Senior Data Scientist

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 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 supporting operational decisions across 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 over 500 users. Reporting to the Program Manager, Data Analytics & Business Intelligence, the Senior Data Scientist will work with the Senior Data Engineer to support data products, analytical workflows, predictive and diagnostic modeling, operational dashboards, new data integrations, and partnerships with business units to translate complex needs into sustainable, actionable solutions. This role contributes critically to decision-support systems for a world-class airport system.

Responsibilities

• Operational Dashboards, Reporting & Predictive Modeling (50% of portfolio):
  • Develop, maintain, and enhance Power BI dashboards for Central Office business units, Airport Operation Centers (AOCs), planning partners, and customer experience teams.
  • Create predictive models, structured analyses, real-time awareness dashboards, and forecasting tools supporting resource planning, operational monitoring, performance insights, and anomaly detection.
  • Document dataset structures, logic, modeling assumptions, and processing steps for clarity, transparency, and sustainability.
• Product Development & Technical Solutioning (20% of portfolio):
  • Build custom analytical solutions—Python-based tools, KPI reporting engines, interactive dashboards, and data-entry workflows—to help partners understand operational conditions, identify trends, and make informed decisions.
  • Automate processes using Power Automate, Synapse pipelines, Azure Function Apps, Databricks jobs, or Python scripts to streamline reporting, monitoring, and dataset preparation.
  • Lead GIS integration into data architecture and workflows, coordinating with Planning, Asset Management, Central Survey, and Engineering teams to utilize and maintain spatial assets.
  • Explore and pilot advanced analytics, aligning with the Program Manager on innovations for production.
• Cross-Department Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement (15% of portfolio):
  • Engage 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.
  • Communicate analytical considerations clearly to nontechnical stakeholders, explaining data limitations, opportunities, and implications.
  • Provide technical guidance to colleagues, including embedded analysts, to strengthen analytics, modeling, and workflow development.
  • Support collaborative efforts with 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 design and develop new aviation data streams and enhance ADAW’s existing workflows, including batch and real-time Python- and PySpark-based processes in Azure Synapse and Databricks.
  • Own frontend user permissioning and oversee 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.

Requirements

• 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 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.

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 cloud-based platforms.
• 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.

Benefits

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

Pay

The expected compensation range for this role is:

• Minimum: $100,256
• Midpoint: $130,318
• Maximum: $160,394

Schedule

This position permits employees to work remotely a maximum of one day per week. In-person collaboration is essential, and regular in-office days or team collaboration days may be required based on business needs.