Sr Data Scientist

About the role

We Impact Lives Through Purpose-Driven Work in A People First Culture
Ascend Learning, a leading healthcare and learning technology company, is the connection between a powerful portfolio of brands serving students, educators, and employers with outcomes-based, data-driven solutions across the lifecycle of learning.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement statistical models, anomaly detection algorithms, and machine learning pipelines to identify suspicious test-taking patterns, proxy testing, impersonation, and item exposure across large-scale assessment datasets.
• Build and maintain predictive and classification models — including logistic regression, clustering, random forest, and NLP-based flagging — to surface security risks and prioritize investigation queues.
• Independently prepare and present findings, dashboards, and security briefings to senior leadership — translating complex analytical outputs into clear, actionable narratives.
• Author detailed analytical reports supporting security investigations, including methodology documentation, evidence summaries, and recommended actions.
• Write and maintain complex Snowflake SQL and T-SQL — stored procedures, views, and optimized queries — across Snowflake and SQL Server environments, integrating data from disparate sources including NoSQL, data lakes, APIs, and external data providers; contributing to EDW Gold layer development for exam security use cases.
• Design, build, and maintain Tableau dashboards that surface key security metrics, incident trends, and performance indicators for both operational teams and senior leadership.
• Partner with Psychometricians, Data Engineering, IT security, and remote proctoring vendors to align on analytical requirements, data quality standards, and the technology landscape — ensuring security data is accurate, timely, and fit for analysis.
• Convert ambiguous needs from Test Security, IT, Legal, and Operations into well-defined analytical requirements and data specifications, maintaining clear documentation of models and methodologies throughout.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Data Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Educational Measurement, or a closely related quantitative field. Master’s degree preferred in a quantitative discipline; familiarity with psychometric methods; experience with remote proctoring platforms; exposure to Medallion/EDW architectures in Snowflake; background in test security, fraud detection, or behavioral analytics at scale
• 5+ years of experience in data analysis or data science with demonstrated progression in technical scope and complexity
• Expert-level SQL across both Snowflake and SQL Server — stored procedures, query optimization, and complex multi-source joins
• Proven experience building statistical models and applying machine learning techniques such as classification, clustering, and anomaly detection in a production or near-production context
• Proficiency in Python, R, Snowflake ML for statistical analysis and model development
• Experience building and publishing Tableau dashboards for operational and executive audiences
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex findings clearly and persuasively to non-technical stakeholders, including senior leadership
• Strong business acumen with the ability to prioritize analytical work by impact and translate ambiguous questions into structured analytical frameworks
• Proven experience working cross-functionally with engineering, product, and IT teams and engaging with vendor technologies

Qualifications

Flexible and generous paid time off
Competitive medical, dental, vision and life insurance
401(k) employer matching program
Parental leave
Wellness resources
Charitable matching program
On-site workout facilities (Leawood, Gilbert, Burlington)
Community outreach groups
Tuition reimbursement

Skills

Fostering A Sense of Belonging
Our values-driven culture unifies our teams and inspires a mindset of action, innovation, and collaboration, with a relentless focus on customers. We seek out and celebrate all people and perspectives and cultivate an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive, feel valued, and be authentic.

Benefits

No agency or search firm submissions will be accepted.
Applications for U.S.-based positions with Ascend Learning, LLC must be legally authorized to work in the United States, and verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.