{"schemaVersion":"jobsearcher.job.v1","id":"a978855d8010ded6f3733253","url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/a978855d8010ded6f3733253","canonicalUrl":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/a978855d8010ded6f3733253","title":"Lead Data Scientist - Simulation / Optimization","description":"Company Description\nGovini transforms Defense Acquisition from an outdated manual process to a software-driven strategic advantage for the United States. Our flagship product, Ark, supports Supply Chain, Science & Technology, Production, Sustainment, Logistics, and Modernization teams with AI-enabled Applications and best-in-class data to more rapidly imagine, develop, and field the capabilities we need. Today, the national security community and every branch of the military rely on Govini to enable faster and more informed Acquisition decisions.\nJob Description\nThe Lead Data Scientist will provide visionary technical leadership to a team of data scientists and AI engineers, driving the end-to-end development and deployment of cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence solutions for our National Security clientele. This pivotal AI leadership role is instrumental in establishing a robust culture of decision-making Agentic AI and creating the AI platforms, the \"brain\" of The Ark, designed to be leveraged by a broad community of AI and Data Science professionals within Govini.\nAs a hands-on technical leader, you will apply deep expertise in Artificial Intelligence and a keen understanding of complex Defense Acquisition challenges. Your primary focus will be to work with our proprietary and commercial datasets to find critical connections, derive actionable knowledge, and identify potential issues that help our government clients make more informed decisions. This involves designing, developing, and rapidly deploying scalable AI solutions that transform these insights into mission-critical capabilities. You will also have the opportunity to expand and grow data-driven research across Govini, leading new areas to apply advanced analytics to drive strategic business and national security results. You'll apply your deep knowledge in advanced simulation and optimization techniques, including Discrete Event Simulation, Monte Carlo methods, and stochastic optimization, to enhance our platforms to handle complex capability simulation and optimization techniques for critical defense use cases.\nTo excel in this position, you must be an AI expert with a strong command of data science fundamentals and a proven ability to bring data-driven solutions to life within the defense ecosystem. The ideal candidate is a highly organized problem-solver who possesses excellent oral and written communication skills, capable of translating complex AI concepts for both technical and non-technical audiences. You must be independent, driven, and motivated to jump in and roll up your sleeves to get the job done. You lead by influence and motivation, demonstrating a passion for great work and an intolerance for mediocrity. We seek an uber-smart, creative, out-of-the-box thinker who is challenged by complex defense problems and obsessed with quality and rapid prototyping/deployment, knowing how to engage in constructive dialogue to find the best path forward.\nThis role is a full-time position located out of our office in Pittsburgh, PA.\nThis role may require up to 10% travel\nScope of Responsibilities\nDrive the development of a complex, multi-modal decision intelligence system, serving as the central nervous architecture for integrating advanced simulation, optimization, and predictive modeling capabilities across The Ark's platforms.\nDefine the multi-year technical roadmap for AI initiatives, turning vague business challenges into concrete, scalable research and product goals.\nRaise the collective bar by mentoring Senior-level engineers and building high-performing teams that consistently deliver state-of-the-art (SOTA) results.\nDrive consensus across disparate groups such as DS and AI, Product, Forward Deployed AI and Engineering, to ensure AI deployments are technically sound, commercially viable, and responsible.\nAct as the authority on scientific breakthroughs and model strategy, ensuring that core architectures, training methodologies, and data ecosystems are robust, cost-effective, and future-proofed against the rapidly evolving AI landscape\nLead the end-to-end execution of large-scale AI projects, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and timely delivery.\nApply deep knowledge in advanced simulation and optimization techniques, including Discrete Event Simulation, Monte Carlo methods, and stochastic optimization.\nEnhance our platforms to handle complex capability simulation and optimization techniques for critical defense use cases.\nAct as the primary Individual Contributor (IC) and technical lead for complex AI/ML/DS projects, taking deep ownership from ideation to production deployment.\nServe as the domain expert in a specific area of AI (e.g., Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing, Decision Science), driving the application and development of state-of-the-art methods within that specialization.