsible AI practices and basic data ethics.
Pay Transparency:To support pay transparency, Vantor includes salary ranges in all U.S. job postings. Starting pay for this role will fall within the listed range and will be based on factors such as experience, qualifications, skills, location, and market conditions. Candidates who meet the minimum requirements for the role should not expect to receive compensation at the top of the range.
The listed range reflects the expected pay for this position, and final offers will be determined based on each candidate’s experience, expertise, and alignment with the role. - The base pay for this position within the Washington, DC metropolitan area is: $116,000.00 - $154,000.00 - $169,400.00 annually.
For all other states, we use geographic cost of labor as an input to develop market-driven ranges for our roles, and as such, each location where we hire may have a different range.
Benefits:Vantor offers a competitive total rewards package that goes beyond the standard, including a robust 401(k) with company match, mental health resources, and unique perks like student loan repayment assistance, adoption reimbursement and pet insurance to support all aspects of your life.
You can find more information on our benefits at: https://www.Vantor.com/careers The application window is three days from the date the job is posted and will remain posted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire.
If the job is reposted regardless of reason, it will remain posted three days from the date the job is reposted and will remain reposted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire. The date of posting can be found on Vantor's Career page at the top of each job posting. To apply, submit your application via Vantor's Career page.
From Vantor's job posting, checked 7 Nov 2026. The employer's own page is the final word on requirements and availability.
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About Vantor
Earth-imaging satellites and geospatial intelligence, formerly Maxar Intelligence.
Pay on its listings: 71.4% of its open jobs state an hourly rate
How it pays: Paid as an employee on Vantor's own payroll (salaried or hourly, as each posting states).
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