Decision Scientist Jobs
Decision Scientist jobs are open across technology, financial services, healthcare, retail, and consulting, from analyst to principal and staff levels, with specializations in causal inference, experimentation, and machine learning. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 30+ Decision Scientist jobs
Are you interested in developing mathematical and computational approaches for combining information, reasoning under uncertainty, and supporting complex decisions?
Do you enjoy working across applied mathematics, software development, artificial intelligence, and emerging areas of scientific research?
Are you motivated by challenging technical problems that require learning new concepts, developing original approaches, and translating research into working capabilities?
We are seeking a Research Scientist to develop mathematical and computational approaches to complex problems in information, reasoning, and decision-making. Our research focuses on information fusion, semantic interoperability, knowledge representation, inference, and uncertainty, emphasizing applications to Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting (ISR&T).
As a Research Scientist on our team, you will...
- Develop mathematical, algorithmic, and computational approaches to information fusion, knowledge representation, reasoning, and decision-making under uncertainty.
- Integrate data, sensor observations, estimates, and existing knowledge from heterogeneous sources, including incomplete, uncertain, or conflicting information.
- Explore formal semantics, ontologies, knowledge graphs, probabilistic models, artificial intelligence, and symbolic and learned reasoning methods.
- Design, develop, test, and maintain research software, computational models, simulations, tools, and prototypes for ISR&T and other decision-support applications.
- Develop and evaluate signal and image processing, multi-sensor fusion, sensor resource optimization, and mathematical-physical modeling techniques.
- Investigate strengths, limitations, and complementarities of mathematical, symbolic, probabilistic, and machine-learned approaches.
- Collaborate with systems engineers and domain experts to translate operational problems into research questions, requirements, experiments, concepts, and system architectures.
- Plan, execute, and analyze technical evaluations, field tests, and experiments; adapt methods as project needs evolve.
- Collaborate across disciplines and communicate results through technical documentation, sponsor briefings, proposals, publications, workshops, and conferences.
Qualifications
You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you...
- Possess a Master’s degree or Doctoral degree in applied mathematics, mathematics, computer science, statistics, operations research, engineering, physics, philosophy, or a closely related field.
- Have at least three years of relevant technical work experience.
- Have experience formulating and investigating novel mathematical, algorithmic, or computational research problems.
- Have a strong foundation in probability, mathematical logic, statistical inference, optimization, formal methods, knowledge representation, information theory, or related disciplines.
- Have strong programming skills in Python, C++, or another general-purpose language, with experience developing substantial scientific or engineering software; familiarity with MATLAB, Java, or Linux environments is valuable.
- Demonstrate intellectual curiosity, independent problem-solving, the ability to learn unfamiliar subjects, and flexibility to support multiple concurrent projects.
- Communicate effectively in writing and orally and collaborate with researchers, engineers, domain experts, and other technical professionals.
- Are willing and able to work in secure, closed areas and travel occasionally to government sites and contractor facilities.
- Are able to obtain an Interim Secret level security clearance by your start date and can ultimately obtain a TS/SCI level clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.
- Possess a Doctoral degree with a record of original research in applied mathematics, computer science, artificial intelligence, decision science, engineering, physics, or a related field.
- Have a record of peer-reviewed publications, independent research contributions, or successful multidisciplinary research efforts.
- Have demonstrated the ability to carry research from initial mathematical formulation through software implementation, experimentation, and evaluation.
- Have experience with multi-source information fusion, probabilistic inference, uncertainty quantification, ontologies, knowledge graphs, or formal reasoning systems.
- Have experience with modern AI methods, including machine learning, foundation models, or approaches combining learned and symbolic reasoning.
- Have experience designing software architectures, developing reusable libraries or services, integrating computational methods into larger systems, or contributing to collaborative software projects.
- Have experience with modular software design, testing, debugging, documentation, and version control.
- Have experience applying systems engineering principles to research, including requirements development, system modeling, and technical evaluation.
- Have knowledge of military and intelligence-community ISR processes, sensors, platforms, targeting and C2, mission planning, kill-chain concepts, threat systems, weapon systems, or communications networks.
- Hold an active Secret, Top Secret, or TS/SCI-level security clearance.
About Us
Why Work at APL?
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) brings world-class expertise to our nation’s most critical defense, security, space and science challenges. While we are dedicated to solving complex challenges and pioneering new technologies, what makes us truly outstanding is our culture. We offer a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere where you can bring your authentic self to work, continue to grow, and build strong connections with inspiring teammates.
At APL, we celebrate our differences of perspectives and encourage creativity and bold, new ideas. Our employees enjoy generous benefits, including a robust education assistance program, unparalleled retirement contributions, and a healthy work/life balance. APL’s campus is located in the Baltimore-Washington metro area. Learn more about our career opportunities at https://www.jhuapl.edu/careers.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, occupation, marital or familial status, political opinion, personal appearance, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. APL is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals of all abilities, including those with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process, please contact Accessibility@jhuapl.edu.
