Staff Data Scientist, Forecasting

Pinterest; United States; Hybrid; USD 164,695 - 339,078; Full time

Job summary

Pinterest is searching for a Technical Lead for their forecasting team. This role requires a strategic approach to forecasting models and close collaboration with senior leadership to guide data-driven decisions.

The ideal candidate should possess over 8 years of experience in production forecasting, have strong SQL skills, and expertise in Python. This is an opportunity to impact key company metrics while leading and mentoring a team of data scientists.

The salary range is $164,695 — $339,078 USD, with some in-office collaboration needed a few times a quarter.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in building production forecasting models.
• Strong SQL skills for data pipelines and workflows.
• Expertise in applied statistics and econometrics.

Responsibilities

• Own strategy and implementation of forecasting models.
• Lead modeling lifecycle from development to deployment.
• Present decision frameworks to senior leadership.

Skills

Technical leadership in forecasting models

SQL proficiency

Timeseries modeling expertise

Scripting (Python)

Business acumen

Education

Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in a relevant field

Tools

Airflow

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.

What you’ll do

• Be the technical lead for the forecasting team. Own the strategy and implementation of forecasting models of key company metrics (e.g., monthly active users), delivering accurate, interpretable forecasts at scale.
• Lead the full modeling lifecycle end to end: problem framing, feature engineering, model development and prototyping, experimentation and backtesting, deployment, monitoring/drift detection, and explainability.
• Set the forecasting technical vision. Define model architectures and standards, and partner with Engineering to shape the forecasting platform for efficient training/inference today and the scalability needed for the next generation of models.
• Translate forecasts into decisions. Present outputs, scenario analyses, and recommendation frameworks to senior leadership with clarity and brevity. This is a high‑visibility role with regular VP‑level exposure.
• Drive broader timeseries impact beyond point forecasts—e.g., anomaly detection, automated root‑cause analysis, campaign/channel attribution, and early‑warning signals for business health.
• Embed forecasting into the business. Partner with BizOps/Finance and product teams to integrate forecasts and insights into operational rhythms, executive decision‑making, and strategic planning.
• Lead and mentor. Guide the work of at least two data scientists, raising the bar on technical quality, execution, and impact through candid, continuous feedback and coaching.

What we’re looking for

• 8+ years of combined post‑graduate academic and industry experience building and shipping production timeseries/forecasting models with web‑scale data.
• A track record of delivering adjustable, well‑calibrated, and explainable forecasting systems that inform decision‑making.
• Strong background in timeseries modeling and applied statistics/econometrics; advanced degree (MS or PhD) preferred.
• Expertise in at least one scripting language (ideally Python).
• Strong SQL skills (Hive/Presto/Spark SQL) and experience building reliable data pipelines/workflows (e.g., Airflow).
• Business acumen and ownership mindset—able to simplify complex problems, connect model outputs to business levers, and prioritize for impact.
• Excellent communication skills—able to distill complex analyses and uncertainty into concise narratives for executive audiences.
• Proven technical leadership—successfully leading critical projects and materially influencing the scope and output of other contributors.

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 let the type of work you do guide the collaboration style. That means we’re not always working in an office, but we continue to gather for key moments of collaboration and connection.

This role will need to be in the office for in‑person collaboration 1–2 times per quarter and therefore can be situated anywhere in the country.

$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 or 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.