Principal Data Scientist

Menlo Ventures; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Databricks is seeking a Principal Data Scientist to be the statistical voice of its Data Science organization and translate insights into clear narratives for senior leadership.

This pure IC role shapes company-wide data standards, mentors teams, and co-authors executive deliverables while partnering with engineering and product teams to embed a data-driven culture across the organization.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent in statistics, mathematics, CS, or related field.
• 15+ years in data science, statistics, or quantitative research across industry/academia.
• Ability to present statistical concepts to C-suite and Board with measurable impact.

Responsibilities

• Translate data science findings into clear, actionable narratives for CEO, C-suite, and Board.
• Serve as the chief statistical voice and maintain analytical rigor in high-stakes decisions.
• Set standards, coach teams, and co-author executive-facing deliverables to improve storytelling.
• Produce deep analyses on revenue, platform health, and operational efficiency with judgment-rich insights.
• Partner with engineering and product leaders to embed a data-driven decision culture.
• Represent Databricks as a data science thought leader at industry venues and in publications.
• Define and evolve company-wide scientific methodologies, including experimentation, forecasting, and causal inference frameworks.

Skills

Data science

Statistics

Experimentation

Causal inference

Forecasting

Machine learning

Executive communication

Education

PhD in Statistics or related field

Job description

Databricks is looking for a Principal Data Scientist to serve as the statistical voice of the Data Science organization. This candidate will translate data science insights into clear, actionable narratives for senior leadership. This is a pure IC role with company-wide influence and no direct reports.

The Impact You Will Have

• Executive translation. Translate complex data science findings into clear, actionable narratives for the CEO, C-suite, and Board of Directors, ensuring insights inform critical decisions.
• Statistical authority. Serve as the company\'s chief statistical voice and maintain analytical rigor in high-stakes decisions; advance statistical methods applied to business problems.
• Org-wide uplevel. Set standards, coach teams, and co-author executive-facing deliverables to improve overall data science storytelling across the organization.
• Strategic insights. Produce deep analyses on revenue, platform health, operational efficiency, and competitive positioning with synthesized, judgment-rich insights.
• Cross-functional influence. Partner with engineering and product leaders to embed a data-driven decision culture and act as the trusted analytical advisor.
• External thought leadership. Represent Databricks as a data science thought leader at industry venues and in publications to attract top talent.
• Methodology and standards. Define and evolve company-wide scientific methodologies, including experimentation, forecasting, and causal inference frameworks.

What We Look For

Required

• 15+ years of experience in data science, statistics, or quantitative research spanning industry and/or academia.
• Proven ability to present statistical concepts to C-suite and Board audiences with measurable impact on decisions.
• Broad expertise across data science disciplines: experimentation, causal inference, forecasting, optimization, and machine learning.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication — ability to make complex statistical concepts intuitive for non-technical executives.
• Track record of upleveling teams: setting analytical standards and mentoring senior data scientists.
• Experience at the intersection of statistics and large-scale technology or data platforms.
• Ph.D. in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or related quantitative field.

Preferred

• Academic research or teaching background in statistics or quantitative fields.
• Industry experience at multiple tier-1 technology companies.
• Published research or recognized thought leadership in applied statistics.
• Experience building or leading a Chief Statistician function.
• Experience in infrastructure, platform, or systems-oriented data science.

About Databricks

Databricks is the data and AI company serving more than 10,000 organizations worldwide; the platform unifies data, analytics, and AI workloads. Databricks is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices globally.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Databricks is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone can excel. We hire without regard to age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, or other protected characteristics.

Compliance

If access to export-controlled technology or source code is required for performance of job duties, it is within the Employer\'s discretion whether to apply for a U.S. government license for such positions, and the Employer may decline to proceed with an applicant on this basis alone.