The referenced pay range is based on JHU APL’s good faith belief at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training and skill level with consideration for internal parity. For salaried employees scheduled to work less than 40 hours per week, annual salary will be prorated based on the number of hours worked. APL may offer bonuses or other forms of compensation per internal policy and/or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be provided in the form of a sign-on bonus, relocation benefits, locality allowance or discretionary payments for exceptional performance. APL provides eligible staff with a comprehensive benefits package including retirement plans, paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, education assistance, and training and development. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Minimum Rate
$105,000 Annually
Maximum Rate
$290,000 Annually
Are you interested in developing mathematical and computational approaches for combining information, reasoning under uncertainty, and supporting complex decisions?
Do you enjoy working across applied mathematics, software development, artificial intelligence, and emerging areas of scientific research?
Are you motivated by challenging technical problems that require learning new concepts, developing original approaches, and translating research into working capabilities?
We are seeking a Research Scientist to develop mathematical and computational approaches to complex problems in information, reasoning, and decision-making. Our research focuses on information fusion, semantic interoperability, knowledge representation, inference, and uncertainty, emphasizing applications to Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting (ISR&T).
As a Research Scientist on our team, you will...
- Develop mathematical, algorithmic, and computational approaches to information fusion, knowledge representation, reasoning, and decision-making under uncertainty.
- Integrate data, sensor observations, estimates, and existing knowledge from heterogeneous sources, including incomplete, uncertain, or conflicting information.
- Explore formal semantics, ontologies, knowledge graphs, probabilistic models, artificial intelligence, and symbolic and learned reasoning methods.
- Design, develop, test, and maintain research software, computational models, simulations, tools, and prototypes for ISR&T and other decision-support applications.
- Develop and evaluate signal and image processing, multi-sensor fusion, sensor resource optimization, and mathematical-physical modeling techniques.
- Investigate strengths, limitations, and complementarities of mathematical, symbolic, probabilistic, and machine-learned approaches.
- Collaborate with systems engineers and domain experts to translate operational problems into research questions, requirements, experiments, concepts, and system architectures.
- Plan, execute, and analyze technical evaluations, field tests, and experiments; adapt methods as project needs evolve.
- Collaborate across disciplines and communicate results through technical documentation, sponsor briefings, proposals, publications, workshops, and conferences.
Qualifications
You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you...
- Possess a Master’s degree or Doctoral degree in applied mathematics, mathematics, computer science, statistics, operations research, engineering, physics, philosophy, or a closely related field.
- Have at least three years of relevant technical work experience.
- Have experience formulating and investigating novel mathematical, algorithmic, or computational research problems.
- Have a strong foundation in probability, mathematical logic, statistical inference, optimization, formal methods, knowledge representation, information theory, or related disciplines.
- Have strong programming skills in Python, C++, or another general-purpose language, with experience developing substantial scientific or engineering software; familiarity with MATLAB, Java, or Linux environments is valuable.
- Demonstrate intellectual curiosity, independent problem-solving, the ability to learn unfamiliar subjects, and flexibility to support multiple concurrent projects.
- Communicate effectively in writing and orally and collaborate with researchers, engineers, domain experts, and other technical professionals.
- Are willing and able to work in secure, closed areas and travel occasionally to government sites and contractor facilities.
- Are able to obtain an Interim Secret level security clearance by your start date and can ultimately obtain a TS/SCI level clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.
- Possess a Doctoral degree with a record of original research in applied mathematics, computer science, artificial intelligence, decision science, engineering, physics, or a related field.
- Have a record of peer-reviewed publications, independent research contributions, or successful multidisciplinary research efforts.
- Have demonstrated the ability to carry research from initial mathematical formulation through software implementation, experimentation, and evaluation.
- Have experience with multi-source information fusion, probabilistic inference, uncertainty quantification, ontologies, knowledge graphs, or formal reasoning systems.
- Have experience with modern AI methods, including machine learning, foundation models, or approaches combining learned and symbolic reasoning.
- Have experience designing software architectures, developing reusable libraries or services, integrating computational methods into larger systems, or contributing to collaborative software projects.
- Have experience with modular software design, testing, debugging, documentation, and version control.
- Have experience applying systems engineering principles to research, including requirements development, system modeling, and technical evaluation.
- Have knowledge of military and intelligence-community ISR processes, sensors, platforms, targeting and C2, mission planning, kill-chain concepts, threat systems, weapon systems, or communications networks.
- Hold an active Secret, Top Secret, or TS/SCI-level security clearance.
About Us
Why Work at APL?
