Lead Data Scientist

General Atomics Integrated Intelligence Inc. (GA Intelligence) develops cutting-edge software solutions that transform raw data into actionable intelligence. We specialize in real-time global situational awareness and battle management, processing petabytes of data from hundreds of sources across air, land, and sea. Our systems—including the widely used THRESHER and DRAGONSPELL platforms—support tens of thousands of users at all levels of the DoD and Intelligence Community and enable critical decision-making for national security missions.

We process hundreds of thousands of observations per minute, operating at the scale of global sensor networks and battlefield telemetry. We develop streaming and batch analytics that enable both strategic analysis and tactical decision-making. By experimenting with new techniques and technologies, we continuously push the boundaries of innovation while rigorously testing all solutions to ensure they meet mission-critical standards. Our analytics include tracking, activity detection, and automatic target recognition (from imagery).

Why GA Intelligence?

GA Intelligence combines the staying power of an experienced defense contractor with the agility and values of a mission-focused technology company. We've spent decades building systems our users love—trusted tools used daily by operators and analysts across the national security community. Our customers keep coming back because we deliver what we promise, and our engineers stay because they get to solve real problems that truly matter.

We're not a flashy startup. We don't chase headlines—we focus on delivering reliable capabilities with long-term impact. And while we share DNA with traditional defense contractors, we operate differently. As a privately held company, we make decisions based on what's right for the mission, not for a quarterly earnings call. We move fast when it counts, think long-term, and hold ourselves to the highest technical and ethical standards.

What We Believe

These values weren't crafted in a branding session—they were observed and articulated after 35 years of building software that matters. They reflect how we work, what we value in each other, and the kind of impact we want to have. At GA Intelligence, they aren't aspirational—they're how we operate.

• Solving Meaningful Challenges – Building mission-driven technology that makes a difference
• Collaborative Culture – Working as a team to push boundaries and innovate
• Technical Excellence – Encouraging continuous learning, curiosity, and efficiency
• Idea Meritocracy – Valuing ideas based on impact, not hierarchy

If these principles resonate with you—not just in theory, but in daily practice—you'll find yourself at home here.

What You'll Do

We are seeking Data Scientists to help build the next generation of global situational awareness and battle orchestration capabilities. You'll collaborate with cross-functional teams—including software engineers, mission engineers, product owners, and other data scientists—to design and deliver solutions that transform raw data into actionable intelligence.

Whether you're developing machine learning models, analyzing multi-source data, or shaping how insights reach the end user, your work will directly support operational missions with real-world impact. As such, we take pride in delivering analytically rigorous solutions. Our data scientist don't just run the models, they understand the math behind them.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Lead Data Scientists at GA Intelligence are technical leaders who shape strategy, architecture, and delivery across complex analytical projects. You'll drive the design and implementation of high-performance solutions, set rigorous analytical standards, and contribute to the long-term technical direction of mission-critical systems. In addition to developing and maintaining critical models, you'll act as a mentor, decision-maker, and trusted advisor within the team and with external stakeholders. Your teams will be comprised of Data Scientists and Software Engineers empowering you to deliver performant analytic solutions.

Understand the Domain and Problem Space:

• Invest time in learning and understanding the mission, operational context, and problem space to ensure analytics align with real-world needs.
• Collaborate with domain experts to identify key challenges and opportunities for data-driven insights and the use of artificial intelligence.

Lead Development Activities:

• Analyze data and assess the performance of existing analytics, identifying areas for improvement and optimization.
• Create new analytics while ensuring they are rigorously tested and validated to meet mission-critical standards.
• Lead implementation and delivery of high-impact analytic solutions that support mission-critical operations.

Collaborate Externally:

• Represent GA-I3 as a senior technical expert in discussions with customers, partners, and other engineering teams.
• Coordinate deployments and upgrades of data science solutions across distributed environments, including DoD and IC networks, ensuring operational readiness and reliability.

Design for High Performance:

• Collaborate with software engineers to design analytics optimized for high performance and scalability.
• Focus on building solutions that can handle large-scale data operations efficiently, balancing computational demands with mission requirements.
• Identify bottlenecks and propose strategies to enhance analytical throughput and reliability.

Build the Team:

• Hire and lead a team of software engineers and data scientists.
• Collaborate with engineering managers to provide mentoring, onboarding support, skill development, and career growth for your team.
• Provide technical leadership across the development lifecycle, including model validation, code reviews, and testing best practices.

We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.

Job Qualifications

• Typically requires a bachelor's degree, master's degree or PhD in data science, applied mathematics, statistics, computer science, or related technical/quantitative discipline from an accredited institution and progressive data science experience as follows; fourteen or more years of experience with a bachelor's degree, twelve or more years of experience with a master's degree, or nine or more years with a PhD. May substitute equivalent experience in lieu of education.
• Deep expertise in Python, R, or other data science languages.
• Demonstrated technical leadership in cross-functional analytical efforts.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience working directly with customers or stakeholders.
• Ability to obtain and maintain DoD security clearance is required.

DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Proven experience architecting and scaling machine learning systems.
• Expertise in backend architecture, distributed systems, and data pipeline design.
• Familiarity with technologies such as Kafka, NiFi, AWS, Kubernetes, or Docker.
• Experience leading incident response, root cause analysis, and operational improvements.
• Ability to interface directly with customers and senior stakeholders.
• Experience working in the DoD or Intelligence Community.

Job Category

Engineering

Experience Level

Senior (8+ years)

Workstyle

Onsite

Full-Time/Part-Time

Full-Time Salary

Pay Range Low

140,820

Pay Range High

252,075

Travel Percentage Required

0% - 25%

Relocation Assistance Provided?

Yes

US Citizenship Required?

Yes

Clearance Required?

Desired

Clearance Level

Top Secret (current SCI access with CI Poly)