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Data Scientist - Agriculture Analytics
at McKinsey & Company
GraduateNo visa sponsorshipData Science/AI/ML
Posted 16 hours ago
No clicks
- Compensation
- Not specified
- City
- San Jose
- Country
- Costa Rica
Currency: Not specified
Join McKinsey's agricultural analytics team (ACRE) in San José, Costa Rica, applying real-time data and advanced analytics to agribusiness clients. The role involves tackling client-facing problems using geospatial and predictive methods to inform strategy, marketing, and operations across global food production. You will split time between delivering impact at client sites (with up to ~50% travel) and developing McKinsey's core analytical offerings. You will work with engineers and senior practitioners to build innovative algorithms and proprietary analytics that drive measurable client value.
Do you want to work on complex and pressing challenges—the kind that bring together curious, ambitious, and determined leaders who strive to become better every day? If this sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place.
Your Impact
You’ll work with McKinsey’s agricultural analytics team (ACRE) in San José, Costa Rica. Our Agriculture Practice advises agribusiness, consumer food, government, and investor clients on strategic, marketing & sales, and operations issues, helping support industry-shaping decisions that impact the future of global food production.
Within this group, ACRE is a team of expert consultants, data scientists, and engineers focused on bringing cutting-edge analytics to our agribusiness clients. We apply real-time data and advanced analytics – generally predictive or geospatial in nature – to solve the biggest problems currently facing global agricultural markets, driving insights at the micro and macro levels.
ACRE is an agile team within the firm whose goal is to use the latest analytical methods, incubate new technologies and drive innovative ways to develop new opportunities for the firm to make significant and lasting client impact – redefining what it means to provide the “best of the firm” to our clients.
You will leverage industry knowledge and analytical expertise to provide insights both to clients as part of client service teams and within the ACRE team by strengthening the core products and algorithms we build for clients. You can expect to split your time delivering impact at clients (including up to ~50% travel to client sites) and building up ACRE’s core analytical offerings.
As a member of client service teams, you will leverage your creativity and problem-solving skills to tackle clients’ most pressing issues using an analytical lens, meeting client needs and communicating your work to executive audiences. Issues to solve could include determining the suitability (now and in the future given impacts of climate change) of growing different types of crops across different geographies, using local agronomic data and satellite imagery to determine market potential for input products, or optimizing farm operations using yield forecasting. Your work will often include heavy geospatial components and/or predictive analytics components.
When working internally with the ACRE team, you will build innovative algorithms and products (what we call “IP development”) to best meet our most common client needs. You will use global data such as geospatial, biological, economic and climatological data to develop proprietary solutions. You will work with our engineers to design new interfaces to deliver faster, more impactful insights to our clients.
Along the way, you will receive best-in-class training in structuring business problems and serving as a client adviser and have opportunities to work closely with and learn from our senior agriculture practitioners and industry players that are shaping the future of food production. You will get access to unparalleled career acceleration, with a huge amount of ownership and responsibility from the get-go in a collaborative, diverse, non-hierarchical environment.
You will get the opportunity to travel to client sites, locally and around the world. Lastly, you will be able to provide direct and measurable impact to some of the largest agribusiness players around the globe.
Your Growth
Driving lasting impact and building long-term capabilities with our clients is not easy work. You are the kind of person who thrives in a high performance/high reward culture - doing hard things, picking yourself up when you stumble, and having the resilience to try another way forward.
In return for your drive, determination, and curiosity, we'll provide the resources, mentorship, and opportunities you need to become a stronger leader faster than you ever thought possible. Your colleagues—at all levels—will invest deeply in your development, just as much as they invest in delivering exceptional results for clients. Every day, you'll receive apprenticeship, coaching, and exposure that will accelerate your growth in ways you won’t find anywhere else.
When you join us, you will have:
- Continuous learning: Our learning and apprenticeship culture, backed by structured programs, is all about helping you grow while creating an environment where feedback is clear, actionable, and focused on your development. The real magic happens when you take the input from others to heart and embrace the fast-paced learning experience, owning your journey.
- A voice that matters: From day one, we value your ideas and contributions. You’ll make a tangible impact by offering innovative ideas and practical solutions, all while upholding our unwavering commitment to ethics and integrity. We not only encourage diverse perspectives, but they are critical in driving us toward the best possible outcomes.
- Global community: With colleagues across 65+ countries and over 100 different nationalities, our firm’s diversity fuels creativity and helps us come up with the best solutions for our clients. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from exceptional colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
- World-class benefits: On top of a competitive salary (based on your location, experience, and skills), we provide a comprehensive benefits package to enable holistic well-being for you and your family.
Your qualifications and skills
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a quantitative and/or agriculture-related discipline, such as data science/computer science, crop science/agronomy, animal sciences, geography/GIS, mathematics/statistics, or environmental sciences & engineering
- Proven experience applying data science and machine learning techniques to solve real-world problems (including master’s or bachelor’s thesis), preferably in the agriculture sector. Hands-on experience in agronomy/crop science, animal sciences, or field-level yield forecasting is preferred
- Strong proficiency in Python, with the ability to develop clean, efficient code and workflows that ensure reproducibility and effective team collaboration
- Experience with geospatial and spatiotemporal analysis, remote sensing, and image processing is preferred
- Familiarity with version control and development frameworks/methodologies is preferred
- Experience with data visualization tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or similar is preferred
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with a demonstrated ability to develop creative and efficient solutions
- Strong multitasking and parallel development abilities
- Creative, naturally curious, and willing to take intellectual risks
- Able to work under competing, quickly changing priorities, manage expectations effectively, and support the team under pressure; highly organized with exceptional attention to detail and follow-through
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Willingness to travel up to 50%
Please review the additional requirements regarding essential job functions of McKinsey colleagues.
Our unwavering commitment to integrity drives everything we do, guiding us to always act in the best interests of our clients, our people, and the communities we serve.
Capabilities
- Sustainability
- Technology
FOR U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
FOR NON-U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity employer. For additional details regarding our global EEO policy and diversity initiatives, please visit our McKinsey Careers and Diversity & Inclusion sites.
Job Skill Group - N/A
Job Skill Code - TCGB - Data Scientist II
Function - Sustainability;Technology
Industry - Agriculture
Post to LinkedIn - Yes
Posted to LinkedIn Date - Thu Feb 19 00:00:00 GMT 2026
LinkedIn Posting City - San Jose
LinkedIn Posting State/Province -
LinkedIn Posting Country - Costa Rica
LinkedIn Job Title - Data Scientist - Agriculture Analytics
LinkedIn Function - Engineering;Information Technology;Science
LinkedIn Industry - Environmental Services;Food Production;Information Technology and Services
LinkedIn Seniority Level - Entry level
Job Skill Code - TCGB - Data Scientist II
Function - Sustainability;Technology
Industry - Agriculture
Post to LinkedIn - Yes
Posted to LinkedIn Date - Thu Feb 19 00:00:00 GMT 2026
LinkedIn Posting City - San Jose
LinkedIn Posting State/Province -
LinkedIn Posting Country - Costa Rica
LinkedIn Job Title - Data Scientist - Agriculture Analytics
LinkedIn Function - Engineering;Information Technology;Science
LinkedIn Industry - Environmental Services;Food Production;Information Technology and Services
LinkedIn Seniority Level - Entry level
