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About This Role
Cybersecurity Data ScientistThe Opportunity:
As a Cybersecurity Data Scientist, you will operate as a hands\-on technical contributor and applied research leader responsible for designing, developing, and operationalizing data\-driven and AI\-enabled solutions for Booz Allen's Cyber Operations teams. This role emphasizes execution and delivery, turning security telemetry, threat intelligence, and analyst workflows into production\-grade models, detections, and decision\-support capabilities that measurably improve prevention, detection, response, and recovery outcomes.
You will bridge data science and security operations by translating analyst needs, threat models, and incident learnings into reproducible data pipelines, feature sets, ML/LLM models, and evaluation frameworks deployed across cloud, network, endpoint, identity, and application telemetry domains. You will originate, facilitate, and lead cross\-functional efforts to mature AI\-enabled cybersecurity capabilities, including detection engineering augmentation, alert triage, threat hunting, and SOC automation, while guiding teams through threat\-informed model development, secure\-AI engineering, and responsible AI practices.
Perform model and solution reviews, provide technical direction for complex analytics initiatives, including SIEM, SOAR, and EDR data science integrations, cloud\-native security analytics, and GenAI tooling for analysts, and translate findings into actionable, measurable implementation plans. Leverage strong analytical, statistical, and communication skills to assess complex security and business problems, align technical and non\-technical stakeholders, and drive decisions to closure in support of Booz Allen Hamilton's critical enterprise infrastructure, go\-to\-market platforms, and mission operations.
The ideal candidate for our Enterprise Cybersecurity team is technically inclined, intellectually curious, and adaptable, with a strong cyber\-defense mindset. They thrive in a fast\-paced, dynamic environment and are continuous learners who actively seek to understand complex challenges, ask thoughtful questions, and look beyond the obvious to identify innovative and effective ways of working. They bring a security\-first perspective, analytical problem\-solving skills, and the curiosity and aptitude to continuously evolve as threats, technologies, and mission needs change. This position is located in McLean, VA.
What You’ll Work On:
- Design, build, and deploy custom AI/ML solutions for cybersecurity, including supervised and unsupervised detection models, anomaly and behavioral analytics, NLP on security text, retrieval\-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines, agentic workflows, and LLM\-assisted analyst tooling, and operationalize them end\-to\-end: data ingest, feature engineering, training/tuning, evaluation, deployment, monitoring, and retraining.
- Engineer scalable data pipelines over security telemetry, including logs, EDR, network, identity, cloud, and threat intel, to produce high\-quality, labeled, and feature\-rich datasets that power detection, triage, and hunting use cases.
- Apply rigorous experimentation, statistical analysis, and evaluation methods, including precision/recall, drift, calibration, A/B testing, and backtesting against historical incidents to validate model performance, reduce analyst burden, and quantify operational impact.
- Apply secure\-AI and MLSecOps engineering practices throughout the AI/ML lifecycle, including model and data protection, prompt and inference risk mitigation, evaluation against adversarial inputs, including evasion, poisoning, and prompt injection, and responsible AI controls.
- Integrate models and analytics into security tools and workflows, such as SIEM, SOAR, EDR, IAM, CSPM) — extending detection logic, enrichment, and response playbooks with custom ML/LLM capabilities where commercial tooling falls short.
- Develop automation, scripting, and infrastructure\-as\-code (IaC) to enable repeatable, testable, and version\-controlled ML pipelines, model deployments, and security data integrations.
- Collaborate across engineering, platform, data, threat intelligence, and SOC operations teams to deliver end\-to\-end solutions, embed security and ML practices into DevSecOps and MLSecOps pipelines, and drive implementation through measurable operational outcomes.
Join us. The world can’t wait.
