S

Southern Company

Runs electric and gas utilities across the Southeast

Data Scientist

Full-TimeUpdated on 10/23/2026
No salary listed
Junior, Mid
Bachelor's, Master's, PhD
Atlanta, GA, USA
HybridHybrid schedule: four days in-office and one day remote per week.
Data & AnalyticsData Science

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in a quantitative field, such as mathematics, statistics, economics, data science, or computer science, is required for Data Scientist and Senior Data Scientist levels.
  • A master's degree in analytics, statistics, data science, computer science, or a related quantitative field is required for Staff and Principal Data Scientist levels.
  • Experience requirements vary by level: 0–2 years in analytics, data, or modeling for Data Scientist; 3–5 years in analytics/modeling and data processing for Senior Data Scientist; 5–10 years in analytics/data science, modeling, and large-scale data work for Staff Data Scientist; and 10+ years in analytics/data science, including enterprise-scale data and AI solutions, for Principal Data Scientist.
  • Data Scientist requires working knowledge of SQL and relational databases, hands-on Python or R programming for analysis, basic machine-learning or statistical modeling, documentation, validation, reproducibility, data engineering concepts, data pipelines, data quality validation, cloud analytics platforms, reusable data transformations, and established data engineering standards.
  • Senior Data Scientist requires experience building and managing business models; working with large datasets using SQL and modern analytics platforms; developing and maintaining production data pipelines; Python or R programming; SQL proficiency; feature engineering; model evaluation and tuning; dashboards or visualizations; data governance; data ingestion, transformation, orchestration, monitoring, and automation; and reusable curated datasets in production analytics environments.
  • Staff Data Scientist requires hands-on delivery of machine-learning or AI solutions and/or production model deployment; experience manipulating large databases with SQL and Databricks, Spark, Azure, or AWS; scalable pipeline and cloud-solution design in Databricks and Azure; supervised and unsupervised modeling; statistical foundations; validation, monitoring, retraining and drift detection; troubleshooting and documentation; technical leadership and stakeholder management; ETL/ELT, data modeling, orchestration and quality management; Delta Lake, Spark optimization, Azure Data Factory, and cloud-native data platforms.
  • Principal Data Scientist requires extensive experience with large data using SQL and platforms such as Databricks, Spark, Azure, or AWS; success defining and scaling AI capabilities, frameworks, or platforms; enterprise data platform and data engineering leadership in Databricks and Azure; expertise in modeling including NLP, deep learning, Bayesian methods, clustering, and neural networks; AI/ML frameworks, standards and governance; integrations and migrations across platforms; data architecture, data modeling, ETL/ELT, pipeline orchestration and cloud data engineering; and Databricks, Azure Data Factory, Delta Lake, Spark, data quality frameworks, observability, and operational practices.
Responsibilities
  • Analyze and organize customer and market data for pricing, planning, and forecasting.
  • Support development and validation of reusable data pipelines and curated datasets under guidance.
  • Maintain and validate existing models and recurring reports, and troubleshoot data issues.
  • Develop baseline statistical or machine-learning models, such as regression, classification, and forecasting, under guidance.
  • Use approved AI tools to automate routine analysis and reporting, including templated notebooks and prompt-driven summaries.
  • Document assumptions, code, and data lineage, and support audit and review requests.
  • Identify improvements to data quality, model performance, and efficiency; monitor pipeline results, investigate data quality issues, and document corrective actions.
  • Design and develop statistical and machine-learning models for business problems including forecasting, valuation, segmentation, and anomaly detection.
  • Build and maintain scalable analytical and data engineering pipelines, reusable curated datasets, and feature assets; implement validation and data-quality checks.
  • Develop and optimize data ingestion, transformation, and orchestration processes in Databricks and Azure environments.
  • Create AI-enabled analytical tools, such as guided question-and-answer over curated data and automated insight generation.
  • Develop dashboards and stakeholder-ready outputs, and explain model results and tradeoffs.
  • Collaborate across functions to define requirements, success metrics, and adoption approaches; own delivery for assigned workstreams.
  • Lead end-to-end delivery of advanced analytics and AI solutions, including design, build, deployment, and monitoring.
  • Design, develop, and maintain scalable cloud-based data pipelines and curated datasets for analytics, reporting, AI, and business operations.
  • Define modeling standards, validation approaches, and monitoring thresholds; ensure explainability and audit readiness.
  • Integrate models and AI tools into business workflows and decision processes to drive adoption.
  • Partner with leadership to prioritize use cases, manage tradeoffs, and quantify business impact.
  • Improve data quality and governance practices, and partner with IT and enterprise data teams to improve platform reliability, performance, security, and governance.
  • Own domain AI outcomes and risk posture, including final technical approval for production readiness.
  • Prioritize AI use cases based on business value, feasibility, and risk.
  • Define and enforce standards for model development, validation, monitoring, documentation, and responsible AI use aligned with enterprise frameworks.
  • Establish reusable AI/ML frameworks, templates, and best practices; lead cross-functional delivery of production AI solutions such as automation, forecasting, decision support, and AI assistants.
  • Enable workforce adoption and productivity through training, playbooks, and coaching.
  • Provide technical direction across teams and functions through influence; mentor junior staff on modeling and documentation, conduct technical reviews, and guide complex problem-solving.
  • Assess the applicability of current generative AI, NLP, and advanced machine-learning trends to the business.
  • Provide strategic direction for cloud data platform architecture and establish data engineering design standards, reusable patterns, and operating practices for secure, reliable, scalable data products.
Desired Qualifications
  • For Data Scientist, a master's degree or master's degree in progress in a quantitative discipline is preferred.
  • For Data Scientist, exposure to energy or utility markets, pricing, or forecasting concepts through coursework or experience is preferred.
  • For Data Scientist, exposure to Databricks, Spark, Azure, or similar modern data and analytics technologies through coursework, internships, or work experience is preferred.
  • For Senior Data Scientist, a master's degree in analytics, statistics, data science, computer science, or a similar discipline is preferred.
  • For Staff Data Scientist, a PhD or PhD in progress in one of the specified disciplines is preferred.
  • For Principal Data Scientist, a PhD in one of the specified disciplines and a Project Management Professional certification or equivalent leadership certification are preferred.

