We are looking for a Data Scientist to support advanced analytics and machine learning initiatives in Sacramento, California. This Long-term Contract position focuses on creating practical, production-ready solutions that improve operational decision-making, with an early emphasis on predictive maintenance and fleet performance in asset-heavy environments. The role works closely with business leaders and technical teams to turn complex data into reliable models, useful insights, and scalable AI capabilities.<br><br>Responsibilities:<br>• Build, test, and implement machine learning and analytical models using operational, maintenance, and telemetry data to improve equipment reliability and reduce unexpected downtime.<br>• Create pilot solutions with measurable success criteria, then develop high-performing concepts into stable model pipelines suitable for ongoing production use.<br>• Convert analytical results into clear recommendations, dashboards, or decision-support outputs that help both technical teams and business stakeholders act with confidence.<br>• Partner with data engineering teams to shape requirements for data intake, transformation, feature creation, and model delivery across the broader data environment.<br>• Document methodologies, assumptions, dependencies, and performance results to support transparency, repeatability, and effective model governance.<br>• Provide input on enterprise data architecture needs from a data science perspective, including dataset design, feature availability, experiment tracking, and model readiness.<br>• Identify data limitations, quality concerns, and enrichment opportunities that could influence model accuracy or business value.<br>• Work with cross-functional partners to define new analytics and AI opportunities and assess external tools or vendor-developed solutions when needed.