Principal Games Data Scientist - Strategy & Insights

Disney Entertainment; Glendale (CA); On-site; USD 158,000 - 212,000; Full time

Job summary

The Walt Disney Company seeks a highly analytical Games Principal Data Scientist to lead advanced analytics for Disney Digital Entertainment. You will partner with Product, Technology, Content, Marketing, and leadership to shape game strategy, optimize player engagement, and influence monetization decisions across Disney’s Epic Games partnership.

You will build scalable data science capabilities, run experiments, and deliver data-driven narratives to senior leadership, guiding long-term business

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative field; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of data science or analytics in gaming/entertainment.
• Experience with statistical analysis, forecasting, experimentation, and behavioral analytics on large datasets.
• Strong SQL and Python or R; experience with cloud data ecosystems and analytics platforms.
• Experience with telemetry datasets including player behavior, engagement, and monetization.
• Familiarity with audience segmentation, personalization, or recommendation systems.
• Ability to influence strategic decisions through data storytelling and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead analytics for games product performance and player behavior as the primary data science lead.
• Partner with leadership and cross-functional teams to deliver actionable insights and strategic recommendations.
• Develop and present analyses for senior leadership with clear narratives and executive-ready visuals.
• Develop forecasting models, segmentation approaches, and monetization analyses.
• Analyze gameplay telemetry and streaming data to identify growth opportunities and optimize experiences across Disney games and digital entertainment.
• Define KPIs, instrumentation requirements, and scalable analytics solutions with product teams.
• Conduct deep-dives on progression systems, engagement funnels, and retention monetization to inform strategy.
• Collaborate with engineering to build scalable analytics infrastructure and data pipelines.
• Act as subject matter expert on games analytics and measurement, ensuring best practices across the org.
• Translate complex findings into clear narratives for technical and non-technical audiences.

Skills

Data science

Statistical analysis

Experimentation

Behavioral analytics

Storytelling

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven decisions

Education

Bachelor’s degree in quantitative field

Tools

SQL

Python

R

Snowflake

Databricks

AWS

Tableau

Looker

Job description

The Walt Disney Company seeks a highly analytical Games Principal Data Scientist to lead advanced analytics for Disney Digital Entertainment. You will partner with Product, Technology, Content, Marketing, and leadership to shape game strategy, optimize player engagement, and influence monetization decisions across Disney’s Epic Games partnership.

You will build scalable data science capabilities, run experiments, and deliver data-driven narratives to senior leadership, guiding long-term business