\nWork closely with partner teams, including AI research, data engineering, and software development, to define robust software architecture, set the project roadmap, and manage technical execution.\nCollaborate with the Product team to clearly define product scope, translating high-level requirements into actionable technical plans and delivering market-ready AI solutions integrated with client data platforms and workflows.\nDrive the development of scalable, AI-based platforms designed to support and power solutions for a diverse range of customers within the defense ecosystem.\nChampion the introduction of new AI innovations. Stay current with the rapidly evolving fields of Artificial Intelligence, including advanced methods in simulation and optimization, Large Language Models (LLMs), and agentic systems, and actively transfer this knowledge and best practices for implementation across the team.\nMentor and guide junior and senior team members, fostering a culture of technical excellence, continuous learning, and high-impact work.\nNurture a robust AI culture within the team by leading technical discussions, conducting internal workshops, and promoting best practices in model development, experimentation, and MLOps.\nDemonstrate strong leadership qualities to align the team's AI strategy effectively with overall business and client needs, translating complex technical concepts into strategic business impacts for leadership.\nQualifications\nU.S. Citizenship is required\nRequired Skills:\nMinimum of 7 years of professional experience working as a Data Scientist in an industry setting\nOversee the full lifecycle of large-scale AI projects.\nPossess deep knowledge and the ability to apply techniques such as Discrete Event Simulation (DES), agent based modeling and Monte Carlo methods to model complex capabilities.\nDeep understanding and application of advanced optimization techniques, specifically including stochastic optimization.\nDeep understanding and practical experience with Bayesian optimization, causal discovery, and causal modeling.\nAbility to leverage simulation and optimization knowledge to enhance platforms for complex capability simulation and optimization in critical defense use cases.\nUnderstanding of coding AI (such as Claude Code) and experience in using it to scale up AI team deliveries\nExpertise in leveraging deep technical knowledge of AI solution internals (such as Deep Research systems) to design and implement custom, highly optimized solutions.\nEnsure timely project delivery and strategic goal alignment.\nCollaborate with cross-functional teams (AI Research, Data Engineering, Software Development).\nDefine robust software architecture for large-scale AI systems and project roadmaps.\nTranslate high-level product requirements into actionable technical plans.\nDeliver production-ready AI solutions integrated with clients' data platforms and workflows.\nDrive the implementation of scalable AI/ML platforms.\nMaintain deep expertise in cutting-edge AI, including LLMs and agentic systems. Train models, build systems based on AI innovations\nChampion innovation and best practices across the organization.\nMentor and coach team members.\nFoster a high-performing culture of technical excellence and continuous growth.\nHelp to the leadership to align AI strategy effectively with client needs.\nCreate agentic AI systems, using AI orchestrators and particular AI reasoning capabilities as tools.\nDesired Skills:\nA strong publication record in the top conferences in one of the AI, ML NLP, and decision science areas\nDeep knowledge of LLM and Agentic system evaluation, experience in building evaluation systems\nExperience in LLM post-training or fine-tuning\nDemonstrate strong National Security domain knowledge.\nExperience with MLOps practices, including deployment, monitoring, and management of large-scale models in cloud environments (e.g., GCP, AWS, Azure).\nTrack record of successfully transitioning AI research prototypes into robust, production-grade enterprise solutions\nWe firmly believe that past performance is the best indicator of future performance. If you thrive while building solutions to complex problems, are a self-starter, and are passionate about making an impact in global security, we're eager to hear from you.