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Versant Media · 1 day ago

Lead Data Scientist

Orlando, FL

Full-time

Hybrid

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

5+ years exp

Versant Media is a leading force in news, sports, and entertainment, seeking a Lead Data Scientist to spearhead data science initiatives focused on media and cable networks. This role involves developing and optimizing data-driven engagement and retention models to minimize subscriber churn and accelerate subscription growth, while collaborating closely with business stakeholders to translate business needs into technical solutions.

BroadcastingInformation TechnologyMedia and Entertainment

Responsibilities

Leverage structured and unstructured data from various media and entertainment sources to prepare datasets for advanced analytics and modeling

Develop and deliver impactful analytical tools and solutions leveraging statistical modeling, machine learning, and data science to uncover business insights and support strategic decision-making

Design and apply advanced predictive and machine learning models; including clustering (K-means, hierarchical), classification (KNN, Naive Bayes, CART), time series forecasting, logistic regression, and econometric models to optimize pricing strategies, assess price elasticity, segment customers, and enhance revenue across channels

Leverage generative AI and large language models (LLMs) to develop and implement personalized content and messaging strategies across diverse media channels, enhancing audience engagement and campaign effectiveness

Assess and validate statistical models using appropriate performance metrics to ensure precision and accuracy such as accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, ROC, AUC

Analyze consumer behavior trends and shifts across various digital touchpoints; perform cross-channel attribution analysis to inform targeted retention strategies

Monitor and analyze key engagement metrics to assess the performance of subscriber onboarding programs and their impact on long-term retention

Interpret complex analytical insights and translate them into clear, actionable business strategies that improve business outcomes

Support scalable deployment of data products by following best practices in CI/CD processes and contribute to agile project management through tools like Jira for sprint planning, tracking, and team coordination

Collaborate cross-functionally with technical and non-technical stakeholders to gather requirements, define project scope, and lead data science initiatives, demonstrating strong communication, leadership, and team-building skills

Qualification

Python/RSQLMachine LearningPredictive ModelingCloud PlatformsBig Data ToolsStatistical AnalysisTeam BuildingCommunication SkillsLeadership Skills

Required

Master's or PhD in data Science, statistics, computer science, or related quantitative field

5+ years' experience in data science roles with demonstrated impact on retention, engagement, or churn reduction

Advanced skills in Python/R, SQL, and experience with ML libraries (scikit-learn, XGBoost, TensorFlow/PyTorch)

Strong background in building predictive churn models, CLV, causal inference and uplift modeling

Leverage cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure) and big data tools (e.g., Spark, Hive, Databricks), staying current with evolving technologies and Databricks' architecture for scalable data science workflows

Preferred

Familiarity with third party data such as comScore, Nielsen, IMDb, Gracenote, or similar platforms to enhance content performance analysis and audience insights is a plus

Experience in content analytics within subscription-based media and direct-to-consumer (DTC) products

Experience building personalization engines or recommendation systems in digital subscription environments