About the Data Science Team

We're looking for data scientists with deep expertise in machine learning, optimization,  building data products, and/or statistics. As part of a small product team you will have full ownership over your domain, so you should be a person who dreams big, then executes well.  

At Thumbtack, the Data Science team is responsible for a wide variety of problems spanning machine learning, statistics, and computer science:

• Characterize marketplace dynamics. Thumbtack’s marketplaces consist of thousands of active markets across our service categories and U.S. cities. Via exploratory data analysis and experimental design, our team works to understand trends and behaviors within these markets.
• Improve customer and service provider matching. Matching and optimization algorithms are fundamental to Thumbtack’s product: we now service millions of matches per week. Identifying better matches between customers and service providers has an incredible impact on the experience of customers and professionals transacting on our platform.
• Model complex relationships in the presence of many confounding factors. Predictive modeling problems are everywhere across our product. Our team works to scope, design and implement machine learning models to support Thumbtack’s product.

Challenge 

Our team is at the forefront of a massive amount of user data. We need to think a lot about both scaling as well as how to provide experiences for a wide set of users that we don’t necessarily know a ton about immediately. We are building experiences into our apps to onboard, engage, and re-engage our users and are constantly experimenting to produce delightful and consistent user experiences.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute experiments, collect and analyze data to characterize our product
• Architect and deploy machine learning systems to production
• Design and implement metrics that align with company goals
• Analyze a wide variety of data: structured and unstructured, observational and experimental
• Collaborate with engineering, marketing, and economists to use sound statistical practices.

Must-Have Qualifications

If you don't think you meet all of the criteria below but still are interested in the job, please apply. Nobody checks every box, and we're looking for someone excited to join the team.

• 2 plus years of industry experience, M.S. or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, Math, Statistics, or other relevant technical field
• Expert knowledge of machine learning techniques: regression and classification, clustering, neural networks, boosted decision trees, etc.
• Ability to effectively read, write, and debug code in programming languages such as Python
• Good knowledge of probability and statistics, including experimental design, optimization, and causal inference
• Excellent written and verbal technical communication skills

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, Math, or Statistics
• Expert knowledge of probability and statistics, including experimental design, predictive modeling, optimization, and causal inference
• Experience with large-scale distributed systems

Thumbtack is a virtual-first company, meaning you can live and work from any one of our approved locations across the United States, Ontario or the Philippines. When it is safe to gather, we will begin to host in-person events on a regular basis. Remote employees will be expected to travel occasionally for these events to a Thumbtack library or offsite team-building location. In cities with 5+ employees, we are establishing local communities, where employees can gather for local events. Additionally, employees in the San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Toronto and Manila areas will have opt-in access to communal workspace at one of our Thumbtack libraries. We always prioritize the health and safety of our employees. Currently, participation in these events and Thumbtack library use are optional. Both require employees to be fully vaccinated.

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