Principal Data Scientist

Sr. Principal Data ScientistWelcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of.When we say, "the stuff dreams are made of," we're not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD's vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what's next…From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.Your new role:As a Sr. Principal Data Scientist, you will operate at the highest technical individual-contributor level at Warner Bros. Discovery—serving as a company-wide authority in advanced Data Science, Machine Learning, and Applied AI.This role is designed for an elite practitioner with 15–18+ years of experience, including 10–14 years of deep, hands-on expertise in Data Science, ML, and AI systems at enterprise scale. Unlike leadership or management roles, this position is purely an IC role, focused on technical depth, architectural rigor, and scientific excellence, without formal people-management responsibilities.You will design, architect, and deliver some of WBD's most complex and business-critical AI systems, directly influencing how the company creates, distributes, personalizes, monetizes, and optimizes content across streaming, linear TV, advertising, and direct-to-consumer platforms.This is a hands-on, high-impact role for a technologist who thrives on solving unsolved problems, pushing the boundaries of applied ML, and translating advanced science into durable business advantage.Enterprise-Grade Applied AI & ML Leadership (IC)Act as one of WBD's most senior technical ICs in Data Science and Machine Learning.Lead the end-to-end design and implementation of advanced ML systems across: Content intelligence & metadata enrichmentAudience modelling & personalizationForecasting, optimization, and experimentationAdvertising intelligence & monetization analyticsSet technical direction and standards for complex ML implementations without direct people management.Advanced Modelling & Scientific ExcellenceDesign and implement state-of-the-art models, including: Large-scale recommender systemsTime-series forecasting & probabilistic modelsCausal inference, experimentation & uplift modellingNLP, generative AI & multimodal ML systemsComputer vision & video intelligence pipelinesApply rigorous statistical thinking, experimentation discipline, and scientific validation to all solutions.Serve as a final technical reviewer for high-risk or high-impact ML solutions.Architecture of Scalable ML SystemsArchitect production-grade ML systems integrated with WBD's cloud data ecosystem (AWS, Snowflake, GCP).Define best practices for: Feature engineering & feature storesModel lifecycle management & MLOpsCI/CD for ML, model monitoring, and drift detectionReproducibility, governance, and responsible AIPartner deeply with data engineering, platform, and product engineering teams to ensure scalable, resilient delivery.High-Impact Business Problem SolvingOwn and deliver mission-critical AI solutions across: Content performance prediction & ratings intelligenceMarketing attribution & lifecycle analyticsSearch, discovery & ranking systemsAd load optimization & pricing intelligenceOperational forecasting & automationTranslate complex modelling outputs into clear, executive-ready insights that drive decisions.Executive & Cross-Functional Influence (Without Line Management)Serve as a trusted technical advisor to senior leaders across Streaming, Content, Ad Sales, Marketing, and Technology.Communicate complex ML concepts with clarity and credibility to non-technical stakeholders.Influence enterprise AI roadmaps, architectural decisions, and investment priorities through expertise—not hierarchy.Technical Mentorship & Community LeadershipMentor senior and staff-level data scientists through technical guidance, design reviews, and deep problem-solving.Contribute to internal AI communities of practice, technical forums, and standards bodies.Elevate overall engineering and scientific rigor across the Data Science organization.Qualifications & Experiences:Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Operations Research, or related disciplines.18–20 years of total experience, with 13–15 years in Data Science/ML, including hands-on technical leadership.Deep expertise in: Predictive modeling, optimization, and advanced ML techniquesMLOps and large-scale model deploymentModern cloud ecosystems (AWS/GCP/Snowflake)Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow, SQL, ML frameworksExperiment design, causal inference, and statistical modelingDemonstrated experience in Media & Entertainment, streaming, digital advertising, or consumer intelligence.Strong track record of delivering enterprise-impact through AI solutions.Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to influence executives and inspire technical teams.PreferredExperience developing or customizing Large Language Models or multimodal foundation models.Patent, publication, or conference-track record in ML/AI.Experience with video intelligence, CV for media workflows, or content metadata systems.Experience partnering with product and engineering organizations in a fast-paced environment.Championing Inclusion at WBDWarner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.If you're a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.