You Have:
- 5\+ years of experience in data science, machine learning engineering, or applied AI
- 3\+ years of experience leading cross\-functional ML or analytics initiatives, including cybersecurity or security operations
- Experience designing and implementing data science and AI/ML solutions over enterprise security telemetry spanning network, endpoint, application, identity, and cloud environments
- Experience developing, testing, and integrating ML and analytic capabilities across security tools and platforms using APIs, automation, and workflow orchestration
- Experience with software development in Python and SQL for security and AI/ML use cases, including production\-quality code, unit and integration testing, version control, and CI/CD
- Experience with the modern AI/ML stack, including at least 2 of the following: PyTorch or TensorFlow, scikit\-learn, Hugging Face, LangChain, LlamaIndex, vector databases, such as pgvector, OpenSearch, Pinecone, or Milvus, or embedding\-based retrieval
- Experience operationalizing AI/ML systems, such as MLOps, including model versioning, experiment tracking, evaluation harnesses, drift and quality monitoring, and CI/CD for models, such as MLflow, Weights and Biases, SageMaker, Vertex AI, Azure ML, or Kubeflow
- Experience applying AI and machine learning to cybersecurity use cases such as threat and anomaly detection, behavioral analytics, alert triage and prioritization, threat hunting support, analyst copilots, and response automation with an impact on SOC outcomes
- Ability to obtain a Secret clearance
- Bachelor's degree
Nice If You Have:
- Experience with programming or scripting languages used in security and automation environments, such as Python, Go, SQL, PowerShell, or Bash
- Experience designing, deploying, and maintaining enterprise\-scale security solutions for sensitive or regulated environments, such as FedRAMP, IL4/5, HIPAA, or PCI
- Experience designing and building agentic AI systems for security operations, including multi\-step reasoning, tool and function calling, retrieval pipelines, and human\-in\-the\-loop workflows
- Experience fine\-tuning, distilling, or evaluating LLMs and other models for domain\-specific security tasks, including building eval datasets and red\-teaming AI systems
- Experience evaluating and integrating AI\-enabled cybersecurity tooling, such as AI\-assisted SIEM/SOAR, UEBA, behavioral analytics, and model\-driven detection workflows into enterprise security operations
- Knowledge of AI governance, model risk management, and policy controls aligned to enterprise and regulatory expectations for responsible AI use
- Knowledge of data governance frameworks, data classification standards, and privacy regulations, such as GDPR, or CCPA
- Knowledge of database structures, data modeling fundamentals, and query optimization, including SQL and NoSQL platforms
- IT Engineering or Security Certifications, such as CISSP, CCSP, CDPSE, cloud security certifications, or relevant AI security certifications such as ISC2 CAISS or IAPP AIGP
Clearance:
Applicants selected will be subject to a security investigation and may need to meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
Compensation
At Booz Allen, we celebrate your contributions, provide you with opportunities and choices, and support your total well\-being. Our offerings include health, life, disability, financial, and retirement benefits, as well as paid leave, professional development, tuition assistance, work\-life programs, and dependent care. Our recognition awards program acknowledges employees for exceptional performance and superior demonstration of our values. Full\-time and part\-time employees working at least 20 hours a week on a regular basis are eligible to participate in Booz Allen’s benefit programs. Individuals that do not meet the threshold are only eligible for select offerings, not inclusive of health benefits. We encourage you to learn more about our total benefits by visiting the Resource page on our Careers site and reviewing Our Employee Benefits page.
Salary at Booz Allen is determined by various factors, including but not limited to location, the individual’s particular combination of education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience, as well as contract\-specific affordability and organizational requirements. The projected compensation range for this position is $77,600\.00 to $176,000\.00 (annualized USD). The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position and is just one component of Booz Allen’s total compensation package for employees. This posting will close within 90 days from the Posting Date.Identity Statement
As part of the hiring process, we will ask you to complete an identity verification process that leverages advanced biometrics and artificial intelligence to ensure authenticity and protect against identity fraud. You are expected to be on camera during interviews and assessments. We reserve the right to take your picture to verify your identity and prevent fraud.
Candidate AI Usage Policy
AI is a part of our daily work at Booz Allen, and we are committed to the responsible and ethical use of AI tools. However, we want to ensure a fair candidate process based on your own skills and knowledge. As part of this commitment, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) or other tools to assist with responses during interviews (whether in\-person or virtual) is prohibited unless permission is explicitly provided.
Work Model
Our people\-first culture prioritizes the benefits of collaboration, whether it occurs in person or virtually. To support engagement and effective communication, employees working virtually are generally expected to have their cameras on during meetings.
