Location: Amarillo, TX - Pantex Plant
Job Title: Data Scientist
Career Level From: Senior Associate
Career Level To: Senior Specialist
Organization: NSE Integration Services (51130643)
Job Specialty: Service Transition
What You'll Do
A career at Pantex can offer you the opportunity to make a personal impact on our nation. We recognize that excellent employees are absolutely critical for mission success. We are seeking an advanced Data Scientist to develop, validate, and deploy statistical models and machine learning algorithms that drive mission-critical insights, operational efficiency, and advanced forecasting capabilities.
Primary duties include applying statistical methods and machine learning principles to analyze complex datasets, build predictive and prescriptive models for operational improvement, and translate high-value business problems into tangible, data-driven solutions.
Additional duties may include conducting advanced research into new Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) techniques, collaborating with Data Engineers and Machine Learning Operatons (MLOps) teams to deploy models, and presenting complex analytical findings to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Core Responsibilities And Duties
- Design, implement, and validate Machine Learning and statistical models for high-impact use cases, including predictive maintenance systems, resource optimization algorithms, and advanced forecasting.
- Design and manage the MLOps process for models, including containerization, automated testing, and deployment using MLOps platforms and Continuous Integration (CI)/Continuous Deployment (CD) pipelines to transition models from development to a secure, live environment.
- Maintain and monitor deployed models in production, rapidly diagnosing and resolving issues, managing data drift and model drift, and retraining models to ensure sustained performance and reliability.
- Utilize advanced statistical and algorithmic techniques to perform comprehensive data analysis, identify trends, anomalies, and critical patterns in large, complex operational, safety, and financial datasets.
- Partner with business units to define problem statements, gather data requirements, and ensure the successful integration and adoption of models into existing enterprise processes.
- Develop and maintain robust, production-ready code for model training, feature engineering pipelines, and validation routines, ensuring model reproducibility and scalability.
- Ensure all models, data usage, and code comply with National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) security standards, data governance policies, and ethical AI principles.
Other Responsibilities And Duties
- Evaluate and recommend the strategic use of emerging AI technologies, such as Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative AI, for both mission and internal support applications.
- Collaborate closely with Data Engineers and Data Architects to prepare data infrastructure and define necessary feature stores for efficient model development and training.
- Create comprehensive technical and non-technical documentation detailing model architecture, methodology, performance results, and business impact.
What You Can Expect
- Meaningful work and unique opportunities to support missions vital to national and global security.
- Top-notch, dedicated colleagues.
- Generous pay and benefits with a stable organization.
- Work-life balance fostered through flexible work options and wellness initiatives.
Minimum Job Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree (BS) in engineering/science discipline: Minimum 2 years of relevant experience. Typical engineering/science experience ranging from 3 to 7 years.
- OR Applicants without a bachelor's degree may be considered based on a combination of at least 10 years of completed education and/or relevant experience
Department of Energy (DOE) Order 426.2A Requirements
Preferred Job Requirements
- At least 1 year focused on applying data science techniques, machine learning, and managing model deployment in a production setting.
- Proficiency in statistical programming languages such as Python or R, and experience in relevant machine learning libraries (e.g., scikit-learn, PyTorch, TensorFlow).
- Demonstrated experience with MLOps principles, including model versioning, containerization (e.g., Docker), and deployment via cloud platforms.
- Demonstrated experience with Structured Query Language (SQL) and querying relational databases, as well as handling large, complex, and unstructured datasets.
- The ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy Q clearance is required.
- Master's degree (MS) or Ph.D. in a quantitative field with minimum 3 years of relevant experience.
- Expert proficiency in statistical programming languages such as Python or R, and deep expertise in relevant machine learning libraries (e.g., scikit-learn, PyTorch, TensorFlow).
- Experience with cloud-based MLOps platforms (e.g., Datarobot, Azure ML, AWS SageMaker) and CI/CD tools for automated model pipelines.
- Prior domain experience in industrial optimization, predictive maintenance, or complex resource forecasting.
- Knowledge of big data technologies such as Spark, and familiarity with collaborative coding environments and version control (Git).
#JointheMission: Your Impact Starts Here
At Pantex, you won't just find a job—you’ll discover a career of purpose safeguarding national security through work performed nowhere else on Earth. We empower dedicated, innovative individuals like you to achieve their greatest impact surrounded by exceptional talent and limitless opportunities for professional growth.
When you #JointheMission, you choose a lifetime career where your commitment is genuinely valued and rewarded. At Pantex, we believe that extraordinary talent thrives when supported by a balanced life. Discover the flexibility that empowers you to excel, coupled with a benefits package designed for your total peace of mind from comprehensive health coverage and robust retirement planning, to opportunities for continuous learning through education reimbursement.
Notes
The minimum education and experience for the lowest career level in the job posting range are listed under Minimum Job Requirements. Successful candidates hired into a higher career level than the minimum in the range must meet the requirements listed in the job leveling charts for the career level into which they are being hired.
If a range of Career Levels is posted, i.e., Senior Associate to Senior Specialist, internal applicants already in one of the Career Levels would come across at their current Career Level. Internal applicants currently in a lower level Career Level would move to the lowest posted Career Level.
Requires a Q clearance; however all qualified candidates will be considered regardless of their current clearance status. The ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy Q clearance is required.
Position may require entry into Materials Access Areas (MAA) and participation in the Human Reliability Program (HRP). If HRP is required, candidate must complete a counterintelligence-scope polygraph, pursuant to 10 CFR 709. Medical requirements may apply.
Pantex is a drug-free workplace. Candidates accepting a job offer will be required to pass a pre-placement physical, drug screening and background investigation. As an employee, you may be required to receive and maintain a security clearance from the United States Department of Energy in order to meet eligibility requirements for access to sensitive information or matter. U.S. citizenship is a requirement for security clearance applicants. All employees are subject to random selection for drug testing without advance notification.
Pantex is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, disability or veteran status.
