Scribd, Inc. · 8 hours ago
Lead Data Scientist - Recommendations
United States
Full-time
Remote
Lead/Staff
$162K/yr - $252K/yr
8+ years expScribd Inc. is a company dedicated to sparking human curiosity through its diverse range of products. They are seeking a Lead Data Scientist to own measurable outcomes across recommendation surfaces, translating product goals into metrics, and leading roadmap initiatives to enhance business results.
AudiobooksBooksEBooksFile SharingNewsPodcastPublishing
Responsibilities
Opportunity mapping. Size and prioritize new recs surfaces, intents, and cohorts; trace the funnel and analyze by slice (cold items, long-tail users, platform) to steer the roadmap
Own the evaluation framework. Define north star & guardrails (e.g. diversity, novelty, duplication, safety); set threshold and tradeoffs, and publish the Objective & Eval Contract per surface
Offline/Online alignment. Quantify correlation between offline IR metrics (e.g., NDCG@K, MAP, MRR, coverage, calibration) and online KPIs by surface/cohort; publish error bounds and monitor metric drift
Create leading indicators. Create short-horizon metrics that predict long-term outcomes (e.g., trial to bill-through); backtest and run post-hoc causal checks, reporting uncertainty
Build the measurement architecture. Set identity & attribution standards (user_id vs. device_id, qualifying events, windows) so downstream metrics (bill-through, churn) are trustworthy
Design and run advanced experiments such as interleaving tests, pre-register stop/go criteria, and deliver crisp readouts that drive decisions
Codify schemas, freshness, leakage, and drift checks with Analytics and Data Engineers, establish high quality datasets for Recs algo
Evaluate when LLMs/embeddings (topics, summaries, semantic similarity) measurably improve offline/online metrics; prototype and hand off clear build specs to ML Eng
Storytelling and influence. Write decision memos, align cross-functional teams, and drive clear decisions with trade-offs and risks called out
Qualification
Required
8+ years experience in Data Science, preferably on recs/search/ranking with shipped impact
Strong Python and SQL; comfort with Spark
Fluency in ranking evaluation (NDCG@K, MAP, MRR, calibration, coverage/diversity) and awareness of exposure/selection bias
Fluency in experiment design and connecting offline metrics to online outcomes
Ability to translate product goals into loss functions, features, and specs engineers can build
Preferred
Familiarity with LLMs/embeddings evaluation in offline and online; embeddings/vector search assessment for lift vs. latency/cost
Benefits
Healthcare Insurance Coverage (Medical/Dental/Vision): 100% paid for employees
12 weeks paid parental leave
Short-term/long-term disability plans
401k/RSP matching
Onboarding stipend for home office peripherals + accessories
Learning & Development allowance
Learning & Development programs
Quarterly stipend for Wellness, WiFi, etc.
Mental Health support & resources
Free subscription to the Scribd Inc. suite of products
Referral Bonuses
Book Benefit
Sabbaticals
Company-wide events
Team engagement budgets
Vacation & Personal Days
Paid Holidays (+ winter break)
Flexible Sick Time
Volunteer Day
Company-wide Employee Resource Groups and programs that foster an inclusive and diverse workplace.
Access to AI Tools: We provide free access to best-in-class AI tools, empowering you to boost productivity, streamline workflows, and accelerate bold innovation.
Company
Scribd, Inc.
We're on a mission to spark human curiosity.
201-500 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Scribd, Inc. has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (5)
2024 (2)
2023 (8)
2022 (3)
2021 (12)
2020 (15)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$106.75MKey Investors
Spectrum EquityKhosla VenturesCRV
2019-11-25Series E· $58M
2015-01-02Series D· $23M
2011-01-18Series C· $12M
Leadership Team
Tony Grimminck
Chief Executive Officer
Adrian Lienhard
VP, Infrastructure Engineering
Recent News
2026-01-05
TechCrunch
2025-12-11
Company data provided by crunchbase