Data Scientist (Contract)

Key Skills

Java Programming, Python Programming, C++, C Programming, SQL, Cloud computing, Scala Programming, Machine learning techniques, Data science techniques, MATLAB Programming, PyTorch, TensorFlow, R Programming

Job Description

Job Title: Data Scientist

Reporting To: Sr Manager, Data Science, Live Ops Analytics

Department: Global Analytics

Location: Santa Monica

Your Mission

The Live Ops Analytics Team is adding a talented Data Scientist. As part of the team, your mission is to put science into decision making. Year one responsibilities include:

• Proactively perform data exploration to understand player behavior and identify opportunities for improving in-game features (eg. in-game progression system, challenge/quest system)
• Partner with cross functional teams to prioritize areas of opportunity to drive engagement and monetization, and enable easier experimentation (eg. content curation, playlist management)
• Develop novel analytics to qualitatively deduce and draw conclusions from player behavioral data that directly influences game design, play balance, retention of our live titles
• Partner with studio and engineering teams to ensure smooth and timely instrumentation of gameplay and mtx measures
• Develop and monitor operational metrics to track the health of a live multimillion-dollar service business
• Measure the impact of features, promotions, store offerings, and events through experimentation and causal inference to fuel recommendations
• Democratize and socialize learnings by contributing to a centralized repository that informs future game design, and is carried across titles and franchises

What you will bring to the team

We are seeking a leader who will contribute to team success by embodying all the characteristics of our culture

• Competently defines execution plans, and suggest projects for prioritization
• Effectively manages own time and stakeholder expectations
• Fosters relationship with our stakeholders and partner teams to increase our sphere of influence
• Contributes to company learnings and proactively documents results
• Participates in feedback conversations with supervisor and peers, and can adapt approach when needed 
• Drives measurable engagement and revenue impact through analysis and statistical models

As a high performer

You possess a unique blend of project skills and business savvy; a passion for exceptional execution within a dynamic environment and the flexibility and focus to achieve result

• BA/BS degree required with technical focus (Statistics, Econometrics, Computer Science, Physics, Engineering or a related quantitative field)
• Strong technical skills with SQL, R/ Python for data analysis; demonstrated programming skills either in data science or software development settings a plus
• Experience with distributed analytic processing technologies -- Spark, Presto, Hive a plus
• Understanding of AB testing, experimentation, and causal inference methodologies
• Experience with predictive and prescriptive modeling a plus
• Skilled at deriving narrative from data and communicate the results effectively
• Good product sense, with a solid understanding of user engagement and monetization strategies in gaming, entertainment/ecommerce service providers, or mobile apps a plus

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! At Activision Blizzard, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

Your Platform

We’re headquartered in Santa Monica, California, housing multiple teams across many disciplines of Marketing, PR, Sales, Supply Chain and other corporate functions such as HR, IT, Legal, Facilities and Finance. Santa Monica is the nerve center of our company, where the best ideas combine with unrivalled rigor to create the biggest and best entertainment experiences in the world.

Our World

Great Games Start with Great People! This is an exciting time to join us!