Lead Data Scientist
Location: Hybrid — Newark, NJ (3 days/week onsite)
Employment Type: Contract-to-Hire
Pay Rate: $70-$85 per hour, based on experience. No C2C/1099. W2 only.
About the Role:
  • Join a leading investment firm as a Lead Data Scientist, partnering with Machine Learning Engineers, Data Engineers, Data Analysts, and cross-functional teams to build AI and Machine Learning products
  • Implement Machine Learning, AI, and agentic capabilities that deliver stability, scalability, and integration across products and services
  • Solve sophisticated business problems and deploy innovative products and experiences
What You'll Do:
  • Provide deep technical leadership across a portfolio of high-impact data science initiatives
  • Identify optimal data, models, and training/testing techniques for successful product delivery
  • Manage team members across data analysis, model development (traditional ML and statistical models), GenAI and agent development, testing, training, and tuning
  • Write production-grade code and partner with ML engineers to push models into production, including traditional ML, statistical models, GenAI, and agentic solutions
  • Work hands-on with Agentic AI systems, fine-tuning techniques (e.g., LoRA), LLM deployment, RAG, Agentic RAG, Strands, Claude Agents SDK, and related agentic concepts
  • Communicate model design and development clearly to technical and non-technical audiences
  • Leverage CI/CD best practices, including test automation and monitoring, for ML model and application deployment
  • Stay current on emerging technologies and embed learning/innovation into the team's daily work
  • Program primarily in Python and SQLWhat You Bring
  • Advanced degree (Master's or Ph.D.) in Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, Econometrics, Physics, Computer Science, Actuarial Science, Data Science, or a related quantitative field
  • Experience leading a small team with minimal guidance
  • Demonstrated ability to mentor team members and manage operations based on project and resourcing needs
  • Ability to influence business stakeholders and drive adoption of AI/ML solutions
  • Experience with Agile methodologies and Test-Driven Development (TDD)
  • Strong business acumen to support sound, context-driven decision-making
  • Excellent problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills
  • Experience with cloud-based AI platforms such as Bedrock and SageMakerPreferred Technical Expertise (several of the following)
  • Data acquisition and transformation using APIs, semantic data models, SQL, and Python
  • Database management across relational (SQL), unstructured (NoSQL), and graph/ontology (Graph DB) systems
  • Data analysis using visualization, manipulation, and statistical methods to identify trends and anomalies
  • Strong foundation in multivariable calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, applied probability, and applied statistics
  • Deep understanding of machine learning theory, including supervised and unsupervised models
  • Experience with Generative AI and NLP, including RAG, LangChain, LangGraph, vector databases, LangFuse, and AgentCoreUnderstanding of the model deployment lifecycle, A/B testing, CI/CD pipelines, and frameworks such as AWS SageMaker and Azure Agentic AI tools

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