Data Scientist

Ascendum Solutions; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Ascendum Solutions seeks a senior Data Scientist to shape our AI and science capabilities, advancing Gen AI and causal ML, and leading end-to-end scalable science solutions. Collaborate with product and cross-functional teams to drive vision in personalization and loyalty.

You will lead production ML pipelines, apply advanced causal methods, and mentor peers while communicating complex results to leadership and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of applied data science experience with progression in scope and complexity.
• Hands-on experience with Generative AI applications (LLM fine-tuning, prompt engineering, RAG, or agentic workflow development).
• Familiarity with causal ML and causal inference methods (CATE, DiD, matching).
• Strong proficiency in Python, SQL, and Git.
• Experience with Azure and Databricks or similar cloud platforms.
• Experience building production-quality ML systems using software engineering practices.
• Ability to translate business needs into science solutions and roadmap priorities.
• Strong communication skills for technical and business audiences.
• Comfort operating in evolving problem spaces and contributing to early-stage strategy.
• Bachelor's or Master's in Statistics, Data Science, CS, Applied Math, Economics, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Advance our Gen AI capabilities by designing, developing, and deploying Gen AI solutions including LLM fine-tuning, prompt engineering, RAG pipelines, and agentic workflows.
• Lead end-to-end development and scaling of data science solutions from research to production with robustness and reproducibility.
• Partner with product managers and stakeholders to shape vision, roadmap, and prioritization of science products in personalization and loyalty.
• Contribute to the vision and development of a holistic science layer, consolidating capabilities into a scalable framework.
• Apply and extend causal ML methods to support measurement, experimentation, and personalization at scale.
• Build and maintain production ML pipelines with strong MLOps practices (CI/CD, testing, documentation).
• Research and evaluate emerging AI/ML technologies for production-ready adoption.
• Serve as a technical leader and mentor to peers and evolving junior talent.
• Communicate complex findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences, including leadership.

Skills

Python

SQL

Git

Generative AI

LLM fine-tuning

RAG pipelines

Agentic workflows

Causal ML

Causal inference

MLOps

Azure

Databricks

Communication

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in quantitative field

Tools

Azure

Databricks

CI/CD

Version control

Job description

Candidates should be eligible to work for any employer in the United States without needing Visa sponsorship now or in the future

We're seeking a Data Scientist to help shape the future of our AI and science capabilities. This is a senior individual contributor role for a technically strong, forward-thinking data scientist who can advance our Gen AI and causal ML capabilities, lead end-to-end development of scalable science solutions, and partner with product and cross-functional teams to drive vision and strategy in our space.

Key Responsibilities

• Advance our AI capabilities by designing, developing, and deploying Gen AI solutions—including LLM fine-tuning, prompt engineering, RAG pipelines, agentic workflows, and integration of Gen AI into existing measurement and science workflows.
• Lead end-to-end development and scaling of data science solutions, from research and experimentation through production, ensuring solutions are robust, reproducible, and maintainable.
• Partner with product managers and cross-functional stakeholders to shape the vision, roadmap, and prioritization of science products and capabilities in the personalization and loyalty space.
• Contribute to the vision and early development of a holistic science layer—working to connect and consolidate scattered science capabilities into a unified, scalable framework.
• Apply and extend causal ML and econometric methods (e.g., CATE, DiD, matching, panel methods) to support measurement, experimentation, and personalization at scale.
• Build, maintain, and improve production ML and experimentation pipelines using sound MLOps and software engineering practices, including CI/CD, version control, testing, and documentation.
• Research and evaluate emerging AI/ML technologies and methodologies, identifying opportunities to bring state-of-the-art approaches into production.
• Serve as a technical leader and subject matter expert on the team, providing guidance and informal mentorship to peers and evolving into a formal mentor as junior talent joins the team.
• Communicate complex technical findings and methodologies clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences, including leadership and product stakeholders.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• 3+ years of applied data science experience, with demonstrated progression in scope and technical complexity
• Hands-on experience with Generative AI applications, including one or more of: LLM fine-tuning, prompt engineering, RAG pipelines, or agentic workflow development
• Familiarity with causal ML and/or causal inference methods (e.g., CATE, heterogeneous treatment effect modeling, DiD, matching)
• Strong proficiency in Python, SQL, and Git
• Experience with Azure and Databricks, or comparable cloud-based data science platforms
• Experience contributing to production-quality ML systems using software engineering best practices
• Ability to partner with product managers and stakeholders to translate business needs into science solutions and roadmap priorities
• Strong oral and written communication skills, with the ability to translate between technical and business audiences
• Comfort with ambiguity—able to operate effectively in evolving problem spaces and contribute to early-stage vision and strategy
• Bachelor's or Master's in Statistics, Data Science, Computer Science, Applied Math, Economics, or related quantitative field

Preferred:

• Experience with MLOps practices including workflow orchestration, model monitoring, reproducibility, and deployment
• Experience in retail, CPG, media, or marketplace analytics
• Demonstrated ability to informally mentor or coach peers in technical best practices
• Familiarity with experimentation frameworks and measurement pipelines