Lead Data Scientist

Company Description

NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. We create world-class content, which we distribute across our portfolio of film, television, and streaming, and bring to life through our global theme park destinations, consumer products, and experiences. We own and operate leading entertainment and news brands, including NBC, NBC News, NBC Sports, Telemundo, NBC Local Stations, Bravo, and Peacock, our premium ad-supported streaming service. We produce and distribute premier filmed entertainment and programming through our powerhouse film and television studios, including Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, and Focus Features, and the four global television studios under the Universal Studio Group banner, and operate industry-leading theme parks and experiences around the world through Universal Destinations & Experiences, including Universal Orlando Resort, home to Universal Epic Universe, and Universal Studios Hollywood. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. Visit www.nbcuniversal.com for more information.

Our impact is rooted in improving the communities where our employees, customers, and audiences live and work. We have a rich tradition of giving back and ensuring our employees have the opportunity to serve their communities. We champion an inclusive culture and strive to attract and develop a talented workforce to create and deliver a wide range of content reflecting our world.

Job Description

Position Overview:

As part of the Peacock Data Science team, the Senior Lead Data Scientist will be responsible for creating recommendation and personalization solutions for one or more verticals of Peacock Video Streaming Service. 

You’ll collaborate with an international, cross-functional team of engineers, architects, product managers and analysts to identify and prioritize enhancements to Peacock’s personalization models. Your responsibilities will touch everything from feature creation to model evaluation and deployment, and you’ll have opportunities to work on cutting edge machine learning like foundation models and reinforcement learning.  

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Work with a group of data scientists in the development of recommendation and personalization models using statistical, machine learning and data mining methodologies.
• Drive the collection and manipulation of new data and the refinement of existing data sources.
• Translate complex problems and solutions to all levels of the organization.
• Collaborate with software and data architects in building real-time and automated batch implementations of data science solutions and integrating them into the streaming service architecture.
• Drive innovation of the statistical and machine learning methodologies and tools used by the team.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• Advanced (Master or PhD) degree with specialization in Statistics, Computer Science, Data Science, Machine Learning, Mathematics, Operations Research or another quantitative field or equivalent.
• 5+ years of combined experience in machine learning in industry or research.
• Experience with commercial recommender systems or a lead role in an advanced research recommender system project.
• Strong working experience with deep learning.
• Proficient in Python.  
• Experience in data processing using SQL and PySpark.
• Experience working with foundation models and other GenAI technologies.

Desired Characteristics:

• Experience in media analytics and application of data science to the content streaming and TV industry.
• Good understanding of reinforcement learning algorithms and graph methodologies.
• Experience with multi-billion record datasets and leading projects that span the disciplines of data science and data engineering.
• Experience with Kubeflow, Airflow, and Databricks (or equivalent).
• Experience with large-scale video assets.
• Team oriented and collaborative approach with a demonstrated aptitude and willingness to learn new methods and tools.

Additional Requirements: 

Hybrid: This position currently has a hybrid schedule, which requires contributing from the office a minimum of four days per week. The Company reserves the right to change in-office requirements at any time. 

This position is eligible for company sponsored benefits, including medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k), paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and a variety of other discounts and perks. Learn more about the benefits offered by NBCUniversal by visiting the Benefits page of the Careers website. Salary range: $145,000 - $175,000 (bonus and long-term incentive eligible). 

Additional Information

As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with an NBCUniversal employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. NBCUniversal's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to AccessibilitySupport@nbcuni.com.