- Remote: If this position is listed as remote, there may still be occasions when you are required to work in person at a Booz Allen or customer facility.
- Hybrid: If this position is listed as hybrid, you will be expected to work from a Booz Allen facility frequently, in alignment with leadership expectations and the needs of the role. You may also be required to work from or visit a customer facility.
- Onsite: If this position is listed as onsite, work will primarily be performed at a Booz Allen office or customer facility, where employees will collaborate directly with colleagues and customers as required by the role.
Commitment to Non\-Discrimination
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local, or international law.
Salary Context
This $77K-$176K range is in the lower quartile for Data Scientist roles in our dataset (median: $157K across 236 roles with salary data).
View full Data Scientist salary data →Role Details
About This Role
Data Scientists extract insights and build predictive models from data. In the AI era, many roles now include LLM-powered analytics, automated reporting, and integration with generative AI tools. The role has evolved from 'the person who runs SQL queries' to 'the person who builds AI-powered data products.'
Modern data science roles fall into two camps: analytics-focused (insights, dashboards, experimentation) and ML-focused (building predictive models, recommendation systems, NLP features). The best data scientists can operate in both modes. The AI shift means that even analytics-focused roles now involve building automated insight pipelines using LLMs, going well beyond one-off reports.
Across the 3,823 AI roles we're tracking, Data Scientist positions make up 8% of the market. At Booz Allen Hamilton, this role fits into their broader AI and engineering organization.
Data Scientist roles remain in high demand, though the definition keeps shifting. Companies increasingly want candidates who can bridge traditional statistics with modern ML and LLM capabilities. The 'pure insights' data scientist role is consolidating into analytics engineering, while the 'build models' data scientist role is merging with ML engineering.
What the Work Looks Like
A typical week includes: analyzing experiment results for a product feature launch, building a predictive model for customer churn, creating an automated reporting pipeline using LLM-powered summarization, presenting insights to stakeholders, and cleaning data (always cleaning data). The ratio of analysis to engineering varies by company, but expect both.
Data Scientist roles remain in high demand, though the definition keeps shifting. Companies increasingly want candidates who can bridge traditional statistics with modern ML and LLM capabilities. The 'pure insights' data scientist role is consolidating into analytics engineering, while the 'build models' data scientist role is merging with ML engineering.
Skills Required
Python, SQL, and statistical modeling are the foundation. Increasingly, roles want experience with LLMs for data analysis, automated insight generation, and building AI-powered data products. Familiarity with cloud data platforms (Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks) and ML frameworks (scikit-learn, PyTorch) covers most job requirements.
Experimentation design and causal inference are underrated skills that separate strong candidates. Companies care about whether their product changes cause improvements, and can distinguish causation from correlation. A/B testing methodology, Bayesian statistics, and the ability to communicate uncertainty to non-technical stakeholders are high-value skills.
Good postings specify the data stack, the types of problems you'll work on, and the team structure. Look for companies that differentiate between analytics and ML data science. Vague 'data scientist' postings that list every skill under the sun usually mean the company doesn't know what they need.
Compensation Benchmarks
Data Scientist roles pay a median of $198,000 based on 808 positions with disclosed compensation. Mid-level AI roles across all categories have a median of $165,000. This role's midpoint ($126K) sits 36% below the category median. Disclosed range: $77K to $176K.
Across all AI roles, the market median is $200,100. Top-quartile compensation starts at $253,500. The 90th percentile reaches $307,500. For comparison, the highest-paying categories include AI Engineering Manager ($275,000) and AI Safety ($274,200). By seniority level: Entry: $97,880; Mid: $165,000; Senior: $227,400; Director: $247,800; VP: $250,000.
Booz Allen Hamilton AI Hiring
Booz Allen Hamilton has 20 open AI roles right now. They're hiring across AI/ML Engineer, Data Scientist, AI Software Engineer, Research Engineer. Positions span Arlington, VA, US, San Diego, CA, US, Fort Meade, MD, US. Compensation range: $158K - $292K.
