Journeyman Data Scientist

Remote from: USA
Annual salary: Undisclosed
Salary information is not provided for this position. Check our Salary Directory to estimate the average compensation for similar roles.
Department: Data Science & Analytics
Employment type: Full Time,
Job posted: 23 May 2026
Apply before: 23 Jun 2026
Experience level: Senior
Views / Applies: 19 / 6

ManTech delivers technology-driven innovation, develops game-changing solutions, and delivers mission-focused technologies for defense and federal civilian agencies.

Defense & Space
1968

Actively Hiring

AI Summary

Unlock the secrets of intelligence with MANTECH as a Journeyman Data Scientist supporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This hybrid role involves performing hands-on analysis, building predictive models, and applying machine learning to big data challenges. The position requires experience with programming languages like R, Python, and SQL, as well as supervised and unsupervised learning techniques. It offers the opportunity to work on high-impact national security projects in a fully remote setting with some onsite days. MANTECH provides a dynamic environment for career growth and innovation.

Job Complexity

Easy Hard

AI Insight The role requires a strong blend of technical skills in data science, machine learning, and programming, along with domain knowledge in border security, making it challenging. The need for a security clearance and experience with big data adds to the complexity.

Salary Analysis

AI Insight The salary for this role is not explicitly provided, but based on market data for a Journeyman Data Scientist with 2-7 years of experience in the US, the median salary is around $120,000 per year. This is competitive for the public sector and aligns with the required skills and security clearance.

Key Skills

Data Science Machine Learning Python R SQL Predictive Modeling Big Data Statistical Analysis Data Mining Visualization

Cover Letter Sample

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am excited to apply for the Journeyman Data Scientist position at MANTECH. With a strong background in machine learning and data analytics, I have successfully developed predictive models and extracted insights from large datasets to solve complex problems. My experience with Python, R, and SQL, combined with proficiency in supervised and unsupervised learning techniques, aligns perfectly with the requirements of this role.

I am particularly drawn to MANTECH's mission to support national security through innovative technology. I have a proven track record of collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver data-driven solutions that directly impact mission decisions. My ability to perform exploratory data analysis, feature engineering, and model deployment will enable me to contribute effectively to CBP's big data initiatives.

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how my skills and experience can support MANTECH's critical work.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Possible Interview Questions

Can you describe a complex data science project you led, including the problem, approach, and outcome?

In my previous role, I led a project to predict equipment failures for a manufacturing client. I used historical sensor data, performed exploratory data analysis, and engineered features like rolling averages and time-based aggregations. I built a Random Forest model that achieved 95% accuracy, resulting in a 20% reduction in downtime.

How do you handle imbalanced datasets in classification problems?

I evaluate the severity of imbalance and use techniques like resampling (SMOTE for oversampling, random undersampling), adjusting class weights, or using algorithms robust to imbalance like XGBoost. I also consider anomaly detection approaches if the minority class is rare.

Explain the difference between supervised and unsupervised learning with examples relevant to this role.

Supervised learning uses labeled data to predict outcomes, like classifying trade transactions as fraudulent or legitimate. Unsupervised learning finds patterns in unlabeled data, such as clustering travel patterns to identify unusual behavior.

Describe your experience with SQL and how you use it in data science workflows.

I use SQL extensively for data extraction, cleaning, and aggregation. For example, I write complex queries to join multiple tables, filter for specific time periods, and compute summary statistics. I also use SQL to create training datasets for modeling.

How do you ensure the reproducibility and scalability of your models?

I use version control for code and data, document my workflow, and containerize models using Docker. For scalability, I design pipelines that can handle large volumes using distributed computing frameworks like Spark when needed.

General information

Requisition #

R67858

Locations

USA-VA-Ashburn

Posting Date

05/22/2026

Security Clearance Required

Public Trust/Suitability

Remote Type

Fully Remote

Time Type

Full time

Description & Requirements

Unlock the secrets of intelligence with MANTECH! Join a dynamic team at the forefront of national security, providing advanced solutions to government intelligence agencies. Since 1968, we’ve been solving the toughest challenges with groundbreaking tech. Explore thrilling projects in Digital Transformation, Cybersecurity, IT, Data Analytics and Software Development. Elevate your career and make a difference. Your adventure begins now—unleash your potential with MANTECH!

MANTECH seeks a motivated, career- and customer-oriented Journeyman Data Scientist to join our innovative team in Ashburn, VA. This is a hybrid position with 2 days onsite and 3 days remote.

Each day U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) oversees the massive flow of people, capital, and products that enter and depart the United States via air, land, sea, and cyberspace. The volume and complexity of both physical and virtual border crossings require the application of “big data” solutions to promote efficient trade and travel. These solutions provide CBP personnel with additional tools to evaluate potential threats from legitimate trade and travel.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Perform hands-on analysis and modeling involving the creation of intervention hypotheses and experiments, assessment of data needs and available sources, determination of optimal analytical approaches, performance of exploratory data analysis, and feature generation (e.g., identification, derivation, aggregation).
Demonstrate proficiency in extracting, cleaning, and transforming CBP transactional and mission data associated within an identified problem space to build predictive models as well as develop appropriate supporting documentation.
Leverage knowledge of a variety of statistical and machine learning techniques and methods to define and develop programming algorithms; train, evaluate, and deploy predictive analytics models that directly inform mission decisions.
Execute projects including those intended to identify patterns and/or anomalies in large datasets; perform automated text/data classification and categorization as well as entity recognition, resolution and extraction; and named entity matching.

Minimum Qualifications:

HS Diploma/GED and 6-15 years or AS/AA and 4-13 years or BS/BA and 2-7 years or MS/MA/MBA and 0-5 years or PhD/Doctorate and 0-3 years
Experience in developing machine learning models and applying advanced analytics solutions to solve complex business problems
Experience with programming languages including: R, Python, Scala, Java.
Experience with SQL programming
Experience constructing and executing queries to extract data in support of EDA and model development
Experience with unsupervised and supervised machine learning techniques and methods
Experience performing data mining, analysis, and training set construction

Preferred Qualifications

Proficiency with statistical software packages including SAS, SPSS Modeler, R, WEKA, or equivalent
Proficiency with Unsupervised Machine Learning methods including Cluster Analysis (e.g., K-means, K-nearest Neighbor, Hierarchical, Deep Belief Networks, Principal Component Analysis), Segmentation, etc.
Proficiency with Supervised Machine Learning methods including Decision Trees, Support Vector Machines, Logistic Regression, Random/Rotation Forests, Categorization/Classification, Neural Nets, Bayesian Networks, etc.
Experience with pattern recognition and extraction, automated classification, and categorization and with entity resolution (e.g., record linking, named entity matching, deduplication/ disambiguation)
Experience with visualization tools and techniques (e.g., Periscope, Business Objects, D3, Tableau, SAS Visual Analytics, PowerBI)
Experience with big data technologies (e.g., Hadoop, HIVE, HDFS, HBase, MapReduce, Spark, Kafka, Sqoop)

Clearance Requirements:

Must be a U.S. citizen with the ability to obtain DHS CBP suitability prior to starting this position.

Physical Requirements:

The person in this position needs to occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, or to communicate with co-workers, management, and customers, which may involve delivering presentations.

MANTECH considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to disability or veteran status or any other status protected under any federal, state, or local law or regulation.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply for a position with MANTECH, please email us at [email protected] and provide your name and contact information.

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