\nGovini is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans status or any other characteristic protected by law.","company":"Govini","rawCompany":"govini","city":"Pittsburgh","state":"PA","isRemote":false,"isActive":false,"createdAt":"2026-07-15T15:56:36.494Z","occupations":[{"code":"15-2051.00","title":"Data Scientists","slug":"data-scientists"},{"code":"15-2031.00","title":"Operations Research Analysts","slug":"operations-research-analysts"},{"code":"15-1221.00","title":"Computer and Information Research Scientists","slug":"computer-and-information-research-scientists"}],"industries":[{"code":"541690","title":"Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services","slug":"other-scientific-and-technical-consulting-services"},{"code":"541715","title":"Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)","slug":"research-and-development-in-the-physical-engineering-and-life-sciences-except-nanotechnology-and-biotechnology"},{"code":"541512","title":"Computer Systems Design Services","slug":"computer-systems-design-services"}],"jobPosting":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"JobPosting","title":"Lead Data Scientist - Simulation / Optimization","description":"Company Description\nGovini transforms Defense Acquisition from an outdated manual process to a software-driven strategic advantage for the United States. Our flagship product, Ark, supports Supply Chain, Science & Technology, Production, Sustainment, Logistics, and Modernization teams with AI-enabled Applications and best-in-class data to more rapidly imagine, develop, and field the capabilities we need. Today, the national security community and every branch of the military rely on Govini to enable faster and more informed Acquisition decisions.\nJob Description\nThe Lead Data Scientist will provide visionary technical leadership to a team of data scientists and AI engineers, driving the end-to-end development and deployment of cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence solutions for our National Security clientele. This pivotal AI leadership role is instrumental in establishing a robust culture of decision-making Agentic AI and creating the AI platforms, the \"brain\" of The Ark, designed to be leveraged by a broad community of AI and Data Science professionals within Govini.\nAs a hands-on technical leader, you will apply deep expertise in Artificial Intelligence and a keen understanding of complex Defense Acquisition challenges. Your primary focus will be to work with our proprietary and commercial datasets to find critical connections, derive actionable knowledge, and identify potential issues that help our government clients make more informed decisions. This involves designing, developing, and rapidly deploying scalable AI solutions that transform these insights into mission-critical capabilities. You will also have the opportunity to expand and grow data-driven research across Govini, leading new areas to apply advanced analytics to drive strategic business and national security results. You'll apply your deep knowledge in advanced simulation and optimization techniques, including Discrete Event Simulation, Monte Carlo methods, and stochastic optimization, to enhance our platforms to handle complex capability simulation and optimization techniques for critical defense use cases.\nTo excel in this position, you must be an AI expert with a strong command of data science fundamentals and a proven ability to bring data-driven solutions to life within the defense ecosystem. The ideal candidate is a highly organized problem-solver who possesses excellent oral and written communication skills, capable of translating complex AI concepts for both technical and non-technical audiences. You must be independent, driven, and motivated to jump in and roll up your sleeves to get the job done. You lead by influence and motivation, demonstrating a passion for great work and an intolerance for mediocrity. We seek an uber-smart, creative, out-of-the-box thinker who is challenged by complex defense problems and obsessed with quality and rapid prototyping/deployment, knowing how to engage in constructive dialogue to find the best path forward.\nThis role is a full-time position located out of our office in Pittsburgh, PA.\nThis role may require up to 10% travel\nScope of Responsibilities\nDrive the development of a complex, multi-modal decision intelligence system, serving as the central nervous architecture for integrating advanced simulation, optimization, and predictive modeling capabilities across The Ark's platforms.\nDefine the multi-year technical roadmap for AI initiatives, turning vague business challenges into concrete, scalable research and product goals.\nRaise the collective bar by mentoring Senior-level engineers and building high-performing teams that consistently deliver state-of-the-art (SOTA) results.\nDrive consensus across disparate groups such as DS and AI, Product, Forward Deployed AI and Engineering, to ensure AI deployments are technically sound, commercially viable, and responsible.\nAct as the authority on scientific breakthroughs and model strategy, ensuring that core architectures, training methodologies, and data ecosystems are robust, cost-effective, and future-proofed against the rapidly evolving AI landscape\nLead the end-to-end execution of large-scale AI projects, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and timely delivery.\nApply deep knowledge in advanced simulation and optimization techniques, including Discrete Event Simulation, Monte Carlo methods, and stochastic optimization.\nEnhance our platforms to handle complex capability simulation and optimization techniques for critical defense use cases.\nAct as the primary Individual Contributor (IC) and technical lead for complex AI/ML/DS projects, taking deep ownership from ideation to production deployment.