About the company

S

Southern Company

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Website

Southern Company owns regulated electric and natural gas utilities that serve homes and businesses across the southeastern United States, chiefly through Georgia Power, Alabama Power and Mississippi Power. Its Southern Nuclear unit runs eight nuclear reactors at three plants in Georgia and Alabama for its sister utilities. The electric utilities generate power from gas, nuclear, coal, hydro and solar plants and deliver it over their own transmission and distribution lines, while state regulators set the rates customers pay and the returns the company earns. A separate gas arm distributes natural gas in several states. Southern Company was formed in 1945 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Atlanta, Georgia

Founded

1912

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Profits are climbing: earnings for April through June 2026 reached $1.2 billion, up from $0.9 billion a year earlier.
  • Cheap federal debt funds expansion: a $26.5 billion Energy Department loan in February 2026 backs 16 gigawatts of projects.
  • A long build-out means years of project work: Southern raised its five-year spending plan to $81 billion in February 2026.

What critics are saying

  • Growth leans on a few tech giants: Google, Meta and Microsoft anchor its 10 gigawatts of large-load contracts.
  • Household bills draw political heat: Georgia's governor joined a July 2026 pledge to shield residents from data-center power costs.
  • Labor talks are coming: union contracts covering about 32% of Southern staff expire between 2026 and 2030.

