Staff Data Scientist – Experimentation: Innovation & Research

PlayStation; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading gaming company in Greater London is seeking a Staff Data Scientist to innovate in experimentation and causal inference. This role involves mentoring other data scientists, driving research methodologies, and collaborating with product teams to align experimentation with strategic goals. The ideal candidate should have over 8 years of experience in data science, including extensive work in experimentation. Alongside a Master's or Ph.D., proficiency in SQL and statistical programming is essential. This role promotes a data-driven culture within a collaborative environment.

Benefits

Discretionary bonus opportunity

Hybrid Working

Private Medical Insurance

Dental Scheme

25 days holiday per year

On Site Gym

Subsidised Café

Free soft drinks

On site bar

Access to cycle garage and showers

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in data science including hands-on work in experimentation.
• 2+ years in a mentoring or technical leadership role.
• Strong familiarity with the gaming industry.

Responsibilities

• Drive innovation in experimentation research by developing new methodologies.
• Mentor less-senior data scientists in experimentation techniques.
• Collaborate with product managers to identify experimentation opportunities.

Skills

Data Science

Experimentation

Mentoring

Causal Inference

SQL

Statistical Programming (R, Python)

Collaboration

Communication

Education

Master's Degree in Applied Math, Economics, Statistics or related field

Ph.D. preferred

Tools

Airflow

Git

Tableau

MicroStrategy

Job description

Why PlayStation?

PlayStation isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Today, we’re recognized as a global leader in entertainment producing The PlayStation family of products and services including PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®VR, PlayStation®Plus, acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios, and more.

PlayStation also strives to create an inclusive environment that empowers employees and embraces diversity. We welcome and encourage everyone who has a passion and curiosity for innovation, technology, and play to explore our open positions and join our growing global team.

The PlayStation brand falls under Sony Interactive Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.

As a Staff Data Scientist, you will lead innovation in experimentation and causal inference, helping shape the future of decision-making and product innovation at SIE. You will drive innovative research in experimentation methodologies while mentoring other team members. You’ll be responsible for elevating our experimentation strategy, fostering a culture of curiosity and rigor, and helping cross‑functional teams deliver player‑first experiences through strong evidence‑based decisions.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Drive innovation in experimentation research by shaping measurement frameworks and best practices, and by developing new methodologies that enhance the quality, speed, and scalability of experiments.
• Advance experimentation infrastructure and tooling, incorporating statistical and machine learning methods to refine analytical capabilities.
• Mentor and guide less‑senior data scientists, building expertise in experimentation and causal inference while providing technical direction to ensure rigor and impact.
• Partner with product managers and business leaders to identify high‑impact experimentation opportunities and align them with PlayStation’s strategic goals.
• Act as a thought leader in experimentation and causal inference, evangelizing best practices and fostering learning across teams.
• Contribute to research and prototyping of novel experimentation techniques that address complex real‑world challenges, such as user behavior variability and data limitations.
• Champion a data‑driven culture by establishing experimentation standards, ethical practices, and reproducibility
• Represent the team’s insights and innovations across the broader data science and product communities within PlayStation.
• Stay at the forefront of the field by monitoring emerging developments in experimentation, causal inference, and applied machine learning to continuously evolve capabilities.

What We’re Looking For:

• Master’s Degree or equivalent experience in Applied Math, Economics, Statistics, Computer Science, or related field. Ph.D. or equivalent experience preferred.
• Strong familiarity with the gaming industry and contemporary gaming experiences.
• 8+ years of experience in data science, including extensive hands‑on work in experimentation, with at least 2+ years in a mentoring or technical leadership capacity.
• Proven track record of leading experimentation innovation and scaling frameworks within a dynamic business environment.
• Proficiency in SQL and statistical programming languages (e.g., R or Python), especially for causal inference, experimental analysis, and scalable modeling.
• Expertise in causal inference techniques and designing both randomized and quasi‑experiments.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate cross‑functionally and influence data strategies that inform business and product decisions.
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills, especially in conveying complex concepts to non‑technical stakeholders.
• Experience working with modern data engineering and visualization tools (e.g., Airflow, Git, Tableau, MicroStrategy).
• A strong sense of ownership and an inclusive leadership style that encourages collaboration and innovation.

Benefits:

• Discretionary bonus opportunity
• Hybrid Working (within Flexmodes)
• Private Medical Insurance
• Dental Scheme
• 25 days holiday per year
• On Site Gym
• Subsidised Café
• Free soft drinks
• On site bar
• Access to cycle garage and showers

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.

We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.

PlayStation is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.