Principal Data Scientist- Eng

UKG; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 163,900 - 235,550; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance-based bonus plan

Restricted stock unit awards

Flexible work options

Job summary

UKG is seeking a Principal Data Scientist to define and drive data science strategy that influences executive decisions across the company. In this role, you will architect data science systems at scale and lead initiatives that have business-critical outcomes.

The ideal candidate will have a PhD and over 8 years of industry experience, demonstrating their authority in the field and ability to foster strategic decision-making. This position offers competitive compensation and a chance to make a significant impact.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of industry experience in data science or related field.
• Recognized authority in data science community.
• Proven success in executive influence and strategic decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Define company-wide data science strategy and influence executive decisions.
• Architect data science systems across product areas.
• Drive business-critical outcomes through data science initiatives.

Skills

Data science expertise

Machine learning proficiency

Executive communication

Cloud platform experience

Education

PhD in quantitative field

Master's degree

Tools

GCP

BigQuery

Job description

At UKG, the work you do matters. The code you ship, the decisions you make, and the care you show a customer all add up to real impact. Today, tens of millions of workers start and end their days with our workforce operating platform. Helping people get paid, grow in their careers, and shape the future of their industries. That’s what we do.

We never stop learning. We never stop challenging the norm. We push for better, and we celebrate the wins along the way. Here, you’ll get flexibility that’s real, benefits you can count on, and a team that succeeds together. Because at UKG, your work matters—and so do you.

At UKG we are at the forefront of innovation leading the next wave of disruption in the Human Capital Management industry. With our unparalleled dataset — the most complete view into our customers' workforce — we are uniquely positioned to build AI‑powered solutions that fundamentally change how businesses manage their people. Our Data Science team sits at the intersection of cutting‑edge research and real‑world impact, building models and intelligent systems at scale that serve millions of employees and managers every day.

We are looking for a Principal Data Scientist (P6) who will define the org‑wide data science vision and strategy, influencing executive decisions and building the capabilities to achieve long‑term business outcomes. Operating at company scope, you are the authoritative technical voice for data science at UKG — setting the direction for how we invest in AI and ML capabilities, creating competitive advantage through technical excellence, and building organizational structures that outlast any single project or initiative.

Responsibilities

• Company-wide technical strategy: Define and drive the data science strategy at UKG, influencing executive decisions and building long‑term business outcomes across all product areas.
• Architecture & infrastructure investment: Architect DS systems at company scale, creating designs that work across all product areas and use cases. Create architectural patterns that enable long‑term evolution. Evaluate major infrastructure investments, providing technical perspective on platform choices that will shape DS work for years. Review critical design decisions across the organization.
• Business‑critical results & ownership: Identify company‑wide opportunities for DS impact. Execute initiatives with business‑critical outcomes that create competitive advantage. Own decisions with company‑wide implications and be accountable for DS strategy execution. Create organizational capabilities — frameworks, platforms, and standards — that outlast individual projects.
• Strategic decision‑making & executive influence: Make strategic decisions with long‑term implications, balancing multiple organizational priorities simultaneously. Build decision frameworks adopted broadly across the DS org. Represent DS in strategic planning and influence business decisions at the executive level, providing analysis and perspective that shapes the company’s strategic choices.
• AI & agentic systems leadership: Define the company‑wide agent development strategy, positioning UKG to leverage agentic AI for competitive advantage. Evaluate transformational opportunities in AI/ML frameworks and foundation models; advise on major vendor relationships. Set the bar for agent development excellence org‑wide. Ensure agent governance at enterprise scale—safety, reliability, compliance, and responsible AI. Represent UKG externally on agent development.
• Innovation agenda & organizational resilience: Define the DS innovation agenda. Connect emerging capabilities to business transformation opportunities. Create an environment where breakthrough work is possible across teams. Guide the organization through major transitions and model resilience at senior level. Evaluate emerging techniques and frameworks for strategic fit—recognized externally as a domain expert.
• Talent strategy & leadership development: Build the DS leadership bench by mentoring senior ICs and managers. Shape the DS career framework and define the company‑wide learning vision for data science. Drive hiring strategy and pipeline development. Model lifelong learning and continuously evolve expertise through new challenges.
• Business acumen & competitive positioning: Develop deep understanding of industry dynamics and competitive landscape—how UKG wins in the market and how competitors are investing in ML. Translate business strategy to DS strategy and influence data strategy company‑wide. Ensure DS data needs are met at enterprise scale and that governance meets enterprise requirements.

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD in a quantitative field plus 8+ years of industry experience, or Master's degree plus 12+ years of experience in data science, machine learning, or a closely related discipline, with a demonstrated trajectory of increasing organizational scope and impact.
• Recognized technical authority in the broader data science community, with expertise across multiple AI/ML specialty areas. Track record of evaluating emerging techniques for strategic fit and driving their adoption across an organization.
• Proven ability to set and execute company‑wide DS technical strategy, with accountability for outcomes that span multiple product areas and deliver business‑critical results.
• Demonstrated ability to influence executive‑level decisions on products, technology investments, and business strategy—and to represent data science as a strategic function in senior planning forums.
• Experience designing and governing DS systems at enterprise scale—including MLOps, model governance, data quality, responsible AI, and compliance requirements across a large organization.
• Strong command of ML frameworks, cloud platforms (GCP / Agent Platform, BigQuery, or equivalent), and the full modern AI/ML toolchain. Ability to set company‑wide standards for code quality, automation infrastructure, and documentation.
• Experience building, mentoring, and developing senior technical talent including staff‑level ICs and engineering managers. Demonstrated influence on career frameworks and org‑wide learning programs.
• Exceptional communication skills at the executive level—ability to articulate complex technical strategy, competitive tradeoffs, and long‑term DS investments in terms that drive organizational alignment and business decisions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience advising on major vendor relationships, platform commitments, and build vs. buy decisions for AI/ML infrastructure at enterprise scale.
• Experience designing and governing enterprise‑scale agentic AI systems, including safety, reliability, and compliance frameworks for multi‑agent architectures.
• Deep familiarity with the HCM industry—understanding how Workforce Management, Talent, and Pay create differentiated value—and how ML capabilities translate to competitive advantage in that market.
• Experience shaping an organization’s DS career framework, hiring strategy, and technical learning culture at scale.
• Advanced expertise in responsible AI at enterprise scale: fairness, interpretability, privacy‑preserving ML, model risk management, and regulatory compliance.

Company Overview

UKG is the Workforce Operating Platform that puts workforce understanding to work. With the world’s largest collection of workforce insights and people‑first AI, our ability to reveal unseen ways to build trust, amplify productivity, and empower talent is unmatched. It’s this expertise that equips our customers with the intelligence to solve any challenge in any industry—because great organizations know their workforce is their competitive edge.

Equal Opportunity Employer

UKG is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, disability, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, and other legally protected categories.

UKG participates in E‑Verify.

Disability Accommodation in the Application and Interview Process: For individuals with disabilities that need additional assistance at any point in the application and interview process, please email [e-mail].

The pay range for this position is $163,900 to $235,550. The actual base pay offered may vary depending on skills, experience, job‑related knowledge and work location. In addition to base pay, employees may be eligible to participate in a performance‑based bonus plan and to receive restricted stock unit awards as part of total compensation.

Learn more about UKG’s benefits and rewards.