\nServe as the domain expert in a specific area of AI (e.g., Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing, Decision Science), driving the application and development of state-of-the-art methods within that specialization.\nWork closely with partner teams, including AI research, data engineering, and software development, to define robust software architecture, set the project roadmap, and manage technical execution.\nCollaborate with the Product team to clearly define product scope, translating high-level requirements into actionable technical plans and delivering market-ready AI solutions integrated with client data platforms and workflows.\nDrive the development of scalable, AI-based platforms designed to support and power solutions for a diverse range of customers within the defense ecosystem.\nChampion the introduction of new AI innovations. Stay current with the rapidly evolving fields of Artificial Intelligence, including advanced methods in simulation and optimization, Large Language Models (LLMs), and agentic systems, and actively transfer this knowledge and best practices for implementation across the team.\nMentor and guide junior and senior team members, fostering a culture of technical excellence, continuous learning, and high-impact work.\nNurture a robust AI culture within the team by leading technical discussions, conducting internal workshops, and promoting best practices in model development, experimentation, and MLOps.\nDemonstrate strong leadership qualities to align the team's AI strategy effectively with overall business and client needs, translating complex technical concepts into strategic business impacts for leadership.\nQualifications\nU.S. Citizenship is required\nRequired Skills:\nMinimum of 7 years of professional experience working as a Data Scientist in an industry setting\nOversee the full lifecycle of large-scale AI projects.\nPossess deep knowledge and the ability to apply techniques such as Discrete Event Simulation (DES), agent based modeling and Monte Carlo methods to model complex capabilities.\nDeep understanding and application of advanced optimization techniques, specifically including stochastic optimization.\nDeep understanding and practical experience with Bayesian optimization, causal discovery, and causal modeling.\nAbility to leverage simulation and optimization knowledge to enhance platforms for complex capability simulation and optimization in critical defense use cases.\nUnderstanding of coding AI (such as Claude Code) and experience in using it to scale up AI team deliveries\nExpertise in leveraging deep technical knowledge of AI solution internals (such as Deep Research systems) to design and implement custom, highly optimized solutions.\nEnsure timely project delivery and strategic goal alignment.\nCollaborate with cross-functional teams (AI Research, Data Engineering, Software Development).\nDefine robust software architecture for large-scale AI systems and project roadmaps.\nTranslate high-level product requirements into actionable technical plans.\nDeliver production-ready AI solutions integrated with clients' data platforms and workflows.\nDrive the implementation of scalable AI/ML platforms.\nMaintain deep expertise in cutting-edge AI, including LLMs and agentic systems. Train models, build systems based on AI innovations\nChampion innovation and best practices across the organization.\nMentor and coach team members.\nFoster a high-performing culture of technical excellence and continuous growth.\nHelp to the leadership to align AI strategy effectively with client needs.\nCreate agentic AI systems, using AI orchestrators and particular AI reasoning capabilities as tools.\nDesired Skills:\nA strong publication record in the top conferences in one of the AI, ML NLP, and decision science areas\nDeep knowledge of LLM and Agentic system evaluation, experience in building evaluation systems\nExperience in LLM post-training or fine-tuning\nDemonstrate strong National Security domain knowledge.\nExperience with MLOps practices, including deployment, monitoring, and management of large-scale models in cloud environments (e.g., GCP, AWS, Azure).\nTrack record of successfully transitioning AI research prototypes into robust, production-grade enterprise solutions\nWe firmly believe that past performance is the best indicator of future performance. If you thrive while building solutions to complex problems, are a self-starter, and are passionate about making an impact in global security, we're eager to hear from you.\nGovini is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans status or any other characteristic protected by law.","datePosted":"2026-07-15T15:56:36.494Z","dateModified":"2026-07-15T15:56:36.494Z","hiringOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Govini","sameAs":"https://jobsearcher.com"},"jobLocation":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Pittsburgh","addressRegion":"PA","addressCountry":"US"}},"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"JobSearcher","value":"a978855d8010ded6f3733253"},"url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/a978855d8010ded6f3733253"}}