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) brings world-class expertise to our nation’s most critical defense, security, space and science challenges. While we are dedicated to solving complex challenges and pioneering new technologies, what makes us truly outstanding is our culture. We offer a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere where you can bring your authentic self to work, continue to grow, and build strong connections with inspiring teammates.
At APL, we celebrate our differences of perspectives and encourage creativity and bold, new ideas. Our employees enjoy generous benefits, including a robust education assistance program, unparalleled retirement contributions, and a healthy work/life balance. APL’s campus is located in the Baltimore-Washington metro area. Learn more about our career opportunities at https://www.jhuapl.edu/careers.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, occupation, marital or familial status, political opinion, personal appearance, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. APL is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals of all abilities, including those with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process, please contact Accessibility@jhuapl.edu.
The referenced pay range is based on JHU APL’s good faith belief at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training and skill level with consideration for internal parity. For salaried employees scheduled to work less than 40 hours per week, annual salary will be prorated based on the number of hours worked. APL may offer bonuses or other forms of compensation per internal policy and/or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be provided in the form of a sign-on bonus, relocation benefits, locality allowance or discretionary payments for exceptional performance. APL provides eligible staff with a comprehensive benefits package including retirement plans, paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, education assistance, and training and development. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Minimum Rate
$105,000 Annually
Maximum Rate
$290,000 Annually
Decision Scientist Jobs by Experience Level
See All 30 Decision Scientist Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Decision Scientist JobsDecision Scientist Job Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in decision scientist jobs.
- Advanced degree in statistics, economics, mathematics, or a quantitative field
- Proficiency in Python or R for statistical modeling and analysis
- Hands-on experience designing and analyzing A/B tests or controlled experiments
- Strong SQL skills for querying large-scale structured datasets
- Experience communicating analytical findings to non-technical business stakeholders
- Familiarity with causal inference methods such as regression discontinuity or instrumental variables
Tips for Your Decision Scientist Job Search
Show causal work, not just predictions
Decision scientists are hired to influence decisions, not just build models. Your resume should highlight projects where you designed experiments, ran A/B tests, or used causal inference to shift a business outcome, not only accuracy metrics.
Distinguish your role from data science
Many hiring managers conflate the two titles. Your materials should make clear you work at the intersection of statistics, decision theory, and business strategy, not purely predictive modeling or engineering pipelines.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists decision scientist openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Target teams, not just job titles
Decision scientist roles sit inside growth, product, risk, and operations teams depending on the company. Reading the team context in a job description tells you which domain knowledge to emphasize and which interviewer you are likely to face first.
Prepare a structured decision case for interviews
Many decision scientist interviews center on a business case where you must frame the decision, identify the right analysis, and defend your assumptions under pushback. Practice narrating the full chain from ambiguous problem to actionable recommendation.
Negotiate scope, not just salary
Decision scientists often have more room to negotiate the type of problems they own, the team they embed with, and the access they get to data and stakeholders. Raising these in final-round conversations signals seniority and shapes your day-to-day far more than title.
Decision Scientist Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most decision scientists?
The companies hiring the most decision scientists right now include Ibotta, CVS Health, and Prescient Edge, with the largest share of openings in Colorado, New York, and California, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Technology, financial services, and large consumer platforms tend to maintain the deepest and most consistent demand for this role.
How many decision scientist jobs are remote?
About 100% of decision scientist openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting strong employer comfort with distributed analytical work. Roles focused on experimentation strategy and measurement tend to be the most remote-friendly, while positions embedded with product or operations teams often require some on-site presence.
How do you become a decision scientist?
Start by building a strong foundation in statistics, probability, and causal inference through a graduate program or rigorous self-study. Develop practical skills in Python or R and SQL by working through real datasets. Build a portfolio of projects that demonstrate experiment design and decision-framing, not just model building. Roles in data analysis or applied research are common entry points before moving into a dedicated decision scientist position.
Can you get a decision scientist job with little experience?
Yes, but you need to demonstrate analytical judgment, not just tool familiarity. Entry-level candidates who can walk through a complete experiment design, explain their assumptions, and articulate the business decision being served stand out against those who lead with software skills. Internships, research assistant roles, and self-directed projects analyzing publicly available datasets all count as credible experience when presented concretely.
What does the decision scientist interview process look like?
Most decision scientist interview processes include a recruiter screen, a technical take-home or live coding round focused on statistics and SQL, a case study where you frame and solve a business decision problem, and a final set of conversations with cross-functional stakeholders. Interviewers typically probe how you handle ambiguity, communicate uncertainty, and push back on poorly framed problems, not just whether you can run a regression.
Where can I find and apply to decision scientist jobs?
You can find and apply to decision scientist jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly to each listing without having to visit multiple separate sites.
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Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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