Job Description:

DIRECT APPLICANTS ONLY - NO C2C OR 3rd Party Inquiries. (If you have a great candidate on your bench, please instruct them to apply)Aureon Consulting has a great client in the Agriculture industry with an immediate need for an experienced Data Scientist. Applicants must be well versed in R or Python programming languages and their application to data wrangling, machine learning (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch), and data visualization.This is a contract position that requires reporting to on office 3 days a week in Indianapolis, IN. Candidates must be located in Indianapolis OR willing to be there on day 1 of the assignment.Primary Responsibilities include: Partnering with R&D scientists to develop and prototype rigorous machine learning solutions aligned to project needsDesigning and implementing scalable data pipelines for processing high-complexity datasets such as high-throughput bioassays or large-scale agriculture datasetsPartner with data scientists, data engineers, and production teams to deploy and maintain data products at scaleCommunicate and train research partners on models and products to facilitate data-driven decisionsCommunicate insights derived from complex data analysis into simple conclusions that empower leadership to drive action; communicate results in internal and external forums; and contribute to scientific articles as neededSteward data product life cycle and partner with other scientists to continuously improve underlying models and optimize data architectureStay abreast of emerging technologies in big data, machine learning, and agriculture tech and advocate for their adoption Required QualificationsStrong expertise in R or Python programming languages and their application to data wrangling, machine learning (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch), and data visualizationExperience and fundamental understanding of machine learning techniques (e.g., logistic regression, random forest, XGBoost, SVMs, K-means, neural networks)Solid understanding of variable selection; dimensionality reduction; model diagnostics; and model training, testing, and validationExperience deploying machine learning models in production (e.g., CICD pipeline development; containerization using tools such as docker, podman, or Kubernetes; Git)Ability to work both independently and within a multidisciplinary team environment to provide innovative solutionsAbility to successfully collaborate with colleagues from diverse technical backgrounds which includes excellent communication, interpersonal, verbal, and written skillsStrong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, flexibility, and willingness to learnPreferred Qualifications:Familiarity with modeling biological, cellular, or ecological data; molecular biology or biochemistry concepts; or data science in agricultureProven experience as a machine learning engineering or similar role with a strong focus on machine learning deployment and data pipeline constructionFamiliarity with artificial intelligence or generative AI techniquesExperience in big data technologies (e.g., Hadoop, Spark) and database management systems (e.g., SQL, NoSQL)Experience with AWSExperience consulting on scientific projects or working within a scientific team