Director, Data Science

About the role

DuckDuckGo is looking for a Director of Data Science to lead a high‑performing team of data scientists. In this remote‑first position you will own end‑to‑end product and business impact, from shaping strategy to delivering measurable results.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and mentor a team of data scientists, setting clear expectations and removing blockers.
• Guide multiple data‑science projects involving statistical modeling, experiment design, and classifier implementation across search, instant answers, AI, and revenue optimization.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally to validate direction with data, build trust in tactics, and influence organizational strategy.
• Improve and maintain data pipelines while respecting DuckDuckGo’s strong privacy policies.
• Deploy and iterate ML and NLP solutions in production, ensuring fast response times and strict privacy compliance.

Required profile

• 10+ years of experience in data science or ML engineering, with at least 4 years leading teams.
• Proven ability to set multi‑team roadmaps and adapt quickly to shifting priorities.
• Track record of fostering a data‑driven culture and communicating technical trade‑offs to executives.
• Experience coaching highly skilled data scientists and providing actionable feedback.

Required skills

• Python (production‑grade code)
• Advanced SQL and query optimization
• Columnar databases: BigQuery, Clickhouse, Redshift, Druid
• Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, classifier implementation
• Experiment design and statistical modeling
• LLM/AI experience: fine‑tuning, LLM‑as‑judge evaluation, AI‑assisted development
• Production deployment of ML/NLP solutions in privacy‑constrained environments