Principal Data Scientist | Farm Heroes Saga

King; City Of London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading interactive entertainment company is seeking an experienced Principal Data Scientist for the Farm Heroes Saga team. This role involves leading advanced data science practices, driving high-impact analyses, and mentoring team talent. The ideal candidate will excel in SQL and Python/R, possess strong analytical skills, and have a proven track record in product strategy and mentorship. This position offers opportunities for professional growth and impactful contributions to the gaming industry.

Qualifications

• Deep experience in analyzing player behavior and drawing business insights.
• Strong skills in SQL, Python/R, and cloud-based data solutions.
• Ability to translate player data into reliable recommendations.
• Proven ability to communicate findings to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated success mentoring other data scientists/analysts.

Responsibilities

• Act as a senior craft lead subject matter expert for Farm Heroes Saga.
• Drive high-impact analyses using machine learning and probabilistic models.
• Provide hands-on mentorship to elevate the technical skills of the team.
• Promote analytics culture and embed data into decision-making processes.
• Lead cross-functional projects enhancing efficiency across product areas.

Skills

Quantitative expertise

Technical proficiency in SQL, Python/R

Product insight

Communication skills

Leadership and mentorship

Tools

BigQuery

Job description

Overview

We are looking for an experienced Principal Data Scientist to join the Farm Heroes Saga team, one of King’s most iconic and successful titles.

In this role, you will act as a strategic technical leader and thought partner, trusted by game leads, designers, and fellow scientists alike. You’ll partner closely with cross-functional teams to elevate product decisions, shape feature innovation through data-driven insights, and mentor the next generation of data scientists.

This is an opportunity to have real impact on the future of Farm Heroes Saga, helping us continue delighting millions of players worldwide.

Your role with our Kingdom

As Principal Data Scientist, you will:

• Lead technical excellence: Act as a senior craft lead subject matter expert for Farm Heroes Saga, setting direction for advanced data science practices and scalable experimentation within the Core Gameplay product pillar.
• Shape strategy and innovation: Drive high-impact analyses and research, using machine learning and probabilistic models to generate actionable recommendations for new features and player engagement strategies.
• Mentor and develop talent: Provide hands-on mentorship and training to elevate the technical skills of the Data Science team, helping them advance from descriptive analysis to dynamic modelling, ML-driven insights.
• Champion analytics culture: Serve as a key partner to leadership, embedding data into decision-making processes and promoting collaboration across multi disciplinary teams.
• Advance leadership capabilities: Lead cross-functional projects, enhancing project efficiency and building bridges across product areas, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Required Skills

• Quantitative expertise: Deep experience in analyzing player behavior and drawing business insights that directly inform product strategy.
• Technical proficiency: Strong skills in SQL, Python/R, and cloud-based data solutions (e.g. BigQuery). A solid grasp of applied statistics, particularly time-series and experimental design, is essential.
• Product insight: Ability to translate player data into reliable recommendations that balance user needs with business goals.
• Communication skills: Proven ability to clearly communicate findings to diverse audiences, from data scientists to game artists.
• Leadership and mentorship: Demonstrated success mentoring other data scientists/analysts, driving collaboration, and raising the bar for the craft within an organization.

At King, you’ll have the opportunity to both learn from colleagues in areas where you want to grow and share your expertise where you’re strongest. We are prioritizing AI and ML as key drivers of growth—for our people and our products. For your position this means: engaging in advanced ML training within the next six months, increasing feature recommendations powered by AI data-driven research and models by 20% within a year, and developing and validating probabilistic or ML models to uncover new feature opportunities within the current fiscal year.

About King

With a mission of Making the World Playful, King is a leading interactive entertainment company with more than 20 years of history of delivering some of the world’s most iconic games in the mobile gaming industry, including the world-famous Candy Crush franchise, as well as other mobile game hits such as Farm Heroes Saga. King games are played by more than 200 million monthly active users. King, part of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), has Kingsters in Stockholm, Malmö, London, Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Malta. More information can be found at King.com or by following us on LinkedIn, @lifeatking on Instagram, or @king_games on X.