Data Scientist (NYC, LA, SF or Seattle)
Onsite Hybrid role - 3 days a week
We are seeking a highly motivated and talented Senior Data Scientist to join our team of experts in developing and maintaining recommendation and personalization algorithms for Disney Streaming's suite of streaming video apps. As a member of our team, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our streaming services by applying state-of-the-art machine learning methods to meet strategic product personalization goals.
Algorithm Development and Maintenance:
o Utilize cutting-edge machine learning techniques to develop and enhance algorithms for personalization, recommendation, and predictive systems.
o Take ownership of maintaining and optimizing algorithms deployed in production environments.
o Serve as the point person for explaining methodologies to both technical and non-technical teams, fostering clear communication.
Analysis and Algorithm Optimization:
o Conduct in-depth analysis of user interactions within our apps and user profiles to drive improvements in key personalization metrics.
o Collaborate with data scientists and engineers to refine algorithms and enhance their performance continually.
MVP Development:
o Innovate and develop machine learning products that can be used for new production features or by downstream production algorithms.
o Work closely with cross-functional teams to prototype and operationalize personalization solutions.
Development Best Practices:
o Maintain and establish best practices for algorithm development, testing, and deployment, ensuring high-quality code and efficient processes.
Collaboration with Product and Business Stakeholders:
o Identify and define new personalization opportunities by collaborating with product and business stakeholders.
o Collaborate with other data teams to improve data collection, experimentation, and analysis methods.
Required Qualifications:
7 years of analytical experience
5 years of experience developing machine learning models and performing data analysis with Python and tensor-based model development frameworks (e.g. PyTorch, Tensorflow)
5 years writing production-level, scalable code (e.g. Python, Scala)
5 years of experience developing algorithms for deployment to production systems
In-depth understanding of modern machine learning (e.g. deep learning methods), models, and their mathematical underpinnings for recommendation engines
In-depth understanding of the latest in natural language processing techniques and contextualized word embedding models
Experience deploying and maintaining pipelines (AWS, Docker, Airflow) and in engineering big-data solutions using technologies like Databricks, S3, and Spark
Familiarity with data exploration and data visualization tools like Tableau, Looker, etc.
Understanding of statistical concepts (e.g., hypothesis testing, regression analysis)
Ability to gauge the complexity of machine learning problems and a willingness to execute simple approaches for quick, effective solutions as appropriate
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Ability to explain how models are used and algorithms behave to both technical and non-technical audiences
Additional Preferred Qualifications:
MS or PhD in computer science, data science, statistics, math, or related quantitative field
Production experience with developing content recommendation algorithms at scale
Experience building and deploying full stack ML pipelines: data extraction, data mining, model training, feature development, testing, and deployment
Experience with graph-based data workflows such as Apache Airflow
Experience engineering big-data solutions using technologies like EMR, S3, Spark, Databricks
Familiar with metadata management, data lineage, and principles of data governance
Experience loading and querying cloud-hosted databases such as Snowflake
Familiarity with automated deployment, AWS infrastructure, Docker or similar containers

Flexible work from home options available.