Lead Data Scientist, Ad Research
Company: The Walt Disney Company
Location: Seattle
Posted on: April 1, 2026
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Job Description:
Job Posting Title: Lead Data Scientist, Ad Research Req ID:
10142041 Job Description: Technology is at the heart of Disney’s
past, present, and future. Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product &
Technology is a global organization of engineers, product
developers, designers, technologists, data scientists, and more –
all working to build and advance the technological backbone for
Disney’s media business globally. The team marries technology with
creativity to build world-class products, enhance storytelling, and
drive velocity, innovation, and scalability for our businesses. We
are Storytellers and Innovators. Creators and Builders.
Entertainers and Engineers. We work with every part of The Walt
Disney Company’s media portfolio to advance the technological
foundation and consumer media touch points serving millions of
people around the world. Here are a few reasons why we think you’d
love working here: Building the future of Disney’s media: Our
Technologists are designing and building the products and platforms
that will power our media, advertising, and distribution businesses
for years to come. Reach, Scale & Impact: More than ever, Disney’s
technology and products serve as a signature doorway for fans'
connections with the company’s brands and stories. Disney. Hulu.
ESPN. ABC. ABC News…and many more. These products and brands – and
the unmatched stories, storytellers, and events they carry – matter
to millions of people globally. Innovation: We develop and
implement groundbreaking products and techniques that shape
industry norms, and solve complex and distinctive technical
problems. Ad Platforms is responsible for Disney’s industry-leading
ad technology and products – driving advertising performance,
innovation, and value in Disney’s sports, news, and entertainment
content, across all media platforms. The research/AI team is the
dedicated AI/ML and data science arm of the Ad Platform
organization. Its mission is to advance AI and machine learning
capabilities across Ad Platform by delivering scalable, high impact
AI/ML and data science solutions that enhance ad decisioning,
forecasting, experimentation and ad experience. We are seeking a
Lead Data Scientist to join this innovative team. This role is a
critical leadership opportunity for a seasoned data science
professional who thrives at the intersection of advanced analytics,
machine learning, and business strategy. As a Lead Data Scientist,
you will spearhead ML and data science initiatives that shape the
future of advertising technology. You will support generative AI
production development through rigorous evaluation and data
generation pipelines. You will be responsible for designing and
executing ML and data science solutions that drive measurable
impact across ad decisioning, forecasting, experimentation, and
user experience optimization, as well leading evaluation and
optimization of generative AI mixed media advertisement creation
and enhancement technologies. WHAT YOU’LL DO Drive innovation and
apply data science and statistical analysis in a variety of areas
to enhance every aspect of advertising serving, including inventory
forecasting, ad experience, ad pacing, pricing, targeting,
advertising creation and enhancement, and efficient ad delivery.
Translate business questions into data science framework; develop
data analysis and data models for complex ad challenges with fast
turnaround. Develop rigorous evaluation pipelines for generative AI
technologies, including visual generations (image, video) and/or
LLM-based agentic generations. Define and evaluate key metrics in
various product areas. Partner closely with generative AI
specialists to support the creation of datasets for generative AI
modeling applications. Develop Standard Operating Procedures for
human-driven evaluations or labeling. Deliver data insights and
provide data-driven recommendations to cross-team stakeholders.
Design and analyze A/B tests for machine learning algorithm
iterations. Establish strong partnership with stakeholders,
including product managers, engineers and program managers, in a
collaborative environment. Mentor team members and support their
technical growth. WHAT TO BRING Bachelor's in computer science,
statistics or equivalent experience At least 7 years of relevant
industry experience in data science at leading internet or creative
technology companies. Experience in the advertising domain is a
strong bonus. Experience creating ML datasets and rigorous dataset
labeling or evaluation processes for models. Strong interest to
learn about generative mixed media, generative video, and
diffusion-based technology. Solid knowledge of data science and
statistics. Strong communication skills and business acumen.
Proficient in SQL, Python, Java, or R. Familiar with Tableau,
and/or other visualization tools. Experience designing and building
machine learning models. Passionate about understanding the ad
business, applying data science to relevant business scenarios, and
seeking innovation opportunities to enhance business effectiveness.
Interested in supporting rapid prototyping, generative AI, and
creative technologies, including applications to advertisement
creation and enhancement. Experienced building data-driven services
and applications for production. A proven track record of thriving
in a fast-paced, data-driven, and collaborative work environment is
required. NICE-TO-HAVES MS or PhD in computer science, statistics
or equivalent experience Experience in digital video advertising or
digital marketing domain Experience in production-grade
development, rapid prototyping, or generative AI related research
using LLMs, generative imagery or video, or agentic flows.
Otherwise a strong interest to learn. Experience with Airflow, data
warehouse, Databricks or Sagemaker. DISNEYTECH The hiring range for
this position in Los Angeles, CA area is $155,700 - $208,700 per
year and Seattle Area 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. Job Posting Segment: Ad Platforms Job Posting
Primary Business: AP - Software Engineering Primary Job Posting
Category: Data Science Employment Type: Full time Primary City,
State, Region, Postal Code: Seattle, WA, USA Alternate City, State,
Region, Postal Code: USA - CA - 1200 Grand Central Ave, USA - CA -
2450 Broadway Date Posted: 2026-02-20
Keywords: The Walt Disney Company, Tacoma , Lead Data Scientist, Ad Research, IT / Software / Systems , Seattle, Washington
