Director, Decision Science

instructure; United States; Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee ownership program

Flexible work culture

Generous time off

Job summary

Instructure is seeking a director-level leader for its decision science function. You will build and mentor a team of decision scientists, set the roadmap, and partner with product, engineering, and executives to translate complex questions into actionable analyses.

You will develop predictive and prescriptive models to inform retention, pricing, and operating decisions while upholding privacy standards. You will present findings to executives, shape data-informed strategy, and drive measurable

Qualifications

• Ten+ years in data science, analytics, or decision science
• At least 3 years managing and developing people
• Proven impact on decisions and measurable outcomes
• Strong SQL and fluency in Python or R

Responsibilities

• Build and lead a team of decision scientists and analysts
• Set the function's roadmap and success metrics
• Translate business questions into analyses with cross-functional partners
• Develop predictive, prescriptive, and causal models for key decisions
• Raise the standard for insights delivery to executives
• Uphold ethical, privacy-conscious data practices

Skills

Data science leadership

Experiment design

Causal inference

SQL

Python or R

Snowflake/Databricks/Spark

Executive communication

Education

Master's or PhD in a quantitative field

Tools

Snowflake

Databricks

Spark

Job description

Role overview

This director-level role leads a decision science function that turns data into better product, pricing, go-to-market, and operating decisions. The position combines people leadership, strategy setting, and hands-on involvement in modeling, experimentation, and executive-level advisory work.

Responsibilities

• Build, lead, and develop a team of decision scientists and analysts, owning their career growth
• Set the function's roadmap, deciding which problems to take on and how success is measured
• Partner with product, engineering, marketing, finance, and the executive team to translate ambiguous business questions into clear analyses
• Direct the development of predictive, prescriptive, and causal models that inform retention, pricing, and operating decisions
• Raise the standard for how insights reach leaders, from dashboards and metric definitions to executive readouts
• Uphold ethical, privacy-conscious data practices, including with student or other sensitive data

Requirements

• Ten or more years in data science, analytics, or decision science, with at least three years managing and developing people
• A track record of analytical work that has changed real decisions and produced measurable business outcomes
• Deep expertise in experimental design, causal inference, statistical modeling, and machine learning, with judgment to match the method to the problem
• Strong SQL skills plus fluency in Python or R
• Experience with modern data platforms such as Snowflake, Databricks, or Spark
• Ability to explain complex analyses to executives in plain language and defend the method to technical peers
• A master's or PhD in a quantitative field, or equivalent practical experience

Nice to have

• Background in education technology or another B2B SaaS environment
• Familiarity with subscription and product-led growth metrics such as retention, expansion, and adoption
• Experience building an analytics or decision science function from an early stage

Benefits and work setup

• Competitive compensation with an employee ownership participation program
• Flexible work culture spanning remote, hybrid, and in-office collaboration
• Generous time off plus an end-of-year team recharge period
• Comprehensive wellness programs, mental health support, and learning and development resources including tuition reimbursement
• Recognition programs and an inclusive, support-oriented culture