Senior Data Scientist - Discovery

<div class="content-intro"><p>At Branch, we power every touchpoint with links that work and insights that prove it. From click to conversion, we make growth measurable. Our unparalleled attribution, backed by AI-enhanced linking, is trusted to deliver seamless experiences that increase ROI, decrease wasted spend, and eliminate siloed attribution.</p> <p>We bring the same rigor to how we build our team, by empowering our people to move fast, own outcomes, and build something that matters. We take pride in making meaningful investments in our team’s health, wealth, and growth so individuals can thrive as we scale. Our culture values smart, humble, and collaborative teammates who take accountability and drive results in an environment where their work truly moves the business forward.</p> <p>We are innovative, scaling with purpose, and led by seasoned leaders who know how to build enduring companies. Trusted by brands like Instacart, Western Union, NBCUniversal, ZocDoc, and Sephora, we’re big enough to matter, small enough for you to make a real impact. If you’re excited by the grit of building, rapid learning, and shaping the future of customer growth, you’ll find your place here.</p></div><p>The <strong>Discovery team</strong> is at the forefront of driving Branch’s success in the mobile growth and advertising ecosystem. Our mission is to intelligently connect the right ads to the right users at the optimal moment, maximizing brand awareness and return on ad spend (ROAS) for our customers while ensuring a high-quality user experience.</p> <p>As a Senior Data Scientist on this team, you will be instrumental in building the next generation of our ad delivery platform. You will develop, productionize, and deploy sophisticated machine learning models that are essential for optimizing ad delivery performance through novel sourcing and targeting techniques. This role requires a blend of rigorous scientific research, engineering execution, and deep understanding of the Ad Tech domain.</p> <h2><strong>Key Responsibilities</strong></h2> <ul> <li>Lead the design, development, and deployment of high-impact machine learning models (e.g., predicted click-through rate, conversion rate, bidding optimization, and lookalike targeting) directly into our production environment.</li> <li>Drive complex, ambiguous, and high-scale ML projects from initial research and proof-of-concept through to large-scale deployment, working closely with software engineering teams.</li> <li>Design and execute rigorous online A/B experiments to test hypotheses, measure model performance, and statistically analyze results to drive continuous product improvement.</li> <li>Perform hands-on analysis and modeling of enormous, complex data sets to identify predictive signals and develop new features that enhance targeting and sourcing efficacy.</li> <li>Establish scalable, efficient, and automated processes for large-scale data analysis, machine learning model development, validation, and serving.</li> <li>Stay abreast of the latest research in ML, deep learning, optimization, and Ad Tech, and apply new, innovative approaches to Branch’s unique challenges in ad delivery and optimization.</li> <li>Communicate complex findings and product vision to engineers, product managers, and business stakeholders, influencing the roadmap for the Discovery platform.</li> </ul> <h2><strong>Basic Qualifications</strong></h2> <ul> <li>4+ years of professional experience building and deploying machine learning models for business applications.</li> <li>PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Machine Learning, Statistics, or a related quantitative field, OR a Master's degree in a related field and 4+ years of relevant experience.</li> <li>Strong programming proficiency in one or more relevant languages (e.g., Python, Java, C++).</li> <li>Deep expertise in foundational computer science areas, including algorithms and data structures, numerical optimization, data mining, and distributed computing (e.g., Spark, Hadoop).</li> <li>Experience with ML frameworks and libraries (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, Scikit-learn).</li> <li>Proven ability to translate business problems into mathematical and ML frameworks.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Preferred Qualifications</strong></p> <ul> <li>Experience in professional software development practices, including system design, code review, and production environment management.</li> <li>Deep familiarity with the Ad Tech ecosystem (e.g., DSPs, SSPs, Exchanges, Advertiser/Publisher platforms) and related challenges like auction dynamics, bidding strategies, and anti-fraud systems.</li> <li>Experience working with massive-scale data (billions of daily events) and petabyte-scale data processing systems.</li> <li>Prior experience developing models specifically for recommender systems, personalization, or large-scale optimization problems.</li> <li>Familiarity with cloud computing environments (AWS, GCP, or Azure).</li> </ul> <p><strong><em>This role does not qualify for relocation or visa sponsorship.&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p class="p1">This role is 100% remote in Austin. Other locations in the US may be eligible as well.&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1">In accordance with applicable law, the following represents a reasonable estimated compensation range for this role: the estimated pay range for this role, if based in Austin is $127,000 USD to $165,000 USD. Please note that this information is provided for those hired in Austin only. Compensation for candidates outside of Austin will be based on the candidate’s specific work location. Actual compensation will be determined based on skills, experience, and geographic location and may be more or less than the amount shown above.</p><div class="content-conclusion"><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The salary range provided represents base compensation and does not include potential equity, which is available for qualifying positions. At Branch, we are committed to the well-being of our team by offering a comprehensive benefits package. From health and wellness programs to paid time off and retirement planning options, we provide a range of benefits for qualified employees. For detailed information on the benefits specific to your position, please consult with your recruiter.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Branch is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">If you think you'd be a good fit for this role, we'd love for you to apply! At Branch, we strive to create an inclusive culture that encourages people from all walks of life to bring their unique, diverse perspectives to work. We aim every day to build an environment that empowers us all to do the best work of our careers, and we can't wait to show you what we have to offer!</span></p> <h3><strong>A little bit about us:</strong>&nbsp;</h3> <p><a href="https://www.branch.io/" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.branch.io&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1721426310898000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0UiPHyno4HwhbAVBQ06f6R">Branch</a> is the leading provider of engagement and performance mobile SaaS solutions for growth-focused teams, trusted to maximize the value of their evolving digital strategies. The Branch platform provides a seamless experience across paid and organic, on all channels and platforms, online and offline, to eliminate friction and drive valuable action at the moments of highest intent. With Branch, businesses gain accurate mobile measurement and insights into user interactions, enabling them to drive conversions, engagement, and more intelligent marketing spend.</p> <p>Branch is an award-winning employer headquartered in Mountain View, CA. World-class brands like Instacart, Western Union, NBCUniversal, Zocdoc and Sephora acquire users, retain customers and drive more conversions with Branch.</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; color: #000000;">Candidate Privacy Information:<br>For more information on the data that Branch will collect through&nbsp;your application, and how we use, share, delete, and retain that information as part of our recruitment and employment&nbsp;efforts, please see our&nbsp;<a href="https://legal.branch.io/#recruiting-privacy-policy" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://branch.io/attachment/Branch-Global-Employee-Privacy-Policy-4.15.19.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1597879168840000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHZSbTrWuejtRYx7HH8iK3tRGSIcQ">HR Privacy Policy</a>.<br></span></p></div>