What makes Southern Company unique

  • Southern built the only US reactors finished since 2016: Vogtle Units 3 and 4, in service by April 2024.
  • Georgia Power's prices are set by elected officials: voters choose the five Public Service Commissioners who approve its rates.
  • Southern's gas business reaches beyond its power region: its Nicor Gas utility serves northern Illinois.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • 401(k) Retirement Plan
  • 401(k) Company Match
  • Performance Bonus
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Hybrid Work Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

-1%

1 year growth

-1%

2 year growth

0%
Interesting Engineering
Oct 16th, 2026
World's first fast-spectrum molten chloride reactor experiment nears critical testing.

World's first fast-spectrum molten chloride reactor experiment nears critical testing. Southern Company, INL and CORE POWER are working to close a major knowledge gap in advanced nuclear engineering. A nuclear experiment backed by the U.S. Department of Energy could deliver crucial operating data for next-generation reactors as early as 2027. The Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE) aims to test a fast-spectrum molten chloride salt reactor under sustained fission conditions. Its results could help engineers move the technology closer to commercial use. The DOE has approved additional cost-shared funding to accelerate the experiment's final development stage. Southern Company, Idaho National Laboratory and CORE POWER are collaborating on the project through the department's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. Testing a different reactor design. Unlike conventional reactors, which typically use solid fuel, molten salt reactor designs can dissolve nuclear fuel in liquid salt. MCRE will investigate a chloride-based system that operates with a fast neutron spectrum. Fast neutrons retain more energy than the thermal neutrons used in many conventional reactors. This difference influences how nuclear fuel behaves and how a reactor sustains fission. Engineers need experimental evidence to understand those effects and refine their designs. MCRE aims to become the world's first fast-spectrum molten chloride reactor experiment to achieve criticality. That milestone occurs when a reactor sustains a controlled nuclear chain reaction. Idaho National Laboratory will help researchers gather direct measurements of the reactor's behavior during operation. Associate Laboratory Director Jess Gehin said engineers currently rely on models to predict how this reactor design will perform.

TEISS
Oct 15th, 2026
Southern Company says attacker accessed data on 400,000 utility accounts through online portal.

Southern Company says attacker accessed data on 400,000 utility accounts through online portal. Southern Company, the Atlanta-based electric and natural gas holding company, disclosed a data breach affecting about 400,000 utility customer accounts after an unauthorized third party accessed limited information through its online customer portal. The company issued a public statement Oct. 5, 2026, and is notifying affected customers by mail and email. About 300,000 of the affected accounts belong to Georgia Power customers, and another 100,000 belong to Alabama Power, which has a customer base of 1.6 million. Mississippi Power customers were also named in the public notice, but the company did not release a figure for them. The information involved varied by individual and may include names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, the last four digits of Social Security numbers, the last four digits of business tax identification numbers and other basic account details. The company said the attacker did not gain access to bank account numbers, payment card numbers or driver's license numbers. Southern Company said it took immediate steps to stop the unauthorized activity when it detected it and has engaged law enforcement. The company has not said when the intrusion occurred or how the attacker gained access to the portal, and the attacker's identity has not been publicly confirmed. Customers are being offered one year of free credit monitoring. Southern Company serves millions of customers through subsidiaries that include Georgia Power, Alabama Power and Mississippi Power. Two law firms, Edelson Lechtzin LLP and Ademi LLP, said they are investigating potential claims related to the breach.

Chief Executive Group
Oct 5th, 2026
Southern Company CEO Chris Womack: 'never stop raising the bar'

