ABOUT THE POSITION

VHB is seeking a Data Scientist to join our New York City, NY office.

Under moderate supervision, this role consists of researching, analyzing, and modeling urban and sustainability data from multiple sources to develop actionable insights for clean energy and sustainable urban development initiatives. This role leverages expertise in a combination of data analysis and visualization tools such as Python, GIS, Power BI, and open data governance to drive innovation in urban planning and sustainability. Many of these projects will focus on supporting the growth and development of the NET+ Solutions team along with supporting the development of urban solutions.

The Data Scientist will report to the Energy Evolution Practice but will also work closely with Northeast Technology and Planning teams to achieve these objectives.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

Analyze structured and unstructured datasets, including GIS data, using Python-based statistical and machine learning methods to inform urban sustainability and clean energy projects.
Identify and implement new uses for existing urban datasets and design workflows to locate and integrate new data sources.
Build and validate complex data models and ensure data integrity, statistical accuracy, and reproducibility.
Conduct exploratory data analysis to identify urban mobility, clean energy adoption, and resilience trends.
Develop predictive models for urban design scenarios, clean energy planning, and disaster risk mitigation.
Provide advanced analytics and modeling to support clean energy master planning, including energy demand forecasting, renewable energy optimization, and grid resilience assessment.
Create and maintain interactive dashboards and prototypes using Power BI, Tableau, or other platforms to visualize insights and communicate findings to diverse audiences.
Lead projects related to open data governance, ensuring compliance and fostering collaboration across agencies and stakeholders.
Collaborate with urban planners, engineers, and policymakers to align analytics with sustainability goals and actionable strategies.
Mentor junior team members and lead training initiatives to expand organizational data capacity.
Perform all job functions in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations as well as organizational policies and procedures.

Skills & Knowledge

Proficiency in Python (pandas, numpy, scikit-learn), GIS tools, SQL, and Power BI.
Strong understanding of machine learning, predictive modeling, and statistical analysis.
Demonstrated ability to clean, manipulate, and analyze large datasets for urban and sustainability contexts. Ability to work with energy
Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) for building dashboards and reports.
Familiarity with urban informatics and sustainability-focused analytics.
Strong communication skills to present technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
Ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks, and contribute to team collaboration.
Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and organized with excellent problem-solving skills.

Minimum Qualifications

3-5 years of experience with data science and analytics, urban planning, sustainability and climate, and urban technologies in either private or public sector settings.
Master’s degree in Applied Urban Science, Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics or a related field

Work Environment
Requires ability to work in a busy office environment with significant computer use. Hybrid and remote options may be considered based on project needs.

Our best estimate of the salary range for this position located in New York is $105,000 - $120,000. The final compensation will be based on a variety of factors such as individual qualifications, education, and experience.

We are VHB! We’re an inspired and innovative team of engineers, scientists, planners, and designers who partner with clients in the transportation, real estate, institutional, and energy industries, as well as federal, state, and local governments. Our work helps improve mobility, enhance communities, and contribute to economic vitality. We do this while balancing development and infrastructure needs with stewardship of our environment.

Our people make us great! VHB provides a differentiating employee experience, which includes:

Diverse and inclusive culture of collaboration and innovation
Opportunity to work on complex, transformational projects
Community and social responsibility as sustainable stewards
Focus on learning, development, and career growth
Best-in-class benefits, including flexible, hybrid workplace

We are consistently rated one of the top AEC firms to work for across our 30+ offices on the East Coast. We’re growing, and we hope you’ll join us!

VHB is a proud Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. Since our founding, we have intentionally fostered a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion—supported by deep-rooted core values, one of which is diversity. All individuals receive consideration for employment based on their qualifications without discrimination for race/ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, pregnancy, marital status, or any other basis protected by law.

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