Manager, Applied Data Science

AppFolio; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 167,000 - 209,000; Full time

Job summary

AppFolio is seeking a Manager, Applied Data Science to lead a team building AI/ML products that power Next Best Actions, analytics, and forecasting automations for GTM, Finance, and Customer Success. You’ll coach a growing team, bridge applied ML with go-to-market strategy, and shape data science services across the business.

You will own signal modeling, data platforms, and cross-functional delivery, partnering with senior leaders to drive adoption and explainability while scaling the Cerberus

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field with 8+ years building and deploying predictive models for business stakeholders.
• 2+ years leading data scientists, as a people manager or technical lead.
• Strong programming background with Python and SQL; production deployment of models.
• Experience with end-to-end ML lifecycle including classification and propensity models.
• Experience with LLM-based products or natural-language analytics in production.
• Experience with cloud data warehousing and orchestration tooling (Snowflake, dbt, Airflow, version control, CRM data).
• Ability to set priorities with senior leadership and drive impact.

Responsibilities

• Own signal modeling and scoring logic for all products and Next Best Action per persona.
• Own data science services, forecasting automations, and data access with governance.
• Own Cerberus model fleet standards: coding, reviews, deployment, monitoring, retraining.
• Review PRs and ensure quality and risk of models, analyses, and automations.
• Coordinate delivery with Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, and Finance leaders; set priorities.
• Set direction for applied AI/ML with leadership.
• Manage and grow a team of Data Scientists: 1:1s, coaching, hiring and growth paths.

Skills

Python

SQL

People management

Predictive modeling

ML workflows

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM

Tools

Snowflake

dbt

Airflow

Salesforce

Job description

AppFolio is more than a company. We’re a community of dreamers, big thinkers, problem solvers, active listeners, and multipliers. At every opportunity, we set the pace while delivering innovation built to carry real estate into the future. One in which every experience feels effortless, yet meaningful. Where customers are empowered to take on any opportunity. We show up as one team, connected by our values to be a force for good. Because together, we have the power to create extraordinary outcomes for our customers, our communities, and ourselves.

As the Manager, Applied Data Science on our Platform Data Science team, you will lead the Data Scientists who build AppFolio’s AI and machine learning products for the business: Our signal engine that turns product usage, account health, and customer interactions into Next Best Actions per persona in GTM teams; Chat-to-Data, our natural-language analytics product; and the forecasting automations our Finance and Customer Success teams plan against. You will be a player-coach. In your first year you build alongside your team to learn our business, our data, and how to coach each person, then shift from doing the work to directing it. This role bridges applied machine learning and SaaS go-to-(vertical)market strategy.

Your Impact

• Own signal modeling and scoring logic for all of AppFolio’s products, and co-create the Next Best Action layer for GTM teams that gives each account ranked recommendations per persona
• Own shared data science services for the business, forecasting automations, agentic data access and partner with the business to ensure adoption and explainability.
• Own coding standards for the Cerberus model fleet: coding standards, review gates, deployment, monitoring, retraining, and outputs published to the governed Data Marts with the access controls and audit logging the Business Data Platform requires.
• Review every pull request and deliverable the team ships, and own the quality and risk of its models, analyses, recommendations and automations.
• Coordinate delivery with Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, and Finance leaders: set priorities with them, hold Data Science & Analytics’ seat on the cross functional working groups, and run the team’s operating rhythm so that urgent requests and the roadmap both get delivered.
• Set the direction for applied AI/ML in Data Science & Analytics with department leadership.
• Manage and grow a team of Data Scientists: 1:1s, coaching, performance reviews, hiring, and a growth path for each person.

Must Have

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field and 8+ years building and deploying predictive models in production for business stakeholders, including sales, marketing, or customer success teams.
• 2+ years leading data scientists, as a people manager or as the technical lead who set direction, reviewed the work, and coached the people doing it.
• Strong programming background, with Python and SQL required. You have taken models you built from raw tables to production yourself and expect to keep building alongside your team.
• Experience developing, deploying, monitoring, and retraining classification and propensity models end to end, bonus points for designing next-best-action or recommendation systems that arbitrate across several models.
• Experimental design fundamentals, including holdouts, control groups, power, and honest measurement of incremental lift rather than model accuracy alone.
• Experience building and evaluating LLM-based products in production, such as agents or natural-language analytics, including the accuracy and coverage checks that gate their use.
• Experience with a cloud data warehouse such as Snowflake, dbt, an orchestration framework such as Airflow, version control, and CRM data such as Salesforce.
• A record of setting priorities with senior leadership: turning ambiguous questions into repeatable models, communicating recommendations they act on, and saying no when the data does not support the ask.

Compensation & Benefits

The base salary that we reasonably expect to pay for this role is: $167,200 - $209,000

The actual base salary/hourly wage for this role will be determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to: the candidate’s skills, education, experience, etc.

Please note that base pay is one important aspect of a compelling Total Rewards package. The base pay range indicated here does not include any additional benefits or bonuses/commissions that you may be eligible for based on your role and/or employment type.

Regular full-time employees are eligible for benefits - see here.

About AppFolio

AppFolio is the technology leader powering the future of the real estate industry. Our innovative platform and trusted partnership enable our customers to connect communities, increase operational efficiency, and grow their business. For more information about AppFolio, visit appfolio.com.

Why AppFolio

Grow | We enable a culture of high performance, where delivering results is recognized by opportunities for growth and compelling total rewards. Our challenging and meaningful work drive the growth of our business, and ourselves.

Learn | We partner with you to realize your potential by investing in you from the start. We're cultivating a team of big thinkers through coaching and mentorship with our best-in-class leaders, and giving you the time and tools to develop your skills.

Impact | We are creating a world where living in, investing in, managing, and supporting communities feels magical and effortless, freeing people to thrive. We do this by innovating with purpose while cultivating a culture of impact. We learn as much from each other as we do our customers and our communities.

Connect | We excel at hybrid work by fostering an environment that feels flexible, personal and connected, no matter where we are. We create space to fuel innovation and collaboration, and we come together to celebrate, connect, and succeed.

Paddle as One.

Learn more at appfolio.com/company/careers

Statement of Equal Opportunity

At AppFolio, we value diversity in backgrounds and perspectives and depend on it to drive our innovative culture. That’s why we’re a proud Equal Opportunity Employer, and we believe that our products, our teams, and our business are stronger because of it. This means that no matter what race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, or medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by law, you’re always welcome at AppFolio.

We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible candidate experience. If you need a reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process for a disability, pregnancy-related condition, or religious practice, please contact us at [e-mail] or [phone]. You do not need to use any particular wording.

Compensation Range: $167.2K - $209K