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Lead Data Scientist

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Job Description:

Your Platform

Founded in 1979, Activision has continuously disrupted the world of entertainment as a leader in the videogame industry. With a history of delivering iconic game changers -- like Pitfall ® , Tony Hawk ®, Guitar Hero ®, Crash Bandicoot™, Skylanders ™ and Call of Duty ® -- our obsession is delighting our players around the globe. Focused and committed to innovation, we consistently deliver the most beloved, engaging and successful entertainment.

And while we have world-class franchises, infrastructure and resources, our success comes from a passionate, talented and diverse team of people producing greatness together. So, if you’re interested in our biggest priority, it’s our people.

We’re currently driving the next era for our company and community by creating amazing experiences for fans and continuing to make Activision an inclusive place where everyone can thrive.

Join us, make history. To learn more, check us out at www.activision.com, www.activisiongamesblog.com or @Activision on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Your Mission

The Senior/Lead Data Scientist will develop and operationalize machine learning models that personalize our in-game store with a Recommender. In addition the candidate will implement strategic (non-ML) experiments originating from business and studio stakeholders.

Our team has a wide range of responsibilities across Game Operations, Marketing, CRM, and Business Planning.

Some examples of other projects you may encounter: Cheating detection; Toxicity detection; Churn Risk and Mitigation; Customer Lifetime Value; Marketing models (Attribution and Media Mix Models); Matchmaking and skill.

The successful candidate will demonstrate the following skills:

• Prototype-to-production engineering skills in Python, including best practices such as source control, proper documentation, library packaging, versioning, testing, containerization, CI/CD, and task scheduling
• Advanced analytics and SQL skills
• Advanced Spark skills
• Machine learning expertise, i.e. regression, classification, and clustering algorithms. Time-series analysis, Bayesian methods, and survival analysis. Deep Learning experience a plus.
• Ability to understand and implement parameterized models from published techniques in Operations Research, Marketing Science, and Econometrics
• Professional habits around model validation, testing, and tracking
• Solid knowledge of statistics, e.g. statistical power analysis, significance testing, t-tests, ANOVA
• Engineering experience in at least one cloud platform such as AWS, GCP, or Azure
• Exposure to stream processing infrastructure such as Kafka and Spark Streaming a plus
• Data engineering skills to facilitate data movement, ETL, and analysis
• Hardware-level knowledge (C++, hacking, cheating) a definite plus!

Player Profile

Minimum Requirements:

• PhD in a quantitative science with heavy focus on data-driven modeling, e.g. Physics, Mathematics, Operations Research, etc; or Masters + 4 years industry experience. Postdoc a plus. Lead level depends on additional experience.
• Must be a tenacious and self-catalyzing problem solver. You don’t settle for good enough. Must be able to synthesize disparate data, detect and work around broken data, and investigate every possibility until you are confident you have and understand a thorough solution
• Process-oriented driving toward visibility, accountability, and communication
• Team-oriented, ability to build long-lasting and collaborative relationships effectively. You work selflessly and enthusiastically, serving as a positive catalyst for collaborative solutioning
• You contribute to the expertise in every data and analytic conversation as well as you listen with openness to other’s expertise
• A passion for analytics and diving into as well as experiencing the products on which you work (video game enthusiasm with a solid understanding of the connection of gameplay to spending behavior is a plus)
• Ability to adapt quickly, high tolerance for ambiguity, and ability to coordinate on a team

Our World

Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty ®, World of Warcraft® , Overwatch ®, Diablo ®, Candy Crush ™ and Bubble Witch ™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

Our ability to build immersive and innovate worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

Activision is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.