Lead Data Scientist

Job ID 10146109 Location San Francisco, California, United States / Glendale, California, United States / New York, New York, United States Business Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology Date posted Mar. 31, 2026

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Job Summary:

Role Location:

This is an on-site role requiring 4 days in-person at designated office location.

Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology

On any given day at Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology, we’re reimagining ways to create magical viewing experiences for the world’s most beloved stories while also transforming Disney’s media business for the future. Whether that’s evolving our streaming and digital products in new and immersive ways, powering worldwide advertising and distribution to maximize flexibility and efficiency, or delivering Disney’s unmatched entertainment and sports content, every day is a moment to make a difference to partners and to hundreds of millions of people around the world.

A few reasons why we think you’d love working for Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology

Building the future of Disney’s media business: DE&E Technologists are designing and building the infrastructure that will power Disney’s media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come.
Reach & Scale: The products and platforms this group builds and operates delight millions of consumers every minute of every day – from Disney+ and Hulu, to ABC News and Entertainment, to ESPN and ESPN+, and much more.
Innovation: We develop and execute groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms and enhance how audiences experience sports, entertainment & news.

Job Summary:

The Lead Data Scientist is a senior technical leader responsible for driving innovation in personalization, experimentation, and large-scale data insight generation across ESPN’s streaming products. This role blends deep statistical expertise, strong technical execution, and exceptional communication skills to influence product strategy and guide a growing team of data scientists.

A successful candidate will lead the development of advanced experimentation frameworks, actionable dashboards, personalization insights, and scalable data science solutions that directly empower product managers, content programmers, and executive leadership. They will set technical direction, elevate data quality and standards, and champion automation and AI-assisted workflows to accelerate team productivity.

Responsibilities and Duties of the Role:

Lead Technical Direction & Mentorship
Provide technical leadership for the data science team, guiding junior and mid‑level data scientists through best practices in experimentation, modeling, analytics, and data storytelling.
Drive Personalization Insights & Strategy
Identify, analyze, and deliver high‑impact insights for ESPN personalization—including user behavior trends, recommendation system performance, and content engagement patterns—to influence product decisions.
Architect & Execute Advanced Experimentation
Design and analyze large‑scale A/B and multivariate experiments using rigorous statistical methods, power analysis, variance reduction techniques, and causal inference frameworks.
Develop Scalable Data Insight Products
Lead the design of automated dashboards, visualizations, and decision‑support tools, while partnering with Data Engineering to build durable, production‑ready data pipelines and science workflows.
Lead High‑Impact, Cross‑Functional Projects
Own end‑to‑end delivery of complex data science initiatives by collaborating with Product, Engineering, Content Programming, and Executive stakeholders, translating technical findings into actionable recommendations.

Minimum Qualification:

7+ years of experience in Data Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, or a related field, ideally supporting large-scale online platforms.
Bachelors degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, or a relevant field or equivalent industry experience.
Proven track record of delivering high-quality experimentation analyses and actionable insights that influenced product strategy.
Deep expertise in statistical testing, causal inference, and experiment design (A/B testing, power analysis, sequential testing, etc.).
Strong proficiency in Python, SQL, and modern ML/statistics libraries (pandas, scikit-learn, PyTorch/TensorFlow optional).
Experience working with large-scale datasets in distributed computing environments (Spark, Databricks, Snowflake, etc.).
Strong familiarity with data engineering best practices and building durable data science assets on top of production-grade data.
Demonstrated success with dashboarding tools (Tableau, Looker, Mode) and crafting data stories for a variety of stakeholders.
Experience applying automation and AI-driven tools to streamline workflows, improve standardization, and optimize productivity.
Exceptional communication skills, especially in translating technical analyses into compelling stories for product managers and executives.
Ability to lead projects with high ambiguity and cross-functional complexity.

Preferred qualification:

Experience with personalization algorithms, recommender systems, or ranking models.
Familiarity with streaming or media tech ecosystems.
Advanced degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, or a relevant field or equivalent industry experience

The hiring range for this position in Los Angeles, CA area is $155,700 - $208,700 per year and New York City is $163,100 - $218,700. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

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About Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology:

At Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology, we’re blending imagination and innovation to reimagine the ways people experience and engage with the world’s most beloved stories and products. Our work is wide-ranging and deeply sophisticated. We create amazing experiences, transform the future of media, and build products and platforms that enable the connection between people everywhere and the stories and sports they love.

Disney’s ability to marry world-class technology with one-of-a-kind creativity makes us unique. It is at the heart of our past, present, and future. We are Storytellers and Innovators. Creators and Builders. Entertainers and Engineers.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

This position is with Disney Entertainment & Sports LLC, which is part of a business we call Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology.

Disney Entertainment & Sports LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, genetic information or disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney champions a business environment where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a constantly evolving world.

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Explore this Location San Francisco, CA

Famous for grand-dame Victorians, cable cars, a dynamic waterfront, and a soaring golden bridge, San Francisco truly has it all. With trend-defining cuisine ranging from Michelin-starred dining to outrageous food trucks; world-renowned symphony, ballet, theater, and opera; plus almost boundless outdoor adventures, San Francisco justifiably stands out as one of the ultimate must-visit cities on any traveler’s wish list.