Principal Engineer - Data Analytics III

Software Guidance & Assistance, Inc., (SGA), is searching for a Principal Data Scientist for a direct hire opportunity with one of our premier clients in Oshkosh, WI or New Hudson, MI.

The Data Science Lead serves as a hands‑on technical leader who bridges business strategy, advanced analytics, and AI‑driven innovation to deliver high‑impact solutions across the organization. This individual contributor role requires 5+ years of experience leading end‑to‑end data science initiatives, partnering directly with business stakeholders, and translating complex business challenges into scalable machine learning, predictive analytics, and Generative AI solutions. The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise in Python, SQL, cloud platforms, and modern AI/LLM technologies with the ability to independently architect, deploy, and support production‑ready solutions.

Data Science Lead collaborates closely with executive leadership, operations, product teams, and IT partners to define AI roadmaps, drive adoption, establish technical standards, and deliver measurable business value through data‑driven decision making.

• 5+ years of experience; 6 years may be appropriate , according to the manager.
• The same core profile as R50808: AI‑savvy and business‑savvy, with strong business relationships and experience working directly with business stakeholders—not solely back‑end development.
• Ability to manage work end to end and personally deploy and deliver the solution.

• Both roles are individual‑contributor positions, not manager roles.
• The manager is open to candidates who began in a business function or as a business analyst and later moved into IT, analytics, or data science, as well as candidates from consulting.
• The roles are described as hybrid: 3 days onsite and 2 remote, based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, or New Hudson, Michigan. Relocation is acceptable if the candidate is willing to relocate; the manager said these are not commuting positions.
• Mentoring and executive‑level communication are more central to the Principal role than to the Lead role.

The Data Science Lead serves at the vital intersection of enterprise business strategy, machine learning innovation, and technical delivery. In this role, you will lead the strategic vision, architectural design, and operational deployment of predictive modeling, advanced analytics, and artificial intelligence solutions across key business units.

• End‑to‑End Delivery:
  Architect, build, and deploy production‑grade machine learning models, statistical frameworks, and Generative AI/LLM applications (e.g., RAG architectures, intelligent agents, and fine‑tuned models).
• Engineering Standards:
  Establish best‑in‑class coding, testing, evaluation, and documentation standards across the team. Conduct regular code and architecture reviews.
• Production MLOps:
  Partner closely with Data Engineering and Dev Ops teams to establish robust CI/CD pipelines, automated model monitoring, feature stores, data drift detection, and automated retraining workflows.
• Research & Innovation:
  Stay abreast of state‑of‑the‑art developments in AI/ML, evaluating emerging methodologies, tools, and frameworks to accelerate organizational capabilities.

• Business Translation:
  Collaborate closely with executive leadership, product managers, operations, and commercial leaders to translate complex business challenges into actionable data science initiatives.
• Strategic
  
  Roadmap:
  
  Define and prioritize the enterprise AI and analytics roadmap, aligning project timelines, milestones, and deliverables with core business objectives.
• Value Realization & Communication:
  Articulate…