Principal Data Scientist

Universal Ads, a part of Comcast, enables any brand, of any size, to seamlessly make and buy commercials across premium video reaching new qualified audiences at scale. Universal Ads combines premium and brand-safe video content directly from the most influential media companies with the ease and familiarity of social ad buying. It is your one-stop shop for high-quality video ads delivering performance and unmatched scale.
Job Summary
We're looking for an experienced Data Scientist to join the Universal Ads team as our first dedicated data science hire. This role will help shape the foundation of Universal Ads' measurement, attribution, targeting, and optimization systems, defining how advertisers understand and improve performance across premium video. You'll work cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, and Data teams to design experiments and methodologies that power Universal Ads performance engine.
Job Description
Key Responsibilities

• Experience navigating and working with large data sets, and designing and analyzing experiments

• Develop experimentation and causal inference frameworks to quantify the impact of new products and advertiser-level performance ramps, including methods to address skewness and low-signal environments

• Analyze large-scale identity, auction, and conversion datasets to uncover performance drivers, optimize advertiser ROI, and inform measurement and optimization roadmap

• Support the development of advanced measurement methodologies (e.g. Halo), collaborating closely with Product and Engineering to test, validate, and scale solutions

• Translate analytical insights into production-ready features and system improvements

• Stay current with advancements in data science, machine learning, and advertising technology, incorporating new methodologies and tools into the team's workflow

• Conduct rigorous analyses and communicate findings clearly to technical stakeholders, driving data-informed decisions across teams
• Interacts and leads meetings with product and service teams to identify questions and issues for data analysis and experiments.
• Provides consultative direction for use of analytical rigor and statistical methods to analyze large amounts of data, extracting actionable insights using advanced statistical techniques such as data analysis, data mining, optimization tools and machine learning techniques and statistics (e.g., predictive models, lifetime value, propensity models).
• Researches, educates and applies knowledge of existing and emerging data science principles, theories, and techniques to inform business decisions.
• Leads the development of customer centric models and optimization tools to support large scale projects that utilize online and offline data, structured and unstructured data, set top box data and media/behavioral/attitudinal data.
• Consistent exercise of independent judgment and discretion in matters of significance.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering, Economics, or a related quantitative field

• 10+ years of experience in data science, analytics, or applied statistics (or 5+ years with Ph.D.)

• Proven ability to work with large, complex datasets

• Proficiency in Python, SQL or R and statistical/machine learning libraries

• Strong understanding of experiment design, causal inference, and modeling techniques (e.g., regression, uplift modeling, Bayesian methods).

• Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Looker, Plotly) and storytelling for non-technical audiences.

Employees at all levels are expected to:
Understand our Operating Principles; make them the guidelines for how you do your job.
Own the customer experience - think and act in ways that put our customers first, give them seamless digital options at every touchpoint, and make them promoters of our products and services.
Know your stuff - be enthusiastic learners, users and advocates of our game-changing technology, products and services, especially our digital tools and experiences.
Win as a team - make big things happen by working together and being open to new ideas.
Be an active part of the Net Promoter System - a way of working that brings more employee and customer feedback into the company - by joining huddles, making call backs and helping us elevate opportunities to do better for our customers.
Drive results and growth.
Support a culture of inclusion in how you work and lead.
Do what's right for each other, our customers, investors and our communities.
Disclaimer:This information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees in this role. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications.
Comcast is an equal opportunity workplace. We will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law. Comcast will consider for employment applicants with arrest or conviction records in accordance with the requirements of applicable law, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Please note that federal state, or local laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit Comcast from hiring individuals convicted of certain crimes. Additionally, an applicant's criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship on the job duties of this position, which may result in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment.
Skills:
Predictive Modeling; Statistical Analysis Techniques; Data Analysis; Big Data; Statistical Methods; Taking Initiative
Salary:
Primary Location Pay Range: $194,371.36 - $291,557.04
Additional Range: This job can be performed in California with a Pay Range of $181,405.15 - $295,769.27
Comcast intends to offer the selected candidate base pay within this range, dependent on job-related, non-discriminatory factors such as experience. The application window is 30 days from the date job is posted, unless the number of applicants requires it to close sooner or later.
Base pay is one part of the Total Rewards that Comcast provides to compensate and recognize employees for their work. Most sales positions are eligible for a Commission under the terms of an applicable plan, while most non-sales positions are eligible for a Bonus. Additionally, Comcast provides best-in-class Benefits to eligible employees. We believe that benefits should connect you to the support you need when it matters most, and should help you care for those who matter most. That's why we provide an array of options, expert guidance and always-on tools, that are personalized to meet the needs of your reality - to help support you physically, financially and emotionally through the big milestones and in your everyday life. Please visit the compensation and benefits summary on our careers site for more details.
Education
Master's Degree
While possessing the stated degree is preferred, Comcast also may consider applicants who hold some combination of coursework and experience, or who have extensive related professional experience.
Relevant Work Experience
15 Years +