Staff Data Scientist, Ads Delivery

Pinterest; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 165,000 - 339,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Job summary

Pinterest is seeking a Staff Data Scientist for Ads Delivery to shape the future of products for advertisers and users. You will apply quantitative modeling, experimentation and ML to solve complex engineering challenges that impact hundreds of millions of users and advertisers.

You will collaborate across Product, Engineering, Research, Design and Analytics, mentoring both junior and senior scientists and driving robust, reproducible outcomes.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on experience in web-scale data environments.
• Deep expertise in Machine Learning (recommendation, ranking, prediction, experimentation).
• Strong programming and data analysis skills with Python/R and SQL/Spark.

Responsibilities

• Develop a deep understanding of Pinterest ads delivery and quantify funnel opportunities and risks.
• Lead projects on Ads Delivery opportunities across funnel stages.
• Design and productionize scalable ML and evaluation frameworks (forecasting, recommendation, causal inference).
• Advocate for best-in-class experimentation, instrumentation, and metric design.
• Collaborate across Product, Engineering, Research, Business, and Design to translate data questions into actionable insights.
• Mentor and guide junior and senior scientists to drive technical excellence.

Skills

Machine Learning

Causal Inference

Experimentation

Python

SQL

Spark

Cross-functional leadership

Communication

Product analytics

Education

Bachelor's/Master's in CS or related field

Tools

Python

R

SQL

Spark

Job description

About Pinterest:

Millions of people around the world come to our platform to find creative ideas, dream about new possibilities and plan for memories that will last a lifetime. At Pinterest, we’re on a mission to bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love, and that starts with the people behind the product.

Discover a career where you ignite innovation for millions, transform passion into growth opportunities, celebrate each other’s unique experiences and embrace the flexibility to do your best work. Creating a career you love? It’s Possible.

At Pinterest, AI isn't just a feature, it's a powerful partner that augments our creativity and amplifies our impact, and we’re looking for candidates who are excited to be a part of that. To get a complete picture of your experience and abilities, we’ll explore your foundational skills and how you collaborate with AI.

Through our interview process, what matters most is that you can always explain your approach, showing us not just what you know, but how you think. You can read more about our AI interview philosophy and how we use AI in our recruiting process here.

We are looking for a Staff Data Scientist for our Ads Delivery. You will shape the future of people-facing and business-facing products we build at Pinterest. Your expertise in quantitative modeling, experimentation and algorithms will be utilized to solve some of the most complex engineering challenges at the company. You will collaborate on a wide array of product and business problems with a diverse set of cross-functional partners across Product, Engineering, Design, Research, Product Analytics, Data Engineering and others. The results of your work will influence and uplevel our product development teams while introducing greater scientific rigor into the real world products serving hundreds of millions of pinners, creators, advertisers and merchants around the world.

What you’ll do:

• Develop a deep, nuanced understanding of the Pinterest ads delivery, quantifying full funnel opportunities and risks.
• Lead projects on: Ads Delivery opportunities across different funnel stages
• Design and productionize robust, scalable ML and evaluation frameworks—spanning forecasting, recommendation, and causal inference.
• Advocate for best-in-class experimentation, instrumentation, and metric design; bridge the gap between short-term proxy metrics and long-term business impact.
• Collaborate across disciplines—Product, Engineering, Research, Business, and Design—translating complex data questions into actionable business insights.
• Mentor and guide junior and senior scientists, fostering intellectual curiosity and driving technical excellence.

What we’re looking for:

• 10+ years of hands-on experience in web-scale data environments, with a track record of solving hard, ambiguous problems in product, engagement, or ecosystem analytics.
• Deep expertise in: Machine Learning (recommendation, ranking, prediction, experimentation), Statistical Modeling & Causal Inference (observational and experimental data), Product analytics/strategy (beyond dashboards: root cause, goaling, design collaboration), Programming in Python/R and advanced SQL/Spark.
• Strong product intuition—ability to scope, question, and design the right solutions for ill-defined, high-impact business problems.
• Scientific rigor and healthy skepticism: You challenge assumptions, find flaws, and drive towards robust, reproducible outcomes.
• Exceptional communication: You make the complex simple, and can influence both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Track record mentoring and growing data talent at the staff/senior IC level.
• Cross-functional leadership and the ability to align competing interests towards shared goals.
• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in a relevant field such as Computer Science, or equivalent experience

Relocation Statement:

• This position is not eligible for relocation assistance. Visit our PinFlex page to learn more about our working model.

In-Office Requirement Statement:

• We recognize that the ideal environment for work is situational and may differ across departments. What this looks like day-to-day can vary based on the needs of each organization or role.
• This role will need to be in the office for in-person collaboration 1-2 times per week and therefore needs to be in a commutable distance to the following offices: San Francisco, Palo Alto or Seattle.

#LI-NM4

#LI-REMOTE

At Pinterest we believe the workplace should be equitable, inclusive, and inspiring for every employee. In an effort to provide greater transparency, we are sharing the base salary range for this position. The position is also eligible for equity. Final salary is based on a number of factors including location, travel, relevant prior experience, or particular skills and expertise.

Information regarding the culture at Pinterest and benefits available for this position can be found here.

US based applicants only

$164,695—$339,078 USD

Our Commitment to Inclusion:

Pinterest is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. We want to have the best qualified people in every job. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, status as a protected veteran, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information or characteristics (or those of a family member) or any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state or local laws. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you require a medical or religious accommodation during the job application process, please complete this form for support.

By submitting this application, I certify that all information submitted in my application and throughout the hiring process is true, accurate, and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any false statement, omission, or misrepresentation may disqualify me from employment consideration or result in termination if discovered after hire.