Protagonist

Senior Computational Social Scientist

Washington DC · Senior · Full-time

No sponsorship$82k-$130kDetected 12 days ago

PythonSQLMachine LearningData AnalysisData ScienceData VisualizationNLPLLMsRAGAgentic AIStatisticsCybersecurityResearchCommunication

About the role

Our team is a vibrant mix of communication specialists, data scientists, and subject matter experts with extensive experience across U.S. Government agencies, non-profit organizations, and Fortune 500 companies.
By joining Protagonist, you'll immerse yourself in a collaborative environment where innovation thrives, and your contributions truly matter.
If you're passionate about communication, data analysis, and making an impact, we invite you to explore a career with Protagonist.

Lead our data efforts
Design and apply classification models, clustering, and other ML/AI approaches to surface insight from large, unstructured datasets.
Build AI-powered analytical workflows
Design prompts, LLM chains, and agentic workflows that automate classification, thematic coding, entity extraction, and summarization at scale.
Build and evaluate repeatable analytical products with real quality controls and human-in-the-loop checks.
Experiment with emerging techniques (RAG, multi-step reasoning, tool-using agents) to extend what we can deliver.
Build dashboards and visualizations (Tableau, Superset, or similar) that make insight clear to clients and colleagues alike.
Work hand in hand with the product team to shape Narrative Analytics™ around what users actually need, bringing the analyst's and client's perspective into product design.
Collaborate across analytics, product, and client teams so the work fits together and reaches the people who depend on it.
This powerful combination enables us to quantitatively analyze open-source media, deliver strategic recommendations, and craft executive-level communication strategies for clients with missions that matter.

Must be eligible to work on US Government contracts.
5+ years of relevant experience with a bachelor's (or 3+ with an advanced degree), including at least 2 years focused on data science with a track record of real impact.

Working proficiency in Python and/or R, plus solid SQL for pulling, transforming, and validating data.
The ability to explain technical work to non-technical audiences and to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative team.
Existing security clearance (SECRET or higher) a plus
Experience designing structured content analysis or analytical frameworks for text data.
Experience in information environment assessment, strategic communication analysis, or media landscape monitoring.
Experience shaping analytical tools or platforms around real user needs.
Experience with computational social science methods (network analysis, narrative framing, document similarity) that go beyond keyword search.
Experience translating social science research questions into scalable computational approaches.

Innovative Solutions: We co-develop cutting-edge solutions with our clients to address tough communication problems and capitalize on opportunities to make a tangible impact.
Data-Driven Insights: Our tools and methodologies provide actionable insights that help clients meet their communication objectives and stay ahead of global challenges.
Applied Expertise: We integrate our solutions within client organizations, leveraging our profound expertise to address critical issues and ensure sustainable success.
Be Part of Something Bigger
At Protagonist, you'll work on compelling projects that make a real difference.
We seek talented individuals eager to contribute to our mission and grow alongside us.
Explore Your Future with Us!
Ready to take the next step in your career?
Join us at Protagonist and be part of a team that's making a difference.
Washington, DC | Full-Time | Hybrid
Job Description
In this role, you'll apply data science and analytic methods directly to projects, turning large, often unstructured datasets into findings that teams and clients can act on.
Our work lives at the intersection of data science and social science: we pair computational techniques with an understanding of the social, political, and information dynamics behind the data.

This listing is sourced directly from Protagonist's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.