Data Scientist - Principal

Aristocrat Leisure; Greater London; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading gaming company in London is looking for a Principal Data Scientist to lead high-impact data science initiatives. The role involves building machine learning solutions that drive player engagement and retention. Candidates should have a PhD or MSc and over 5 years of experience delivering data products in the gaming industry. The position offers a hybrid work model and opportunities for professional growth in a supportive environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional data science experience.
• Experience delivering at least 3 data or ML products from definition to deployment.
• Hands-on experience in software engineering and MLOps.

Responsibilities

• Lead data science initiatives from end-to-end.
• Build machine learning solutions to improve player engagement.
• Partner with game teams to define success metrics.

Skills

Clustering

Predictive modeling

Reinforcement learning

Bayesian statistics

SQL

Python

Education

PhD or MSc in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Physics, Mathematics

Tools

Kafka

Spark

GCP

AWS

Azure

Job description

Principal Data Scientist page is loaded## Principal Data Scientistremote type: Hybridlocations: London, United Kingdomtime type: Full timeposted on: Posted Todayjob requisition id: R0020855## What You'll Do* Lead high-impact data science initiatives end-to-end, including problem framing, methodology selection, experiment development, implementation partnership, and impact measurement.* Build and deliver machine learning and reinforcement learning solutions to improve player engagement, retention, monetization, and operational outcomes.* Lead the modeling framework for complex systems, guaranteeing comprehensive evaluation and monitoring of causal inference, uplift modeling, sequential decisioning, bandits/reinforcement learning, and forecasting.* Partner with game teams to define success metrics, guardrails, and decision frameworks, translating analytical results into actionable product and operational actions.* Define and uphold engineering standards and guidelines for model development, including validation, uncertainty, reproducibility, and bias/quality checks.* Drive scalable experimentation with A/B and Multi-armed bandit testing frameworks, power analysis, variance reduction, and online-offline alignment.* Work together with Data Engineering, MLOps, and Game Tech teams to guarantee dependable data foundations, feature accessibility, and model deployment pathways.* Build internal data products to improve the speed and quality of decision-making, such as AB-test calculators, decision tools, and automated insights.* Provide technical leadership through building and code reviews, mentoring, and coaching, improving the standard of data science craft across the organization.* Serve as a reliable collaborator throughout the organization, promoting data-informed decision-making and enabling business units to embrace data products.* Translate complex analytical insights into actionable recommendations, presenting them to senior leadership to inform critical business decisions and encourage collaborators.## What We Are Seeking* Education: PhD or MSc in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Physics, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent experience in practice.* Experience: 5+ years of professional data science experience. You have delivered at least 3 data or ML products from problem definition to production deployment and monitoring.* Demonstrated proficiency in clustering, predictive modeling, reinforcement learning, and Bayesian statistics.* Hands-on experience in software engineering, MLOps, and deploying machine learning models at scale.* Proficiency in SQL, Python, and familiarity with big data technologies (e.g., Kafka, Spark) and/or cloud platforms (e.g., GCP, AWS, or Azure).* Industry knowledge: Experience in gaming or digital entertainment is a strong plus.**Why** **Product Madness**As part of the Aristocrat family, we share their mission of bringing joy to life through the power of play, with a world-class team who creates top-grossing, leading titles in the social casino genre, including Heart of Vegas, Lightning Link, Cashman Casino. With 800 team members across the globe, Product Madness is headquartered in London, with offices in Barcelona, Gdańsk, Lviv, Montreal and a remote team spanning the USA, making us a truly global powerhouse.We live by our People First principle. Regardless of where, when, or how they work, our team members have opportunities to elevate their careers, and grow alongside us. We take pride in fostering an inclusive culture, where our people are encouraged to be their very best, every day. But don’t just take our word for it. In 2024, we made the Global Inspiring Workplace Awards list, and won a bronze award at the Stevies for Great Employers in the ‘Employer of the Year - Media and Entertainment’ category.**Travel Expectations**None**Additional Information***At this time, we are unable to sponsor work visas for this position. Candidates must be authorized to work in the job posting location for this position on a full-time basis without the need for current or future visa sponsorship.*