Southern Company CEO Chris Womack: 'never stop raising the bar' Womack leads the energy company with one maxim above all others: Great is not good enough if you stop getting better. There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who receive an award and see it as a chance to take a break. And those who see it as a reason to work that much harder. Southern Company CEO Chris Womack is most assuredly in the latter category. He leads his prolific energy company with one maxim above all others: Great is not good enough if you stop getting better. Womack knows what he's talking about. Southern Company, which serves more than nine million customers across the U.S., was recently ranked No. 1 in the oil and gas industry on Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies list. That's a real feather in the cap. Womack and his staff achieved this mark through the idea that "getting better" is not just a slogan. Instead, Womack pushes his staff to clearly define "better," benchmark it and show others how to achieve it. Of course, this is the kind of focus that comes from someone who has been with an organization for several decades. Indeed, the Alabama-born CEO has had Southern Company on his business card since 1988. Let that sink in - that's 38 years of service. "We challenge ourselves very, very forthrightly about not becoming complacent," Womack explained to me on a recent episode of the Corporate Competitor Podcast. "Especially in terms of not relishing being No. 1." Athletes will tell you. Any team can come from behind to beat you. No lead is totally safe. Womack, a former player for Western Michigan University on the baseball diamond, knows that well. That's why he doesn't believe any victory is worth a day off. "We have to keep getting better," he told me. "We have to keep moving the bar, raising the bar, elevating the bar, stepping up our game to continue to be successful." Womack talked about all this and more on the podcast, including: - Be adaptable. He believes that adaptability is a strength for both individuals and businesses. The CEO, who had to adapt when he left rural Alabama for college in Michigan, benefited from being malleable then. As a hitter, you never know what pitch is coming at you next. The same is true in business. - Vulnerability is not weakness. Over the years, Womack has learned that sharing stories, fears, hopes - these things strengthen bonds and relationships. They demonstrate a shared humanity. So, as a leader in business, he doesn't shy away from vulnerable moments. He leans into them. "We're all in this together," he says. - Employees are people. In the old days, many companies told their employees to leave their baggage at the door. But Womack calls this practice "completely unrealistic," adding, "that's not real life." Instead, he fosters an environment where employees are free to express what's going on in their lives outside of the job. That way their workplace feels more like home. Over the last 30 years, longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated and 13-time New York Times Best-Selling Author Don Yaeger has been blessed to interview the greatest winners of its generation. He has made a second career as a keynote speaker and executive coach, discerning habits of high performance to teach teams how to reach their full potential.

Carpenter Media Group
Oct 1st, 2026
Georgia regents name former Southern Company leader Fanning as next chancellor.

Georgia regents name former Southern Company leader Fanning as next chancellor. Published 1:28 pm Thursday, October 1, 2026 By Ty Tagami, Capitol Beat News Service | Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... | ATLANTA - Georgia's Board of Regents formalized the hiring Thursday of the next leader of the state's 25 public colleges and universities, naming Thomas A. Fanning as chancellor. The former president and CEO of Southern Company will take control of the University System of Georgia on Jan. 1, the day after Sonny Perdue retires. The regents named Fanning sole finalist last month. "As a proud USG graduate, I know firsthand the transformative power of this system," Fanning said in a statement. The Georgia Tech graduate, who went on to earn a master's degree there, said his priorities are to ensure college remains accessible, to support innovation and to drive the state's economy with talented graduates. Fanning led Southern Company from 2010 to 2023. He also chaired the Cybersecurity Advisory Committee of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. After leading the university system for four years, Perdue announced his retirement in April, prompting a five-month search for his successor. Perdue served as agriculture secretary for President Donald Trump during his first term in the White House and as Georgia's first Republican governor since Reconstruction starting in 2003.

[your]NEWS
Sep 15th, 2026
Southern Company secures record $26.5B DOE loan for data centre power build-out

The US Department of Energy has approved a $26.5 billion loan to Southern Company through Georgia Power and Alabama Power, the largest in the agency's history. Georgia Power receives approximately $22.4 billion whilst Alabama Power gets roughly $4.1 billion. The 30-year loans will finance over 16 gigawatts of power capacity, including gas turbines, nuclear upgrades, batteries, and 1,300 miles of transmission infrastructure. Officials tout $7 billion in customer savings and $300 million annual interest cost reductions for Southern Company. The financing targets data centre growth and manufacturing expansion. Critics argue the subsidised borrowing costs benefit shareholders whilst construction costs enter the rate base, ultimately paid by customers. Current rate freezes in Georgia and Alabama have expiration dates. The loan reduces Southern Company's borrowing costs but doesn't guarantee lower household bills, as assets remain company-owned and ratepayer-funded.