Senior Data Scientist

Zynga is a global leader in interactive entertainment with a mission to connect the world through games and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). With massive global reach in more than 175 countries and regions, the combined diverse portfolio of popular game franchises has been downloaded more than 6 billion times on mobile, including Star Wars™: Hunters, CSR Racing™, Dragon City, Empires & Puzzles™, FarmVille™, Golf Rival™, Hair Challenge™, Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells™, High Heels!™, Merge Dragons!™, Merge Magic!™, Monster Legends, Toon Blast™, Top Eleven, Toy Blast™, Two Dots, Words With Friends™, and Zynga Poker™.Founded in 2007, Zynga is headquartered in California with locations in North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.zynga.com or follow Zynga on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or the Zynga blog

OUR TEAM

Zynga’s Applied AI group focuses on developing innovative ways to tackle problems within the game development process, demonstrating directly the ways that AI can improve the creativity and productivity of team members across Zynga. Our team is multi-disciplinary, and includes Engineers, Data Scientists and Product Managers among others. We build cloud-based tools and technologies to support every aspect of the development process, from concept development through to LiveOps and publishing operations.

To be successful in this role you should have curiosity about the areas of Game Development, Artificial Intelligence and Computational Creativity, be a proactive learner, have good depth in technical skills, and a strong desire to build high quality software that delivers value and efficiency.

KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Write well-crafted, efficient and testable code and algorithms
• Design and build AI systems that solve computational creativity challenges
• Implement and deploy solutions as part of a larger microservice architecture
• Plan and implement tasks of small to medium scale independently
• Excellent communication skills and comfort working in a collaborative inter-discipline environment

DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Ph.D. or M.S. in Computer Science with specialization in AI, or equivalent experience
• Experience building AI systems for games, procedural content generation, or computational creativity
• Understanding of principles of AI, including ML
• Familiarity with principles of game design and implementation
• Familiarity with Python, and at least one of Typescript, C++, or Unity C#
• Familiarity with containers and cloud infrastructure principles - AWS preferred
• Desire to learn and share knowledge with peers, collaborate in a cross-functional team

WHAT WE OFFER YOU

• Competitive salary, bonus plan and ESPP (Employee Stock Purchase Plan)
• 401K Company Match Contribution (US)
• RRSP/DPSP company match contribution (Canada)
• Health coverage, dental, disability, critical illness, EAP, and life insurance (Canada)
• Medical, dental, vision, EAP, life insurance, and disability benefits (US)
• Virtual mental health and neurodiversity support programs
• Global Fitness reimbursement program
• Global Wellbeing Program
• Financial wellness program with unlimited access to certified financial planners
• Discretionary Time Off policy for many employees
• Family planning support program
• Generous paid parental, pregnancy-related disability, caregiver, and compassionate leaves
• Zynga happy hours and frequent employee events
• Flexible working hours on many teams
• Culture of diversity and inclusion including employee resource groups
• Work with cool people and impact millions of daily players

This is a fully remote role that may be based anywhere in the United States. Below are the expected salary and wage ranges for applicants based in locations where the pay transparency law is in effect:

Colorado: $82,600 and $122,320 per year

California: $87,400 and $129,340 per year

New York State (inclusive of New York City): $98,400 and $145,620 per year

Washington: $82,600 and $122,320 per year

Base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations. Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards and eligibility to participate in our 401(K) plan, in addition to a full range of medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. Employees will also receive 16 paid holidays per calendar year, unlimited discretionary time off, and will receive up to 6.5 sick days per calendar year. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an "at-will position" and the company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation or benefit program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.

#LI-RK2

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, which means we are committed to creating and celebrating diverse thoughts, cultures, and backgrounds throughout our organization.  Employment with us is based on substantive ability, objective qualifications, and work ethic – not an individual’s race, creed, color, religion, sex or gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, alienage or citizenship status, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, status as a victim of domestic violence or sex offenses, reproductive health decision, or any other characteristics protected by applicable law.

As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to providing the necessary support and accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities, health conditions, or impairments (subject to any local qualifying requirements) to ensure their full participation in the job application or interview process. Please contact us at accommodationrequest@zynga.com to request any accommodations or for support related to your application for an open position.

Please be aware that Zynga does not conduct job interviews or make job offers over third-party messaging apps such as Telegram, WhatsApp, or others.  Zynga also does not engage in any financial exchanges during the recruitment or onboarding process, and will never ask a candidate for their personal or financial information over an app or other unofficial chat channel.  Any attempt to do so may be the result of a scamp or phishing attack, and you should not engage.  Zynga’s  in-house recruitment team will only contact individuals through their official Company email addresses (i.e., via a zynga.com, naturalmotion.com, smallgiantgames.com, themavens.com, gram.gs email domain).