Senior Data Scientist

Location:

Department:

About the Role

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Data Scientist to lead the end-to-end design, enhancement, and deployment of a machine learning solution that predicts the virality of press articles. This role is part of a high-impact digital media analytics project designed to support brand reputation management by forecasting which headlines are likely to gain rapid traction.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in natural language processing (NLP), deep learning (especially transformer models like BERT), and hands-on experience with Azure AI services. You will drive the evolution of a proof-of-concept Python model into a scalable, production-grade Azure-based solution integrated with downstream generative AI interfaces.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and optimization of a BERT-based pairwise comparison model for predicting press article virality.
• Incorporate temporal dynamics into modeling strategy to enhance prediction accuracy over time.
• Design and implement scalable ML pipelines using Azure AI Hub, Foundry, Blob Storage, and Cosmos DB.
• Collaborate with architecture and platform teams to ensure smooth lift-and-shift deployment of the solution into client environments.
• Integrate outputs with Azure OpenAI (GPT-4o) to build conversational interfaces via Microsoft Copilot Studio or Power Apps.
• Evaluate model performance using robust metrics (accuracy, AUC-ROC, ranking correlation).
• Manage compute budgets (under $1,000/month) through cost-efficient compute planning and Azure monitoring tools.
• Work closely with stakeholders to translate business requirements into ML model specifications and insights delivery.
• Stay up-to-date with advances in NLP, ranking models, and Azure ML ecosystem.

Required Skills & Experience

• 610 years of experience in Data Science or Machine Learning, with a strong focus on NLP or content-based recommendation systems.
• Deep proficiency in Python, with expertise in transformers, PyTorch/TensorFlow, Hugging Face, and data science libraries (pandas, scikit-learn).
• Hands-on experience with BERT, pairwise learning, and ranking models.
• Prior exposure to temporal modeling techniques (e.g., sliding windows, time-based feature engineering).
• Strong experience with the Azure ecosystem, including:
• Azure AI Hub and Foundry
• Azure Machine Learning
• Azure OpenAI
• Azure Cosmos DB and Blob Storage
• Azure Monitor and Application Insights
• Experience designing or integrating generative AI solutions (e.g., GPT-4, Claude, Gemini).
• Familiarity with CRISP-DM methodology or other structured data science lifecycles.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with media or digital marketing datasets (clickstream, headlines, user interactions).
• Knowledge of semantic search or vector databases.
• Understanding of Copilot/Chatbot development on Microsoft platforms.
• Experience managing data science projects with budget constraints and deployment pipelines.
• Published research or prototypes in NLP or content virality modeling is a strong plus.