Principal Data Scientist, Zynga
Social game developer
Job no longer available
Social game developer
1001+ employees
Job no longer available
1001+ employees
Company mission
To connect the world through games.
Role
Who you are
- Genuine passion for video games and a deep understanding of the mobile gaming industry
- 5+ years of experience in analytics, with at least 2 years in a senior role, preferably in gaming or a similar digital product company
- Advanced degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or related quantitative field
- Expert knowledge of statistics, machine learning, and causal inference techniques with demonstrated ability to apply them to real-world business problems
- Mastery of programming languages such as Python and SQL, with experience building production-level data science applications
- Proven track record of leading successful data science initiatives that delivered significant business impact
- Experience with big data technologies and cloud platforms (AWS, Snowflake, etc.)
- Strong project management skills with ability to prioritize, manage resources, and deliver complex projects on time
- Exceptional communication skills with the ability to present complex findings to both technical and non-technical audiences
- Deep understanding of performance marketing in mobile games, including user acquisition strategies, marketing attribution, ROAS optimization, and LTV modeling
- Demonstrated leadership abilities, including mentoring data professionals and influencing cross-functional stakeholders
- Strategic thinking with the ability to connect data insights to business objectives and drive organizational change
- Experience with game analytics, player behavior modeling, and free-to-play monetization strategies is highly desirable
What the job involves
- As a Principal Data Scientist, you will play a key leadership role in driving Gram Games' data-driven culture and strategy.
- You will lead a team of data professionals while serving as a technical authority across the organization.
- Working closely with product teams, marketing team, and executive leadership, you'll develop innovative data science solutions, establish data strategy frameworks, and create advanced predictive models that directly impact product performance, player experience, and business growth.
- Your expertise will influence critical decision-making at all levels and help shape the future of our games
- Lead and mentor a team of data scientists and analysts, providing technical guidance, career development, and fostering collaboration across teams
- Define and implement our data science strategy, aligning it with business objectives and ensuring that data insights drive key decisions across the studio
- Develop advanced machine learning models, predictive analytics systems, and statistical frameworks to optimize player engagement, retention, and monetization
- Create and enhance performance marketing models to improve user acquisition efficiency, ROI analysis, and LTV prediction
- Design and oversee complex A/B testing frameworks to evaluate game features, marketing campaigns, and monetization strategies, monitoring results and delivering actionable recommendations
- Translate complex technical concepts and analytical findings into clear, compelling narratives that drive strategic decisions at the executive level
- Collaborate with engineering teams to implement data solutions in production environments and ensure data infrastructure meets the needs of data science initiatives
- Stay at the forefront of data science advancements, evaluating new methodologies and technologies to maintain competitive advantage
- Serve as the data authority in strategic planning sessions, using your expertise to influence product roadmaps and business strategy
- Build strong relationships with key stakeholders across the organization to understand their needs and ensure data science initiatives deliver measurable business impact
Salary benchmarks
Our take
Zynga is a games developer that rode Facebook's platform to success back in the late noughties and early 2010's. It is now one of the biggest casual game producers globally, with a presence across 175 countries and regions and over 80 million monthly active users.
Though the company hit a number of roadblocks after its initial success - such as falling stock prices, and numerous calls it was copying other games - its subsequent resurgence is proof of its staying power. It continues to use social media as a distribution channel, and boasts titles such as FarmVille, Merge Dragons! and Words With Friends.
Future success will lie in the company's continued investment in building viral games that people love. It will also need to attune to the social media waves and keep track of where users can be found, as the landscape has become more mobile. Notable recent activity includes a collaboration with BBC Earth ahead of 2024's Earth day, and grant to develop actionable push notifications that enable gameplay without entering the application.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
7% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 7 rounds)
Mar 2011
$490m
SERIES C
Oct 2010
$6.3m
EARLY VC
Total funding: $865.5m
Company benefits
- COMPENSATION - Performance bonuses, opportunities for equity participation & retirement/pension savings support
- HEALTH - Medical, dental & vision covered for employees, with participation for employees eligible dependents, plus disability and life insurance program
- FAMILY - Generous parental leave for birth parents, partners and adoptive families, plus Infertility support, emergency child care and flexible time-off policies
- WELLNESS - Gym benefits, wellness programs, employee assistance programs and generous time-off policies
- FOOD - Food and snacks made in-house or delivered, healthy snack kitchens with drinks and treats, coffee bars, regular social gatherings and happy hours
- WORK & LIFE - Flexible time-off policies (DTO), office rest areas, gaming spaces, employee discounts and more
- TRANSIT BENEFITS - Shuttle service in select locations, commuter/parking benefits, secure bicycle storage, business travel assistance
- RESOURCE GROUPS - Women at Zynga (WAZ), zCares charitable giving, zParents, zEndurance adventure club, BZU, zPride LGBTQ+ inclusion and belonging
Company HQ
SoMa, San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Mark Pincus
(Chairman)Previously founder and CEO of Freeloader, Supportsoft and Tribe.net, an early social network
Michael Luxton
(Co-founder)Previously an engineer at NetApp
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