Senior Data Scientist

Overview

This is a grant-funded position, funded through the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grant, and expected to last for eighteen months, no later than March 2026. 

The Department of Innovation and Technology is looking for a Senior Data Scientist for Curb Digitization to join our growing Citywide Analytics Team. The Senior Data Scientist will lead the City’s technical delivery for the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grant awarded by the Federal Department of Transportation. 

The grant funding is awarded to “develop a curb data inventory, using computer vision and machine learning to digitize street signs and update the inventory in real-time.” The Analytics Team would like to leverage high-quality imagery data from all City streets to create a digital representation of curb regulations. This would be the first time that this information would be systematically available to the public and to policymakers. This role will focus primarily on data science tasks related to computer vision and image classification, as well as the spatio-temporal application of insights from this analysis. 

To successfully complete this grant-funded position, the Senior Data Scientist will:

• Use computer vision and classification algorithms to extract information about the specific regulations displayed on street signs along all City streets and automate the interpretation of the regulation text.
• Collaborate with engineering and product management to develop a systematic approach to apply the regulations indicated on each sign to the appropriate segment of the curb. This will have a temporal element as certain regulations only apply during specific days of the week or times of the day. 
• Integrate the overlapping regulations into a comprehensive view, which also includes appropriate exclusions for fire hydrants, curb cuts, etc.
• Make the data available via API by following the Curb Data Specification developed by the Open Mobility Foundation.
• Work with product managers and engineers to ensure that the digitized representation of the City’s curb is easy to maintain as changes are made to the built environment and to curb regulations.

The Citywide Analytics team is composed of a diverse group of analysts, process improvement experts, engineers, and product managers with a range of skills and backgrounds, working together to use data to improve life for those who live and work in Boston. The Senior Data Scientist will fulfill the responsibilities listed below and bring a collaborative spirit that will strengthen and expand the team’s overall range of abilities.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with project managers and other stakeholders to develop and execute the methodology for extracting and applying data on curb regulations.
• Design and build analytic solutions related to curb digitization and publishing data in the Curb Data Specification format. 
• Implement analytic projects in a production framework to enable automation, monitoring, and version control.
• Serve as the Citywide Analytics Team’s resident expert in computer vision and image classification.
• Develop reusable code and tools to expand the Citywide Analytics Team’s capacity.
• Adopt and maintain existing data science projects and implement sustainable workflows for long-term support.
• Create and maintain documentation on relevant data, code, and procedures.
• Perform related work as required.

Minimum Entrance Qualifications

• At least six (6) years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, experience working as a data scientist in a business, government, academic, or nonprofit setting with a focus in computer vision and imagery analysis. 
• A bachelor's degree is required, preferably in computer science, mathematics, statistics, economics, engineering, or social or physical sciences. A graduate degree is highly preferred and may be substituted for up to three (3) years of the required experience. 
• Advanced skills in statistical data analysis and visualization using Python or R.
• Expert-level domain knowledge of computer vision and image classification. Experience with these skills in a professional context is highly preferred.
• Familiarity with geospatial concepts and data, as well as related analysis and visualization tools such as PostGIS, QGIS, or ArcGIS, is a plus.
• Familiarity with the Python data science stack, especially Pandas, NumPy, and scikit-learn is a plus.
• Proficiency with relational database systems such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, or Microsoft SQL Server is a plus.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, including mapping of specific business needs to appropriate solutions in a data-focused context.
• Demonstrated success in learning new skills as needed to succeed in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to analyze data and use the information to meet business analysis requirements and technical design specifications; to define projects, manage project scope, monitor execution, report status, and resolve issues.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and focus on detail as required by the job.
• Experience in the public sector (especially in local government) is highly desirable.

BOSTON RESIDENCY REQUIRED

Terms:

 Union/Salary Plan/Grade: SENA/MM1-10

Hours per week: 35