Senior Data Scientist, Causal Inference

Discord is about giving people the power to create space to find belonging in their lives. We want to make it easier for you to talk regularly with the people you care about. We want you to build genuine relationships with your friends and communities close to home or around the world. Original, reliable, playful, and relatable. These are the values that connect our users and our employees at Discord. 

Discord is looking for an experienced, proactive, and self-driven Senior Causal Inference Data Scientist to join our Experimentation Platform team.

The Experimentation Platform puts data at the heart of the company’s decision-making and growth by enabling rapid and accurate product experimentation. Discord runs hundreds of experiments on any given day, turning experiment results into business decisions. At the same time, we are taking a fresh look at our platform, and planning to rebuild parts of it from scratch to take it to the next level. As a Causal Inference Data Scientist on this team, you will ensure that the statistical underpinnings of this rebuild are sound, that experimenters are able to design experiments with high rigor, and that Discord makes the best business decisions on the basis of these experiments. We are a small and quickly growing team; by joining us as an early team member, you will be presented with significant leadership opportunities as we evolve.

Our team directly impacts the strategy and roadmaps that improve Discord for its more than 200M (and many more future) users! If helping make Discord an even better place to hang out with your friends sounds like an exciting challenge - we'd love to chat with you! Check out our blog about how our team informs strategy & innovation at Discord here!

What You'll Be Doing

• Provide statistical expertise in the rebuilding of the experimentation platform, ensuring that all statistical choices, methodologies, and frameworks are sound and aligned with best practices in causal inference and experimental design.
• Collaborate closely with engineering and product teams during the platform rebuild to define and implement robust statistical methods that improve the reliability and scalability of experimentation at Discord.
• Lead initiatives to educate and train cross-functional teams on best practices in experimentation design, statistical methodologies, and causal inference, ensuring a deep understanding of the principles that drive sound decision-making under uncertainty.
• Develop and deliver engaging workshops, training sessions, and educational materials that demystify complex statistical concepts and promote data-driven decision-making across the company.
• Empower our Data Science team (50+ members) to use more rigorous causal inference methods.
• In addition to consulting within the wider Data Science team (50+ members), lead and conduct causal inference research of your own on important Discord priorities.

You Will Thrive In This Role If

• PhD in a quantitative field (e.g. Statistics, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, etc.) and 4+ years of experience designing, implementing and analyzing experiments or causal inference projects.
• Ability to critically evaluate and recommend statistical approaches and methodologies that enhance the integrity of experimentation frameworks during platform development and rebuild phases.
• Proven experience in designing and validating statistical methodologies for experimentation platforms or similar systems, with a focus on ensuring the accuracy and reliability of experimental results.
• Strong passion for education and the ability to communicate complex statistical and experimental design concepts clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and delivering training programs or educational content related to experimentation, causal inference, or statistical analysis, with a track record of fostering a culture of data literacy within an organization.
• Proficient with Python, SQL, R, and other statistical programming languages.

Bonus Points

• Interest in conducting literature reviews, translating and championing best scientific practices to a wide range of functions across the company.
• Track record in using causal inference methods that translated into business decisions and outcomes.
• Experience in autonomously leading cross functional projects and influencing cross functional partners.
• Passion for Discord or gaming.
• Causal inference related publications.

 

Discord is about giving people the power to create space to find belonging in their lives. We want to make it easier for you to talk regularly with the people you care about. We want you to build genuine relationships with your friends and communities close to home or around the world. Original, reliable, playful, and relatable. These are the values that connect our users and our employees at Discord. 

#LI-Remote

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $183,000 to $201,000 + equity + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role and level. Within the range, individual pay is determined by additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include equity, or benefits.