Location Context
Across all AI roles, 15% (590 positions) offer remote work, while 3,217 require on-site attendance. Top AI hiring metros: New York (2,643 roles, $211,000 median); San Francisco (2,168 roles, $253,000 median); Los Angeles (1,792 roles, $191,580 median).
Career Path
Common paths into Data Scientist roles include Data Analyst, Statistician, Quantitative Researcher.
From here, career progression typically leads toward Senior Data Scientist, ML Engineer, AI Product Manager.
Start with statistics and SQL. Build a real analysis project on public data that demonstrates insight generation alongside model building. The market values data scientists who can communicate findings clearly to business stakeholders. If you want to move toward ML engineering, invest in software engineering fundamentals and production deployment skills.
What to Expect in Interviews
Interviews combine statistics, coding, and business acumen. SQL is almost always tested, often with complex joins and window functions. Expect a case study round where you're given a business problem and asked to design an analysis plan. Coding rounds focus on pandas, statistical modeling, and visualization. The strongest differentiator is how well you communicate insights to non-technical stakeholders during presentation rounds.
When evaluating opportunities: Good postings specify the data stack, the types of problems you'll work on, and the team structure. Look for companies that differentiate between analytics and ML data science. Vague 'data scientist' postings that list every skill under the sun usually mean the company doesn't know what they need.
AI Hiring Overview
The AI job market has 3,823 open positions tracked in our dataset. By seniority: 112 entry-level, 1,798 mid-level, 1,516 senior, and 397 leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level). Remote roles make up 15% of the market (590 positions). The remaining 3,217 roles require on-site or hybrid attendance.
The market median for AI roles is $200,100. Top-quartile compensation starts at $253,500. The 90th percentile reaches $307,500. Highest-paying categories: AI Engineering Manager ($275,000 median, 41 roles); AI Safety ($274,200 median, 55 roles); Research Engineer ($260,000 median, 434 roles).
Data Scientist roles remain in high demand, though the definition keeps shifting. Companies increasingly want candidates who can bridge traditional statistics with modern ML and LLM capabilities. The 'pure insights' data scientist role is consolidating into analytics engineering, while the 'build models' data scientist role is merging with ML engineering.
The AI Job Market Today
The AI job market spans 3,823 open positions across 15 role categories. The largest categories by volume: AI/ML Engineer (2,629), Data Scientist (322), AI Software Engineer (279). These three account for the majority of open positions, though smaller categories often have higher per-role compensation because of specialized skill requirements.
The seniority mix tells a story about where AI teams are in their maturity. Entry-level roles (112) are outnumbered by mid-level (1,798) and senior (1,516) positions, reflecting that most companies are past the 'build a team from scratch' phase and need experienced engineers who can ship production systems. Leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level) total 397 positions, representing the bottleneck between technical execution and organizational strategy.
Remote work availability sits at 15% of all AI roles (590 positions), with 3,217 requiring on-site or hybrid attendance. The remote share has stabilized after the post-pandemic correction. Senior and specialized roles (Research Scientist, ML Architect) are more likely to be remote-eligible than entry-level positions, partly because experienced hires have more negotiating power and partly because these roles require less hands-on mentorship.
AI compensation is structured in clear tiers. The market median sits at $200,100. Top-quartile roles start at $253,500, and the 90th percentile reaches $307,500. These figures include base salary with disclosed compensation. Total compensation (including equity, bonuses, and sign-on) runs 20-40% higher at companies that offer those components.
Category matters for compensation. AI Engineering Manager roles lead at $275,000 median, while Prompt Engineer roles sit at $140,000. The spread between highest and lowest-paying categories reflects the premium on specialized technical skills versus broader analytical roles.
The most in-demand skills across all AI postings: Python (1,979 postings), Aws (1,190 postings), Azure (899 postings), Rag (839 postings), Gcp (726 postings), Pytorch (595 postings), Prompt Engineering (595 postings), Claude (540 postings). Python dominates, appearing in the vast majority of role descriptions regardless of category. Cloud platform experience (AWS, GCP, Azure) is the second most common requirement. The newer entrants to the top skills list (RAG, vector databases, LLM APIs) reflect the shift from traditional ML toward generative AI applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
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