Senior Data Scientist

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.

Do you have experience in Stakeholder relationship building?, Do you have a Doctoral degree?, 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., 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

3.83.8 out of 5 stars 666 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, NY $110,000 - $120,000 a year - Full-time

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.