senior-data-scientist

SKILL.md

---
name: senior-data-scientist
description: World-class data science skill for statistical modeling, experimentation, causal inference, and advanced analytics. Expertise in Python (NumPy, Pandas, Scikit-learn), R, SQL, statistical methods, A/B testing, time series, and business intelligence. Includes experiment design, feature engineering, model evaluation, and stakeholder communication. Use when designing experiments, building predictive models, performing causal analysis, or driving data-driven decisions.
---

# Senior Data Scientist

World-class senior data scientist skill for production-grade AI/ML/Data systems.

## Quick Start

### Main Capabilities

```bash
# Core Tool 1
python scripts/experiment_designer.py --input data/ --output results/

# Core Tool 2  
python scripts/feature_engineering_pipeline.py --target project/ --analyze

# Core Tool 3
python scripts/model_evaluation_suite.py --config config.yaml --deploy
```

## Core Expertise

This skill covers world-class capabilities in:

- Advanced production patterns and architectures
- Scalable system design and implementation
- Performance optimization at scale
- MLOps and DataOps best practices
- Real-time processing and inference
- Distributed computing frameworks
- Model deployment and monitoring
- Security and compliance
- Cost optimization
- Team leadership and mentoring

## Tech Stack

**Languages:** Python, SQL, R, Scala, Go
**ML Frameworks:** PyTorch, TensorFlow, Scikit-learn, XGBoost
**Data Tools:** Spark, Airflow, dbt, Kafka, Databricks
**LLM Frameworks:** LangChain, LlamaIndex, DSPy
**Deployment:** Docker, Kubernetes, AWS/GCP/Azure
**Monitoring:** MLflow, Weights & Biases, Prometheus
**Databases:** PostgreSQL, BigQuery, Snowflake, Pinecone

## Reference Documentation

### 1. Statistical Methods Advanced

Comprehensive guide available in `references/statistical_methods_advanced.md` covering:

- Advanced patterns and best practices
- Production implementation strategies
- Performance optimization techniques
- Scalability considerations
- Security and compliance
- Real-world case studies

### 2. Experiment Design Frameworks

Complete workflow documentation in `references/experiment_design_frameworks.md` including:

- Step-by-step processes
- Architecture design patterns
- Tool integration guides
- Performance tuning strategies
- Troubleshooting procedures

### 3. Feature Engineering Patterns

Technical reference guide in `references/feature_engineering_patterns.md` with:

- System design principles
- Implementation examples
- Configuration best practices
- Deployment strategies
- Monitoring and observability

## Production Patterns

### Pattern 1: Scalable Data Processing

Enterprise-scale data processing with distributed computing:

- Horizontal scaling architecture
- Fault-tolerant design
- Real-time and batch processing
- Data quality validation
- Performance monitoring

### Pattern 2: ML Model Deployment

Production ML system with high availability:

- Model serving with low latency
- A/B testing infrastructure
- Feature store integration
- Model monitoring and drift detection
- Automated retraining pipelines

### Pattern 3: Real-Time Inference

High-throughput inference system:

- Batching and caching strategies
- Load balancing
- Auto-scaling
- Latency optimization
- Cost optimization

## Best Practices

### Development

- Test-driven development
- Code reviews and pair programming
- Documentation as code
- Version control everything
- Continuous integration

### Production

- Monitor everything critical
- Automate deployments
- Feature flags for releases
- Canary deployments
- Comprehensive logging

### Team Leadership

- Mentor junior engineers
- Drive technical decisions
- Establish coding standards
- Foster learning culture
- Cross-functional collaboration

## Performance Targets

**Latency:**
- P50: < 50ms
- P95: < 100ms
- P99: < 200ms

**Throughput:**
- Requests/second: > 1000
- Concurrent users: > 10,000

**Availability:**
- Uptime: 99.9%
- Error rate: < 0.1%

## Security & Compliance

- Authentication & authorization
- Data encryption (at rest & in transit)
- PII handling and anonymization
- GDPR/CCPA compliance
- Regular security audits
- Vulnerability management

## Common Commands

```bash
# Development
python -m pytest tests/ -v --cov
python -m black src/
python -m pylint src/

# Training
python scripts/train.py --config prod.yaml
python scripts/evaluate.py --model best.pth

# Deployment
docker build -t service:v1 .
kubectl apply -f k8s/
helm upgrade service ./charts/

# Monitoring
kubectl logs -f deployment/service
python scripts/health_check.py
```

## Resources

- Advanced Patterns: `references/statistical_methods_advanced.md`
- Implementation Guide: `references/experiment_design_frameworks.md`
- Technical Reference: `references/feature_engineering_patterns.md`
- Automation Scripts: `scripts/` directory

## Senior-Level Responsibilities

As a world-class senior professional:

1. **Technical Leadership**
   - Drive architectural decisions
   - Mentor team members
   - Establish best practices
   - Ensure code quality

2. **Strategic Thinking**
   - Align with business goals
   - Evaluate trade-offs
   - Plan for scale
   - Manage technical debt

3. **Collaboration**
   - Work across teams
   - Communicate effectively
   - Build consensus
   - Share knowledge

4. **Innovation**
   - Stay current with research
   - Experiment with new approaches
   - Contribute to community
   - Drive continuous improvement

5. **Production Excellence**
   - Ensure high availability
   - Monitor proactively
   - Optimize performance
   - Respond to incidents