Senior Manager, Data Science

Blizzard Entertainment is seeking an experienced Data Scientist to join the Platform Security team as a Senior Manager, Data Science. The Senior Manager champions the data science efforts on the Platform Security team, concentrating on player behavior and interactions. The team partners closely with game teams, platform teams, other technical teams, and customer service to help build a safe and welcoming environment for all gamers.

You’ll join the Player Interactions and Trust team, which includes data science, software engineering, and researchers working closely with all our game teams. The ideal candidate is passionate about machine learning, large language models, statistics, and deep learning and has expertise in designing highly scalable machine learning algorithms.

We’re looking for a highly experienced people manager that can help level up senior data scientists and assist team leadership in helping them reach their full potential and goals, in addition to providing some individual contribution work and help build short- and long-term roadmaps for the team.

This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work-from-home. The potential home studio for this role is Albany, NY or Irvine, CA. However, we understand each person’s circumstances may be unique and will work with you to explore other possible options, including remote work arrangements.

Responsibilities:

• Lead efforts to develop data science capabilities in Platform Security and collaborate with AI/ML teams across the greater Blizzard Entertainment organization.

• Manage a portfolio of machine learning and AI products and work closely with engineers to help improve the engineering platform in relation to data science work.

• Manage the data scientists on the team and help them learn & grow, gain a deeper understanding of data science, and achieve their career goals.

• Spearhead the development of generative AI applications that deliver business values.

• Work closely with data and software engineers to deploy, automate, and maintain models seamlessly on production systems.

• Architect platform-level solutions for machine learning systems.

• Communicate machine learning models and products to both technical and non-technical audiences, including executives and game team leadership.

• Be a part of the wider machine learning community within Blizzard to share ideas and learnings.

Requirements:

• 7+ years of hands-on applied or research experience developing machine learning models on large scale data sets.

• 3+ years of professional management experience with direct reports

• Expertise in machine learning and deep learning with a focus in natural language processing.

• Able to conduct research in relevant domains, stay updated with state-of-the-art (SOTA) advancements, and translate research findings into prototype solutions.

Pluses:

• Master’s or PhD with a specialization in deep learning, machine learning, computer vision, statistics, applied math, algorithm design, or a related quantitative field.

• Knowledge of SQL analysis, SQL DB architecture, CI/CD, and cloud services such as GCP and Azure

• Proficiency in one or more of the higher-level programming languages like Python or R

• Strong problem-solving, written and spoken communication skills.

• Able to stay current with industry advancements in generative AI to drive innovation.

• A love for gaming and experience with Blizzard Entertainment games.

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

Accommodation Request: We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

Our World

At Blizzard Entertainment, we pour our hearts and souls into everything we create. Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft, we’ve been creating genre-defining games for millions of players around the world for more than 30 years. We’re on a quest: bring our dreams to life and craft the most epic entertainment experiences…ever. Hard work, iteration and polish go into the Blizzard “secret recipe,” but the most important ingredients come from talented people who share our vision. If that sounds like you, join us.

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;

• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;

• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;

• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;

• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $134,320.00 - $248,404.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.