Principal Scientist Jobs in McLean, VA
Principal Scientist jobs in McLean, Virginia are concentrated in the Tysons Corner corridor, the McLean Business Center, and along the Route 123 defense and intelligence hub, with strong demand in national security research, biosciences, and advanced analytics. Employers actively hiring include Capital One and Information Technology Senior Management Forum. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Data is at the center of everything we do. As a startup, we disrupted the credit card industry by individually personalizing every credit card offer using statistical modeling and the relational database, cutting edge technology in 1988! Fast-forward a few years, and this little innovation and our passion for data has skyrocketed us to a Fortune 200 company and a leader in the world of data-driven decision-making.
As a Data Scientist at Capital One, you’ll be part of a team that’s leading the next wave of disruption at a whole new scale, using the latest in computing and machine learning technologies and operating across billions of customer records to unlock the big opportunities that help everyday people save money, time and agony in their financial lives.
Team Description
The US Card Intelligence Segments organization builds industry-leading machine learning models that empower core underwriting decisions. We partner closely with a wide range of job families - machine learning engineers, product managers, credit analysts and data engineers - to deliver solutions from ideation to implementation.
The AI in Credit team is developing the next generation of predictive models to forecast how customers use their Capital One cards. We are a cross-functional collaboration that spans across the entire company, with scientists and engineers specializing in applied credit, deep learning, and high performance computing. Join us as we push the boundary of data-driven credit decisioning.
Role Description
In this role, you will:
Develop modeling approaches to forecast credit outcomes in a rapidly changing economic environment
Apply cutting-edge explainability techniques to identify insights from complex models
Develop frameworks for AI-model-based decisioning in a highly regulated industry
Collaborate on a cross-functional team with a wide range of specializations and experience
The Ideal Candidate is:
A data guru. “Big data” doesn’t faze you. You have the skills to retrieve, combine, and analyze data from a variety of sources and structures. You know understanding the data is often the key to great data science.
Creative. You thrive on bringing definition to big, undefined problems. You love asking questions and pushing hard to find answers. You’re not afraid to share a new idea.
Statistically-minded. You’ve built models, validated them, and backtested them. You know how to interpret a confusion matrix or a ROC curve. You have experience with clustering, classification, sentiment analysis, time series, and deep learning.
Innovative. You continually research and evaluate emerging technologies. You stay current on published state-of-the-art methods, technologies, and applications and seek out opportunities to apply them.
Basic Qualifications:
Currently has, or is in the process of obtaining one of the following with an expectation that the required degree will be obtained on or before the scheduled start date:
A Bachelor's Degree in a quantitative field (Statistics, Economics, Operations Research, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field) plus 5 years of experience performing data analytics
A Master's Degree in a quantitative field (Statistics, Economics, Operations Research, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field) or an MBA with a quantitative concentration plus 3 years of experience performing data analytics
A PhD in a quantitative field (Statistics, Economics, Operations Research, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field)
Preferred Qualifications:
Master’s Degree in an applied research field (physics/astronomy, chemistry, biology, engineering, operations research, sociology, etc.) plus 3 years of experience in data science, or PhD in an applied research field
Experience in explainability a big plus
Experience with distributed computing a plus
At least 3 years’ experience in Python, Scala, or R
At least 3 years’ experience with machine learning
Capital One will consider sponsoring a new qualified applicant for employment authorization for this position.
The minimum and maximum full-time annual salaries for this role are listed below, by location. Please note that this salary information is solely for candidates hired to perform work within one of these locations, and refers to the amount Capital One is willing to pay at the time of this posting. Salaries for part-time roles will be prorated based upon the agreed upon number of hours to be regularly worked.
McLean, VA: $161,800 - $184,600 for Princ Associate, Data ScienceNew York, NY: $176,500 - $201,400 for Princ Associate, Data Science
Richmond, VA: $147,100 - $167,900 for Princ Associate, Data Science
Candidates hired to work in other locations will be subject to the pay range associated with that location, and the actual annualized salary amount offered to any candidate at the time of hire will be reflected solely in the candidate’s offer letter.
Capital One offers a comprehensive, competitive, and inclusive set of health, financial and other benefits that support your total well-being. Learn more at the Capital One Careers website. Eligibility varies based on full or part-time status, exempt or non-exempt status, and management level.
This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days. No agencies please. Capital One is an equal opportunity employer (EOE, including disability/vet) committed to non-discrimination in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Capital One promotes a drug-free workplace. Capital One will consider for employment qualified applicants with a criminal history in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable laws regarding criminal background inquiries, including, to the extent applicable, Article 23-A of the New York Correction Law; San Francisco, California Police Code Article 49, Sections 4901-4920; New York City’s Fair Chance Act; Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Records Screening Act; and other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding criminal background inquiries.If you have visited our website in search of information on employment opportunities or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Capital One Recruiting at 1-800-304-9102 or via email at RecruitingAccommodation@capitalone.com. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.
For technical support or questions about Capital One's recruiting process, please send an email to Careers@capitalone.com
Capital One does not provide, endorse nor guarantee and is not liable for third-party products, services, educational tools or other information available through this site.
Capital One Financial is made up of several different entities. Please note that any position posted in Canada is for Capital One Canada, any position posted in the United Kingdom is for Capital One Europe and any position posted in the Philippines is for Capital One Philippines Service Corp. (COPSSC).
See All 27 Principal Scientist Jobs in McLean
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Find Principal Scientist JobsPrincipal Scientist Job Market in McLean
Who's Hiring

Top Industries Hiring
- Banking & Financial Services
Principal Scientist Jobs in McLean: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a principal scientist job in McLean?
Focus your search on McLean's dominant hiring sectors: defense and intelligence contracting, federal health and biomedical research, and data-intensive analytics firms clustered near Tysons Corner and the Route 123 corridor. Candidates with active security clearances or federal agency experience have a measurable edge here. Targeting prime contractors and federally oriented research organizations directly, rather than broad job boards, will surface the most relevant openings.
Which companies hire principal scientists in McLean?
Employers hiring principal scientists in McLean right now include Capital One and Information Technology Senior Management Forum, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. McLean draws a mix of large defense primes, intelligence community contractors, and specialized research consultancies, many of which maintain headquarters or major division offices in the Tysons Corner and McLean Business Center areas.
Are there remote principal scientist jobs in McLean?
Yes, though availability depends heavily on the role: analytical and computational principal scientist positions tend to accommodate remote or hybrid arrangements, while laboratory, classified, and on-site research roles typically require in-person work. About 0% of principal scientist openings tied to McLean are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, with the remote share concentrated in data science, modeling, and policy research functions rather than wet-lab or secure-facility positions.
How can I get a principal scientist job in McLean with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in McLean is through research associate or scientist I roles at federal contractors and government-adjacent consultancies, which regularly hire candidates with strong graduate credentials even before significant independent research experience. Internships and fellowship programs tied to the intelligence community or federal health agencies in the greater McLean area provide direct exposure and often convert to full-time offers. A published thesis, relevant clearance eligibility, and familiarity with federal research frameworks all strengthen a candidacy locally.
Which industries hire the most principal scientists in McLean?
The sectors hiring the most principal scientists in McLean are Banking & Financial Services, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. McLean's proximity to federal agencies, the intelligence community, and major defense contracting offices makes it a national hub for applied research roles that require both scientific depth and government-facing expertise.
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See All 27 Principal Scientist Jobs in McLean
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