Growth Data Scientist for SMB Ads

OpenAI, Inc.; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

OpenAI is seeking a Senior Analytics professional to lead full-funnel analytics for the SMB Ads ecosystem, establishing North Star KPIs and diagnosing funnel friction with advanced behavioral analysis. You will partner with product and marketing to transform data findings into high-priority roadmaps and revenue impact.

You will own targeting, segmentation, propensity modeling, and lifecycle analytics, build models (propensity, LTV), and drive rigorous attribution, experimentation, and real-time

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in data science or growth analytics within ads platforms, marketplaces, or high-growth B2B environments.
• Proven track record of deploying machine learning models (propensity, LTV) that moved business metrics.
• Strong SQL; proficient in Python or R.
• Experience thriving in ambiguous 0-to-1 environments with hands-on data infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Establish foundational growth metrics and North Star KPIs for SMB Ads, optimizing funnel from lead to retention.
• Diagnose funnel friction and quantify incremental revenue impact of optimizations.
• Partner cross-functionally to convert data insights into high-priority roadmaps for product and marketing.
• Engineer propensity models and look-alike frameworks for high-LTV SMB advertisers.
• Own target list construction with data enrichment and multi-dimensional prioritization.
• Develop segmentation architectures for hyper-personalized outreach across channels.
• Design and implement multi-touch attribution and experiments; lead weekly reviews with exec leadership.

Skills

SQL

Python

R

ML modeling

0-to-1 experimentation

Job description

OpenAI's ads platform is experiencing rapid global scale. As the Lead Data Scientist for SMB Ads Growth, you will architect the analytics function end-to-end—driving strategy across targeting, funnel optimization, and performance forecasting. You will work directly with the SMB Ads Marketing team and your insights will be the primary catalyst for high-stakes decisions across marketing, product, and sales engineering.

What You'll Do

Full-Funnel Analytics

Establish the foundational growth metrics and North Star KPIs for the SMB Ads ecosystem, optimizing the journey from lead acquisition to long-term retention.

Diagnose funnel friction points through advanced behavioral analysis and quantify the incremental revenue impact of proposed optimizations.

Partner cross-functionally to transform complex data findings into actionable, high-priority roadmaps for product and marketing stakeholders.

Targeting, Segmentation & Propensity Modeling

Engineer sophisticated propensity models and look-alike frameworks to identify and capture high-LTV SMB advertisers.

Own the lifecycle of target list construction, including advanced data enrichment, multi-dimensional prioritization, and granular performance tracking.

Develop robust segmentation architectures that power hyper-personalized outreach across paid, partnership, and outsourced (BPO) channels.

Synthesize market signals to refine our value proposition, ensuring OpenAI remains a key platform for SMB business growth.

Campaign Analytics & Measurement

Design and implement rigorous multi-touch attribution and incrementality frameworks to evaluate channel efficacy.

Lead the experimental roadmap: formulate hypotheses, execute A/B and multivariate tests, and communicate results to executive leadership.

Automate business-critical reporting and dashboards to provide real-time visibility during weekly operating reviews.

Forecasting & Planning

Build high-fidelity revenue and advertiser growth models to project performance against quarterly and annual targets.

Simulate the impact of various growth levers—such as regional expansion and channel activation—to drive strategic resource allocation.

What We're Looking For

Required

5+ years of experience in data science or growth analytics within an ads platform, marketplace, or high-growth B2B environment.

Proven track record of deploying machine learning models (propensity, LTV) that significantly moved business metrics.

Strong SQL; proficient in Python or R.

Experience thriving in ambiguous "0-to-1" environments, with a hands-on approach to building data infrastructure and processes.

Strongly Preferred

Prior experience at a major scaled ads platform (e.g., Meta, Google, LinkedIn).

Experience working in 0-1 environments

A deep passion for artificial intelligence and proficiency in leveraging AI tools to accelerate modeling and insight generation.

About OpenAI

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core, and to achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic.

Background checks for applicants will be administered in accordance with applicable law, and qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment consistent with those laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, for US-based candidates. For unincorporated Los Angeles County workers: we reasonably believe that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship with the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: protect computer hardware entrusted to you from theft, loss or damage; return all computer hardware in your possession (including the data contained therein) upon termination of employment or end of assignment; and maintain the confidentiality of proprietary, confidential, and non-public information. In addition, job duties require access to secure and protected information technology systems and related data security obligations.

To notify OpenAI that you believe this job posting is non-compliant, please submit a report through this form . No response will be provided to inquiries unrelated to job posting compliance.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made via this link .

At OpenAI, we believe artificial intelligence has the potential to help people solve immense global challenges, and we want the upside of AI to be widely shared. Join us in shaping the future of technology.

Compensation

$293K – $515K + Offers Equity

The base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. If the role is non-exempt, overtime pay will be provided consistent with applicable laws. In addition to the salary range listed above, total compensation also includes generous equity, performance-related bonus(es) for eligible employees, and the following benefits.

Medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts

Pre-tax accounts for Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA, and commuter expenses (parking and transit)

401(k) retirement plan with employer match

Paid parental leave (up to 24 weeks for birth parents and 20 weeks for non-birthing parents), plus paid medical and caregiver leave (up to 8 weeks)

Paid time off: flexible PTO for exempt employees and up to 15 days annually for non-exempt employees

13+ paid company holidays, and multiple paid coordinated company office closures throughout the year for focus and recharge, plus paid sick or safe time (1 hour per 30 hours worked, or more, as required by applicable state or local law)

Mental health and wellness support

Employer-paid basic life and disability coverage

Annual learning and development stipend to fuel your professional growth

Daily meals in our offices, and meal delivery credits as eligible

Relocation support for eligible employees

Additional taxable fringe benefits, such as charitable donation matching and wellness stipends, may also be provided.

More details about our benefits are available to candidates during the hiring process.

This role is at-will and OpenAI reserves the right to modify base pay and other compensation components at any time based on individual performance, team or company results, or market conditions.