Senior Data Scientist, Discord

Causal Inference

$183-201k

+ Equity

SQL
Python
R
Mid and Senior level
Remote in US
San Francisco Bay Area
Discord

Voice, video and text communication platform

Be an early applicant

Discord

Voice, video and text communication platform

1001+ employees

B2CGamingCommunicationSocialSocial MediaCommunity

Be an early applicant

$183-201k

+ Equity

SQL
Python
R
Mid and Senior level
Remote in US
San Francisco Bay Area

1001+ employees

B2CGamingCommunicationSocialSocial MediaCommunity

Company mission

Discord's mission is to help friends and communities come together to hang out and explore their interests.

Role

Who you are

  • PhD in a quantitative field (e.g. Statistics, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, etc.) and 4+ years of experience designing, implementing and analyzing experiments or causal inference projects
  • Ability to critically evaluate and recommend statistical approaches and methodologies that enhance the integrity of experimentation frameworks during platform development and rebuild phases
  • Proven experience in designing and validating statistical methodologies for experimentation platforms or similar systems, with a focus on ensuring the accuracy and reliability of experimental results
  • Strong passion for education and the ability to communicate complex statistical and experimental design concepts clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences
  • Demonstrated experience in developing and delivering training programs or educational content related to experimentation, causal inference, or statistical analysis, with a track record of fostering a culture of data literacy within an organization
  • Proficient with Python, SQL, R, and other statistical programming languages

Desirable

  • Interest in conducting literature reviews, translating and championing best scientific practices to a wide range of functions across the company
  • Track record in using causal inference methods that translated into business decisions and outcomes
  • Experience in autonomously leading cross functional projects and influencing cross functional partners
  • Passion for Discord or gaming
  • Causal inference related publications

What the job involves

  • Discord is looking for an experienced, proactive, and self-driven Senior Causal Inference Data Scientist to join our Experimentation Platform team
  • The Experimentation Platform puts data at the heart of the company’s decision-making and growth by enabling rapid and accurate product experimentation. Discord runs hundreds of experiments on any given day, turning experiment results into business decisions.
  • At the same time, we are taking a fresh look at our platform, and planning to rebuild parts of it from scratch to take it to the next level.
  • As a Causal Inference Data Scientist on this team, you will ensure that the statistical underpinnings of this rebuild are sound, that experimenters are able to design experiments with high rigor, and that Discord makes the best business decisions on the basis of these experiments.
  • We are a small and quickly growing team; by joining us as an early team member, you will be presented with significant leadership opportunities as we evolve
  • Provide statistical expertise in the rebuilding of the experimentation platform, ensuring that all statistical choices, methodologies, and frameworks are sound and aligned with best practices in causal inference and experimental design
  • Collaborate closely with engineering and product teams during the platform rebuild to define and implement robust statistical methods that improve the reliability and scalability of experimentation at Discord
  • Lead initiatives to educate and train cross-functional teams on best practices in experimentation design, statistical methodologies, and causal inference, ensuring a deep understanding of the principles that drive sound decision-making under uncertainty
  • Develop and deliver engaging workshops, training sessions, and educational materials that demystify complex statistical concepts and promote data-driven decision-making across the company
  • Empower our Data Science team (50+ members) to use more rigorous causal inference methods
  • In addition to consulting within the wider Data Science team (50+ members), lead and conduct causal inference research of your own on important Discord priorities

Our take

Discord is an industry giant in the chat app space. The free platform has rapidly become one of the most popular services in the sector since being founded in 2015. It counts over 150 million active users in 19 million communities, successfully expanding beyond its original focus on video game players to become a broader social networking app and public forum.

Discord's userbase has grown rapidly as remote work has become the norm and a new generation of internet users has come online, attracted to its youthful presentation and plethora of gaming and social tools. It has since fended off takeover bids from Microsoft and interest from other giants such as Amazon and Twitter, and has grown into a profitable company, funded by optional subscription fees and commissions from sales through the platform.

Discord’s remarkable growth, however, is not without obstacles. The company faces competition from deep-pocketed giants like Facebook, and regulatory concerns from those worried about the platform’s relatively light chat moderation. However, the company has the resources and expertise to adapt. For example, the acquisition of harassment detection software company Sentropy will go a long way towards placating the concerns of critics, as will the 2024 acquisition of teen app Gas used to give anonymous compliments to friends. All of these purchases are part of Discord's move to expand out of its mostly gaming-focused customer base.

Steph headshot

Steph

Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle

Insights

Top investors

Few candidates hear
back within 2 weeks

28% employee growth in 12 months

Company

Funding (last 2 of 9 rounds)

Sep 2021

$500m

SERIES H

Dec 2020

$100m

SERIES H

Total funding: $979.3m

Company benefits

  • Comprehensive medical insurance including Health, Dental and Vision
  • Mental health resources and quarterly wellness stipends
  • 16+ paid holidays, 4 weeks of PTO + use-what-you-need sick days
  • Paid parental leave (plus fertility, adoption and other family planning benefits)
  • Flexible long-term work options (remote and hybrid)
  • Volunteer time off
  • A diverse slate of Employee Resource Groups
  • Plus commuter contributions and other perks for office-based employees

Company values

  • Autonomy
  • Mastery
  • Purpose
  • Compassion

Company HQ

Potrero Hill, San Francisco, CA

Leadership

Started out as a programmer at Papaya Studio, Stormfront Studios and Doublefine Productions. Also founded OpenFeint, a global mobile social gaming company.

Worked as a Software Engineer at Casamba and then Kabam. Was Lead Software Engineer at GREE International, and founded social network Guildwork.com in 2009.

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