Principal Data Scientist, Ads

What you'll do

• Define the future of Ads Data Science: Own the design and long-term evolution of our core Ads Data Science solutions and infrastructure, building for the next several years of continued scale, revenue growth, and relevance.
• Strategic leadership & scientific roadmap: Identify fundamental gaps and opportunities in our current systems (including platform, auction, targeting, and full-funnel relevance models). Lead the strategic design and scientific roadmap for new solutions to significantly improve Advertiser ROI, User experience, and Reddit revenue.
• Drive end-to-end impact: Take end-to-end ownership of complex problem domains such as full funnel acceleration, advertiser lifetime value (LTV), and developing advanced predictive and causal frameworks that power Reddit's strategic investments.
• Establish scientific standards: Define and codify best practices for large-scale statistical modeling, economic analysis, causal inference, offline model evaluation, and A/B experimentation to ensure scientific rigor and trust across the Ads data science and engineering teams.
• Technical deep dive & authority: Be the undisputed domain authority for data scientists, engineers, and product managers on complex problems involving large-scale behavioral data, foundational models for strategic insights, and the economics of marketplace dynamics.
• Translate ambiguity into outcomes: Influence the design and definition of core business and performance metrics, robust measurement methodologies, and collaborate deeply with cross-org XFNs to align on strategic goals and translate insights into tangible action.
• Influence and uplevel the organization: Lead technically minded peers and mentor senior data scientists, influencing technical and statistical direction across the entire product and engineering organization, and championing innovation in ad systems through advanced quantitative techniques.

Requirements

• Demonstrated expertise in at least one of the following: ads marketplace understanding, auctioning/bidding, ads creative & format evaluation, measurement & experimentation at scale
• Master's or Ph.D. in Economics, Statistics, Computer Science, Operations Research, or a related quantitative discipline
• For M.S. holders: 12+ years of industry experience in applied science, data science, or machine learning engineering roles
• For Ph.D. holders: 8+ years of relevant experience applied science, data science, or machine learning engineering roles
• Advanced proficiency in statistical programming (Python or R) and SQL
• Experience with statistical analysis, economic modeling, foundational machine learning and/or optimization techniques
• Strong understanding of experimental design, causal inference, or A/B testing methodologies
• Exceptional problem-solving and communication skills, with a track record of influencing product and engineering partners
• Experience working in fast-paced, ambiguous environments with cross-functional teams
• Proven experience in influencing large (500+ engineers/data scientists) organizations on technical direction, statistical rigor, and machine learning best practice

Benefits

• Comprehensive Healthcare Benefits and Income Replacement Programs
• 401k with Employer Match
• Global Benefit programs that fit your lifestyle, from workspace to professional development to caregiving support
• Family Planning Support
• Gender-Affirming Care
• Mental Health & Coaching Benefits
• Flexible Vacation & Paid Volunteer Time Off
• Generous Paid Parental Leave

Pay Transparency

This job posting may span more than one career level.

In addition to base salary, this job is eligible to receive equity in the form of restricted stock units, and depending on the position offered, it may also be eligible to receive a commission. Additionally, Reddit offers a wide range of benefits to U.S.-based employees, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) program with employer match, generous time off for vacation, and parental leave.

To provide greater transparency to candidates, we share base salary ranges for all US-based job postings regardless of state. We set standard base pay ranges for all roles based on function, level, and country location, benchmarked against similar stage growth companies. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including, skills, depth of work experience and relevant licenses/credentials, and may vary from the amounts listed below.

The base salary range for this position is: $268,000—$365,100 USD

In select roles and locations, the interviews will be recorded, transcribed and summarized by artificial intelligence (AI). You will have the opportunity to opt out of recording, transcription and summarization prior to any scheduled interviews.

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