Manager, Data Science – Central Player Dynamics

Los Angeles, CA
September 9, 2024
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Job Description

Riot Data Scientists combine their wide technical expertise across data processing, automation, machine learning (“ML”), artificial intelligence (“AI”), and experimental design to inform decisions and develop data-powered products. As a Data Science leader, you’ll dive into projects that focus on cross-team goals. You’ll provide other data scientists with a north star of “what extraordinary data science should look like”. You are the lead for complex or significant technical work, where the problem requires evaluation of intangibles. You can customize methods to suit an unusual data problem and juggle technical requirements. You work at a multi-team scale, guiding product vision, technical designs, and other scientists’ development across an organization. You lead by example, but you also lead by leading – you achieve results while elevating others’ data science craft.

As a Manager, Data Science in Riot’s Central Player Dynamics team, you will lead a team of 3-6 people and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams of Software Engineers, Data Engineers, and Data Scientists.  Your goal is to make our games a safer and more inclusive space by using data and machine learning to moderate behaviors that violate our in game Code of Conduct, and to recognize and reward positive play.

Responsibilities:

  • Ensure the delivery of player value through your team’s projects, being accountable for the team’s deliverables and technical design.
  • Contribute to the success of the overall team mission by proposing products and solutions that benefit players.
  • Act as a pivotal liaison between your team, stakeholders, and other organizational units, fostering a collaborative environment to ensure alignment around the broader data product vision.
  • Communicate clearly and often, ensuring your stakeholders and team are well-informed. 
  • Build healthy, highly functional teams strongly aligned with Riot culture, keeping aligned with your leadership team on hiring needs and being a skilled and effective interviewer.
  • Understand and maintain good team health and resolve personnel issues quickly and effectively across organizations.
  • Hold a high bar for performance, grow and coach every team member, and build succession plans to backfill key roles and eliminate single points of failure effectively.
  • Ensure the team is building products/services meeting high data science, ML, AI, and data engineering standards and that products are well-tested and well-supported operationally.
  • Be a great career mentor/coach, partner with recruiting in hiring world-class scientists and engineers, and create a diverse and inclusive team environment.

Required Qualifications:

  • M.S. in ML, AI, Statistics, Math, or related Computer Science/Quantitative field with 4+ years of industry experience or equivalent experience (i.e., Ph.D. with 2+ years relevant experience, or B.S. with 6+ years relevant experience).
  • Experience in a role involving content moderation.
  • Proven ability to mentor and coach data science teams to success.
  • Hands-on programming experience using Python and Large Language Models.
  • Deep knowledge of data science methodologies, including machine learning, statistics, deep learning, and optimization.
  • Experience in deploying and operating machine learning models at scale.
  • Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, with a proven track record of effectively engaging with multidisciplinary teams.

Desired Qualifications:

  • Experience in the gaming industry, particularly with online multiplayer games.
  • Experience working with cross-discipline organizations that build data products.

For this role, you’ll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes the delight of players. We will be looking at your past studies, experience, and your personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about players’ experiences, this could be your role!

Our Perks:

Riot has a focus on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy, in addition to other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner and children and a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information.

Riot Games fosters a player and workplace experience that values teamwork embodied by the Summoner’s Code and Community Code. Our culture embraces differences as a strength, and our values are the guiding principles for how we approach work. We are committed to putting diversity and inclusion (D&I) at the center of everything we do, and promoting a fair and collaborative culture where Rioters treat one another with dignity and respect. We encourage you to read more about our value of thriving together and our ongoing work to build the most inclusive company in gaming.

It’s our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law. We consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including the California Fair Chance Act, the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the Washington Fair Chance Act. 

Per the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the following core duties may create a basis for disqualifying candidates with relevant criminal histories:

  • Safeguarding confidential and sensitive Company data 

  • Communication with others, including Rioters and third parties such as vendors, and/or players, including minors

  • Accessing Company assets, secure digital systems, and networks

  • Ensuring a safe interactive environment for players and other Rioters

These duties are directly related to essential operations, safety, trust, and compliance obligations within our organization. Please note that job duties may evolve based on business needs and additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency and security.