Senior Data Scientist

Description

About the Role

The Aviation Department is seeking a Senior Data Scientist with strong analytical skills, a passion for civic tech, excellent technical judgment, GIS experience, and the ability to collaborate across diverse business units. The ideal candidate will be motivated to strengthen the Department’s data-driven mindset and analytical capabilities, expand the reach of the Aviation Data Analytics Warehouse (ADAW), and develop data-driven tools that support operational decisions across our airports. The Data Analytics & Business Intelligence (DABI) team serves as the centralized analytics and data science unit for the Department and manages ADAW, a governed data environment integrating more than fifteen data streams and supporting more than 500 users across the agency.

Reporting to the Program Manager, Data Analytics & Business Intelligence, the Senior Data Scientist will work in tandem with the Senior Data Engineer to support the development, enhancement, and maintenance of data products and analytical workflows; lead predictive and diagnostic modeling efforts; develop and maintain operational dashboards; support new data integrations; and partner with business units to translate complex needs into sustainable and actionable data-driven solutions. This role is a critical contributor to the decision-support systems that move millions through our world-class airport system.

The successful candidate’s responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Operational Dashboards, Reporting & Predictive Modeling (50% of your portfolio)
• Develop, maintain, and enhance Power BI dashboards that support Central Office business units, Airport Operation Centers (AOCs) staff, planning partners, and customer experience teams.
• Create predictive models, structured analyses, real-time awareness dashboards, and forecasting tools that support resource planning, real-time operational monitoring, performance insights, anomaly detection, and other emerging operational needs.
• Document dataset structures, logic, modeling assumptions, and processing steps to ensure clarity, transparency, and long-term sustainability.
• Product Development & Technical Solutioning (20% of portfolio)
• Build custom analytical solutions — including Python-based tools, KPI reporting engines, interactive dashboards, and data-entry workflows — to help operational and strategic partners understand operational conditions, identify trends, and make informed decisions.
• Build and maintain automated processes via Power Automate, Synapse pipelines, Azure Function Apps, Databricks jobs, or Python scripts—to streamline reporting, monitoring, and dataset preparation.
• Lead GIS Integration into current data architecture and workflows, responsible for coordinating with relevant agency-wide teams such as Planning, Asset Management, Central Survey, and Engineering to utilize and maintain spatial assets.
• Explore and pilot advanced analytics, aligning with Program Manager on which innovations should advance towards production.
• Cross-Department Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement (15% of portfolio)
• Engage directly with business units, airport operations teams, and external partners to gather requirements, refine analytical products, and align on business rules and technical expectations.
• Participate in recurring technical discussions, coordination meetings, and cross-team. collaborations to ensure ADAW analytics remain consistent, reliable, and responsive to evolving departmental needs.
• Communicate analytical considerations clearly to nontechnical stakeholders, helping them understand data limitations, opportunities, and implications.
• Provide technical guidance to colleagues across the department, including embedded analysts, to strengthen analytics, modeling, and workflow development capacity.
• Support collaborative efforts with units such as Airport Operation Centers, Traffic Engineering, Redevelopment, and Central Office teams to ensure alignment in assumptions, logic, and analytic practices.
• Data Integration, Access Management & Workflow Development (15% of portfolio)
• Partner with the Data Engineer to support the design, development of new aviation data streams as well as enhancement of ADAW’s existing analytical workflows, including batch and real-time Python- and PySpark-based processes in Azure Synapse and Databricks.
• Own frontend user permissioning and oversee proper Power BI workspace governance, including workspace roles, access control, audience configuration, and App permissions.
• Contribute to internal best practices for analytical workflow design, governance standards, documentation, reproducibility, and sustainable architecture.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Data Science, Urban Planning, Transportation Planning, Computer Science, Information Systems, Applied Mathematics, Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
• At least three (3) years of experience in an analytical role supporting data systems, analytics workflows, or data science activities in an enterprise environment (ideally Azure).
• At least two (2) years of experience working in, or partnering with, large organizations, public service agencies, regional transportation bodies, or civic tech organizations, ideally in an analytical or data-oriented capacity.
• Strong proficiency with Python and SQL, including experience building analytical workflows, automating tasks, and working with cloud-hosted datasets.
• Experience with PySpark or distributed data processing in platforms such as Databricks or Azure Synapse.
• Experience designing or supporting structured analytical solutions or operational dashboards for cross-functional teams, ideally in a large organization or public sector environment.
• Ability to multitask, prioritize, and manage time effectively.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with technical and nontechnical partners across the Department.

Desired Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant analytical or technical field (Data Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Statistics, Computer Science)
• Experience with operational datasets in transportation, infrastructure, or other complex, high-volume environments.
• Experience with API development, ingestion workflows, or automated data transfer protocols.
• Familiarity with enterprise GIS systems and geospatial data management or experience contributing to map-based or spatially-aware analytics
• Experience with real-time data ingestion and processing workflows, especially in Azure Event Hubs or similar Azure-compatible cloud-based platform
• Knowledge of building agentic AI workflows and integrating AI agents into cross-functional analytical tools
• Experience improving data quality, governance, documentation, or `analytic processes within a collaborative team environment.

Selection Process

The application process varies by position, but typically includes an initial phone interview for qualified candidates, followed by a more in-depth interview(s) and/or assessment(s). Selected candidates who are made a conditional job offer will be asked to undergo a background check.

Compensation, Benefits & On-Site Collaboration Requirements:

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey offers a competitive benefits package and a professional environment that supports development and recognizes achievement.

Click here for more information about benefits, our culture, and career development opportunities.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey anticipates that the actual salary offered to a successful candidate will depend on aspects such as experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and internal factors.

The expected compensation range for this role is: Minimum: $100,256 Midpoint: $130,318 Maximum: $160,394

In accordance with Port Authority policy, this position permits employees to work remotely a maximum of one day per week. In person collaboration is essential to how the Port Authority conducts business, and regular in-office days or team collaboration days may be required on business needs.