Data Scientist

Overview

DrivenData brings the transformative power of data science to organizations tackling the world’s biggest challenges. We run online machine learning challenges with social impact, and we work directly with mission-driven organizations to drive change through data science and engineering.

We are looking for a skilled data scientist who is interested in using their job to take on tough social challenges, grow their skillset, and build real-world applications. As a core member of a small team your role will include writing code (Python) everyday, brainstorming approaches to data science problems, working closely with other data scientists and engineers on the team, and taking an open and constructive mindset to getting things done across multiple projects.

We pride ourselves on being a great place to work and to learn. We take the development of our team members very seriously and we value the priorities that we each have in our lives at work and outside of work. We like to tackle problems that matter as a team. We help each other develop clean, well-organized, well-documented code in service of correct and reproducible data science. We believe the work we do should positively impact people’s lives.

We’re different because we focus on delivering solutions. We are not a research lab or product company—instead, we work directly with organizations to build data capabilities that they can start using now.

Additional details

• Strong proficiency in Python a necessity, especially the Python data science stack
• Experience developing data science models, workflows, and software for real world applications and working with imperfect data
• Working on a small team means doing a little bit of a lot of things. We're looking for somebody who can ask the right questions to figure out what is important, iterate between brainstorming together and working independently, and exercise sound judgment to make reasonable decisions under conditions of ambiguity.
• Communication is a core data science skill at DrivenData. Doing client-facing work involves articulating concepts, interpreting results, and selecting the method that satisfies the constraints of the project.
• Working with non-expert organizations means me need to turn uncertainty into a reasonable path forward. As a team, we value arguments for how to proceed based on evidence, and we want somebody who will present their opinion and engage in a discussion around the best way forward—especially when that takes into account the broader context of the project.
• We value a positive attitude and the ability to adapt, learn, and collaborate.
• We embrace the individuality of our employees and we celebrate each other's differences. Our work benefits from and thrives on the unique perspectives brought by each person on our team. We're proud to be an equal opportunity workplace, and we are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, age, sex, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship, marital status, disability, or Veteran status.

Here are some of the things you'd be doing on an ordinary day:

• Exploratory analysis, modeling, and visualization in Jupyter notebooks
• Integrating data sources, creating subsets (ex. train/test) for modeling, and assessing potential datasets, tools, and approaches
• Translating the results of analysis into implications for people and problems
• Developing well-organized code that can be collaboratively reviewed, reproduced, and integrated into applications
• Quickly assessing and becoming productive in relevant new technologies and methods

The full pay range for this role and level is $115k to $135k per year. New hires typically start between $115k and $125k, based on experience as well as market and business considerations.

Requirements

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States.

Applicants should have either an advanced degree in a related field or substantive professional experience working as a data scientist.

Critical skills

• Proficient in Python and proven ability to work pragmatically with statistical concepts
• Experience with core data science tools (ex. pandas, scikit-learn, numpy, jupyter)
• Working familiarity with software development tools and practices (Git, code review, etc.)
• Experience working with messy data and real-world applications
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills

Nice to have

• Experience using IaaS like Amazon AWS or Azure
• Experience building data-driven applications including backend and frontend technologies
• Particular experience around building computer vision models
• Particular experience with advanced LLM workflows (finetuning, RAG, model evaluation)

AI-Assisted job applications

While we appreciate AI as a tool, we need to get to know you and your skills. Please do not submit AI-generated or AI-assisted written answers or code. Doing so is grounds for disqualification. If it cannot be avoided (e.g., co-pilot assisted in an existing portfolio piece you are submitting), please note within the individual question response where and how the AI tools were used.

Benefits

We offer competitive salary and benefits including flexible work and unlimited vacation, health coverage, 401(k) matching, and choice in the computing equipment you use.

Equal opportunity

DrivenData is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.