Transportation Data Scientist (AI Solutions)

About the role

Leidos operates the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory (STOL), a USDOT research lab focused on the improvement of transportation operations, safety, mobility, and environmental impacts. STOL provides a variety of services to support the advancement and deployment of emerging technologies, including vehicle automation and communication. Leidos is seeking a talented Transportation Data Scientist to support FHWA-funded projects at the intersection of AI, data science, and transportation.

Responsibilities

• Assist in conducting data and literature reviews, including targeted searches for AI methods, datasets, and technologies relevant to freight analytics, traffic safety, and operations (e.g., sensor fusion, computer vision, and multimodal AI).
• Prepare and integrate datasets for AI use cases, including cleaning, normalizing, enriching, and fusing multi-source data (e.g., traffic logs, imagery, weather, and permitting records) while addressing quality issues like inconsistency, sparsity, and bias.
• Contribute to the design, development, and deployment of AI/ML models for transportation applications.
• Evaluate AI model performance under diverse conditions, such as varying data quality levels, and provide recommendations for improving model robustness, scalability, and trustworthiness in real-world transportation environments.
• Support stakeholder outreach and engagement, including organizing peer exchanges, workshops, and technical briefings with state DOTs, MPOs, enforcement agencies, and vendors to gather insights on AI applications.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure project alignment with USDOT goals, including risk management, quality assurance, and compliance with federal standards.
• Contribute to monthly progress reporting, risk mitigation, and iterative model refinement based on federal feedback.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in computer science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Transportation Engineering, or a related field; Ph.D. preferred.
• 2+ years of professional experience (NON-academic) in data science and AI/ML, with demonstrated familiarity in machine learning frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn), data processing tools (e.g., Pandas, NumPy), and AI techniques (e.g., deep learning, generative AI like GANs, computer vision, LLMs).
• Must have HANDS-ON experience in AI Solution Development.
• Strong experience in data preparation and integration, including ETL processes, handling multimodal data (e.g., imagery, sensor data, time-series), and addressing data quality challenges in real-world applications.
• Strong analytical skills with familiarity in model evaluation metrics (e.g., AUC, accuracy, scalability) and testing AI systems under varied conditions.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with experience in stakeholder engagement, technical reporting, and presenting complex AI concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, research-oriented environment with travel up to 20% for stakeholder meetings, site visits, or conference support.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance (which includes three years of immediate residency in the US).

Qualifications

• Prior experience working with state DOTs or federal transportation agencies (e.g., FHWA, USDOT) on AI initiatives, including prototyping and developing AI application in ITS.
• Familiarity with transportation-specific data sources (e.g., HSIS, SHRP2, NGSIM) and standards (e.g., SAE J2735 for V2X).
• Experience in synthetic data generation, generative AI (e.g., LLMs), or physics-informed ML for transportation applications.
• Knowledge of federal AI governance, risk management, and equity considerations in transportation.
• Project management experience, including leading AI tasks in multi-agency initiatives or contributing to communities of practice (CoPs).
• Publications or presentations in AI/transportation conferences (e.g., TRB, ITS America).

Skills

• Foundational experience in AI model development.
• Strong experience in data integration and analysis.
• Hands-on experience in AI solution development.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Effective communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience with data preparation and integration, including ETL processes.
• Experience with AI techniques such as deep learning, generative AI, and computer vision.
• Experience with model evaluation metrics and testing AI systems under varied conditions.
• Experience with transportation-specific data sources and standards.
• Experience with synthetic data generation, generative AI, and physics-informed ML for transportation applications.
• Knowledge of federal AI governance, risk management, and equity considerations in transportation.
• Experience with project management, including leading AI tasks in multi-agency initiatives or contributing to communities of practice (CoPs).
• Publications or presentations in AI/transportation conferences.

Benefits

• Dynamic, federally supported research environment.
• Opportunity to contribute to innovation in state-level transportation initiatives.

Pay

The anticipated salary range for this role is $100,000-$120,000.

Schedule

This role will be expected to work full-time at the customer site in McLean, VA.