Kearney Activate- Senior Data Scientist & Product Engineer

As a Senior Data Scientist / Product Engineer at Kearney Activate, you will play a key role in delivering secure, cloud-hosted data and analytics solutions for clients within Kearney’s Mobility, Defense and Advanced Industrials practice.

This role is designed for a senior generalist who can take a business question all the way from framing and exploratory analysis through modeling, deployment, and ongoing performance monitoring. You will work at the intersection of business, product, and technology, partnering directly with client stakeholders and mentoring junior technical teammates along the way.

Key responsibilities

• Translate ambiguous business questions into a clear analytical approach and select the right technique for the problem.
• Conduct exploratory data analysis to understand data quality, structure, and opportunity before modeling begins.
• Design, build, and evaluate analytical and machine learning solutions, including traditional ML and LLM-based approaches, using rigorous metrics and testing.
• Build and assess production-grade retrieval-augmented generation pipelines when an LLM-based approach is the right fit.
• Deploy models through APIs or batch pipelines, write tests, and establish basic monitoring for performance and drift.
• Collaborate closely with the dedicated data architecture team on pipeline design, data quality, and schema decisions.
• Apply MLOps fundamentals and CI/CD discipline to models and analytical code.
• Document assumptions and communicate results clearly to both technical and business audiences.
• Lead solution definition directly with client stakeholders and mentor junior technical staff.
• Use modern AI and GenAI tools as a practical part of your day-to-day workflow.

Who you are

After nearly 100 years, we know this business is fundamentally about making connections—between facts, technologies, and above all, people. We look for collaborative, inquisitive problem-solvers who are comfortable operating with both engineers and senior client stakeholders and who bring genuine ownership to their work.

We Want To Hear From You If You Are

• An experienced data science professional with a track record of owning end-to-end solutions and taking them into production.
• A true generalist across business framing, exploratory data analysis, modeling, deployment, and monitoring.
• Strong in business acumen and able to explain what a model means for a decision, not just how it works.
• Fluent in at least one relevant industry vertical such as aerospace and defense, large-scale construction, manufacturing, supply chain, or sales and operations planning.
• Comfortable with prompt engineering, RAG, and core LLM concepts such as context, evaluation, and temperature.
• Credible in data engineering conversations, especially around pipelines and data quality, even if you do not own that function directly.
• Comfortable in fast-paced, iterative, client-facing delivery environments.
• Strong in written and verbal communication and experienced in mentoring junior technical talent.
• Practically fluent in using modern AI and GenAI tools in your own workflow.

Required Qualifications

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. This position is not eligible for employer-sponsored work authorization now or in the future, including H-1B visa sponsorship or sponsorship for any other employment-based immigration case.

• Ability to obtain, or current possession of, a U.S. Secret security clearance; active or prior clearance is a strong plus.
• Full-time employment.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent demonstrated experience; an advanced degree is a plus.

Technical skills and tools

Core

• Python for data science and SQL.
• Exploratory data analysis, statistical analysis, and predictive modeling.
• Machine learning fundamentals and applied fluency with LLMs, including RAG patterns, prompt engineering, and core LLM concepts.
• Model deployment via APIs or batch pipelines, with basic monitoring for performance and drift.
• Git-based version control and working familiarity with CI/CD for analytical code.
• Data visualization tools such as Power BI or Tableau.

Preferred

• Familiarity with JavaScript or React for collaboration with front-end developers.
• Experience with distributed frameworks such as Spark and containerization tools such as Docker.
• Exposure to cloud ML platforms is helpful but not heavily weighted.
• Experience deploying in regulated, secure, or highly compliant environments.
• Prior consulting or client-facing delivery experience.

Location

• Washington, D.C. or Arlington preferred.
• Boston and other East Coast hubs will be considered.
• Must be able to work closely with the team and travel to client delivery sites as required.
• U.S.-based only.

What we can offer you

Benefits

Every day, our people work to be the difference for our clients, our communities, and our colleagues. Helping them make an impact, they are sustained by a competitive remuneration package plus comprehensive benefits and perks, including but not limited to:

• Generous retirement and pension savings contributions.
• Comprehensive medical insurance for employees and immediate family.
• Gym membership discounts.
• Non-partner equity-based awards for consulting managers and above.
• Structured and on-the-job learning and development opportunities.
• Personalized opportunities including talent mobility, flexible work programs, and externships to help you chart a unique career journey.

Compensation Range

$100k-$150k: It is important to note that at Kearney, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the top of the range for their role. Individual salaries within each range are determined through a wide variety of factors, including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge, and skills. Kearney reviews compensation regularly and may adjust base salaries to reflect market competitiveness.

In addition to salary, individuals may be eligible for a discretionary performance bonus.Our full suite of benefits includes paid time off, 401(k) match and profit sharing, medical, dental, and vision coverage, healthcare concierge, backup child/adult care, annual employer HSA contribution, home office stipend, subsidized Gympass, annual wellness programming, and leaves of absence when needed to support employees’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Read more about our benefits and careers at Kearney Benefits and Kearney Careers.

Equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination

Kearney prides itself on providing a culture that allows employees to bring their best selves to work every day. Our people can feel comfortable, confident, and joyful to do great things for our firm, our colleagues, and our clients. Kearney aims to build diverse capabilities to help our clients solve their most mission critical problems. Kearney is committed to building a diverse, unbiased, and inclusive workforce.

Kearney is an equal opportunity employer; we recruit, hire, train, promote, develop, and provide other conditions of employment without regard to a person’s gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy status, veteran status, genetic information, or any other differences consistent with applicable laws.

This includes providing reasonable accommodation for disabilities or religious beliefs and practices. Members of communities historically underrepresented in consulting are encouraged to apply.