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About This Role
Senior Data Scientist
=========================
- DEPT OF PARKS \& RECREATION
Posted On: 05/29/2026
- Full\-Time
Location
MANHATTAN
- No Exam Required
Department
Asst Comm For Inn \& Per Mgmt
Salary Range:
$110,000\.00 – $120,000\.00
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Job Description
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\*ONLY OPEN TO CURRENT FULL\-TIME ANNUALLY PAID PARKS EMPLOYEES\*
Data Analytics at the division of Innovation \& Performance Management is responsible for fostering a data\-informed Parks by leveraging data to produce insights that cross divisional perspectives. This strategic initiative aims to solve problems and conduct research that improves the effectiveness and efficiency of Parks programs through the lens of data, advancing a vibrant and sustainable park system.
Major Responsibilities
- Under direct supervision of the Chief Data Officer, exercise a high degree of independent initiative and judgment to serve as the agency’s lead data scientist, guiding complex analytics and data engineering projects from conception through implementation with a focus on rigor, scalability and long\-term sustainability.
- Perform applied research and develop analytical frameworks that integrate geospatial, and operational data to answer complex questions and generate actionable insights (e.g., Vital Parks accessibility analysis, usership estimation). Identify trends, relationships and opportunities to improve operational efficiency and strategic planning.
- Lead the design, development and refinement of analytical models and methodologies, including the integration of multiple data sources for operational insights (e.g., sensor and mobility data for visitation estimates and usage patterns). Continuously iterate on methods to improve accuracy, reproducibility and practical application.
- Serve as a technical lead in shaping and improving the agency’s data infrastructure by designing and optimizing data pipelines, automating workflows, and restructuring data systems to support scalable analytics and public\-facing tools (e.g., Vital Parks data pipelines, Tableau integration, Open Data outputs).
- Partner with internal and external collaborators including Digital Media, City Planning, academic institutions and private vendors to define project goals, refine methodologies and align data products with operational and policy needs. Facilitate stakeholder engagement to build alignment and ensure successful project implementation.
- Provide technical leadership in data engineering and analytics best practices, including code modularity, reproducibility, version control and data pipeline optimization contributing to the long\-term sustainability and maintainability of agency data systems.
- Translate complex analytical processes and results into clear compelling narratives, visualizations and presentations tailored to diverse audiences including executive leadership, technical staff and the public.
- Represent the agency in external forums and professional settings, including leading workshops and presenting at conferences (e.g., Open Data Week, AnEx, Pitchfest) contributing to knowledge sharing and elevating the Agency’s data analytics profile.
Work Location: Arsenal, Manhattan
How to Apply: Go to cityjobs.nyc.gov and search for Job ID\# 781719\.
All applicants must apply via cityjobs.nyc.gov. The City is no longer using ESS to accept applications.
- Current Employees please include your ERN on your cover letter and resume.
NOTE: All resumes must be received no later than the last day of the posting period. References will be required upon request.
nyc.gov/parks
MOVEMENT IN THE FACE OF CIVIL SERVICE LISTS IS PROHIBITED UNDER CIVIL SERVICE LAW.
For information about applying for Civil Service Exams go to: Civil Service Exams \- Department of Citywide Administrative Services (nyc.gov)
CITY RESEARCH SCIENTIST \- 21744Minimum Qualifications
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1\. For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have:
1\. A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full\-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
2\. A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full\-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
3\. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in "1" and "2" above.
NOTE:
Probationary Period
Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year.
Preferred Skills
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1\. Proven ability to independently lead end\-to\-end analytics projects, including problem framing, methodology development, data acquisition, modeling and delivery of actionable insights. 2\. Strong expertise in statistical and geospatial analysis, including working with mobility, spatial network and operational datasets. 3\. Experience with data mining, time\-series analyses, machine learning algorithms, decision models, prediction and experimental research and statistical design. 4\. Advanced proficiency in Python, SQL, GIS tools and data visualization platforms (e.g., Tableau) with demonstrated experience building automated and reproducible workflows. 5\. Experience designing and optimizing data infrastructure, including ETL pipelines, data modeling and system integration across platforms and stakeholders. 6\. Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including vendors, academic partners and cross\-agency teams while building alignment and advancing project goals. 7\. Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to clearly convey complex analytical concepts and insights to both technical and non\-technical audiences. 8\. Experience contributing to public\-facing data products, open data initiatives and transparent reproducible analytical practices. 9\. Strong problem\-solving skills, intellectual curiosity and the ability to quickly adapt to new data environments, tools and organizational needs. 10\. Demonstrated leadership through project ownership, stakeholder engagement and contributions to best practices in analytics and data engineering. 11\. 2\+ years’ experience leading technical analytics projects and teams and/or teaching data analytics, statistics and mathematics.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
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As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.
Residency Requirement
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Residency in New York City, Nassau, Orange, Rockland, Suffolk, Putnam, or Westchester counties required for employees with over two years of city service. New York City residency required within 90 days of hire for all other candidates.
Additional Information
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The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.
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Job ID
781719
Posted until
06/12/2026
Title code
21744
Civil service title
CITY RESEARCH SCIENTIST
Title classification
Non\-Competitive\-5
Business title
Senior Data Scientist
- Experience Level: Experienced (Non\-Manager)
Job level
03
Number of positions
1
Work location
Arsenal 830 Fifth Ave, New Yor
- Category: Technology, Data \& Innovation
Senior Data Scientist
Salary Context
This $110K-$120K 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 DEPT OF PARKS & RECREATION, 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. Senior-level AI roles across all categories have a median of $227,400. This role's midpoint ($115K) sits 42% below the category median. Disclosed range: $110K to $120K.
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.
DEPT OF PARKS & RECREATION AI Hiring
DEPT OF PARKS & RECREATION has 1 open AI role right now. They're hiring across Data Scientist. Based in Manhattan, NY, US. Compensation range: $120K - $120K.
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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