Data Science Lead

About Spokeo

Join our mission to make the world more transparent with data.

Spokeo is a people search engine that helps over 18 million monthly visitors reconnect with friends, reunite with families, and protect against fraud. Additionally, our 12 billion records and over 250 million unique profiles help business professionals locate people and assets, research criminal investigation subjects, and more.

Founded in 2006, we have grown to a company of nearly 200 dedicated employees, with flexible work locations and an average tenure of 5.3 years. Find out why we were named a “Best Company” by Comparably for Women, Compensation, Happiest Employees, Company Perks & Benefits, and Work-Life Balance, as well as “Best CEO” for co-founder Harrison Tang.

About This Opportunity

We are seeking a Data Science Lead who will own the strategic vision and execution of Spokeo’s data science function. This individual will lead a team of data scientists, while also being hands-on in designing and deploying models that drive our core search and analytics capabilities, as well as providing business insights. The ideal candidate is a strong technical expert and an effective people leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment.

What You'll Do

• Leadership & Strategy: Define and drive Spokeo’s data science vision, ensuring alignment with business objectives and industry best practices.
• Model Development & Optimization: Design, implement, and enhance machine learning models for entity resolution, search relevance, fraud detection, and data fusion across billions of records.
• Data Infrastructure & Integration: Collaborate with engineering teams to develop scalable data pipelines and optimize data processing workflows.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with product, engineering, and marketing teams to translate business challenges into data-driven solutions.
• People Management: Mentor, develop, and grow a high-performing team of data scientists, ensuring continuous learning and innovation.
• Regulatory & Compliance: Ensure all data science initiatives align with privacy regulations and ethical AI guidelines.
• Innovation & Thought Leadership: Stay ahead of industry trends and introduce cutting-edge methodologies that enhance Spokeo’s data capabilities.

Key Deliverables (12-Month Horizon)

• Launch and optimize a new machine learning model that improves the accuracy and efficiency of Spokeo’s search and matching algorithms.
• Establish a robust experimentation framework to enable continuous A/B testing and model performance evaluation.
• Hire and develop top-tier talent, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration within the data science team.
• Implement advanced data quality techniques to enhance the reliability and comprehensiveness of Spokeo’s datasets.
• Drive key business KPIs through the application of AI/ML techniques in customer segmentation, fraud detection, and personalization.

What You've Done

• MS or PhD in Computer Science, Data Science, AI/ML, Statistics, or a related field.
• 7+ years of hands-on experience in data science roles, with at least 3 years leading teams in a fast-paced tech environment.
• Strong proficiency in Python, SQL, and ML frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn).
• Experience with big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Hadoop, Snowflake) and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
• Proven track record of deploying machine learning models at scale.
• Ability to translate complex data insights into actionable business strategies.
• Strong people management skills with a demonstrated ability to mentor and develop high-performing teams.
• Familiarity with information services, people search, or data aggregation industries is a plus.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in NLP, search ranking algorithms, or knowledge graph development.
• Background in privacy-focused data handling and ethical AI practices.
• Experience working with legal and compliance teams on data governance policies.

Working at Spokeo

Spokeo offers a bonus program, equity plans, and a 401K for qualified roles. Once a year, we do a discretionary, merit-based salary increase. Additional benefits include 100% medical/dental/vision coverage and unlimited employee PTO.

Spokeo extends written offers to candidates who successfully complete their selection process. Spokeo’s offers include a base salary, participation in a company bonus program, stock options, and comprehensive benefits. A final offer will depend on several factors, including, but not limited to, marketplace competition, job leveling, the candidate’s experience, skills, etc.

Privacy Notice for Candidates: https://www.spokeo.com/recruiting-policy

Spokeo is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status. Spokeo fosters a business culture where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best products, and be relevant in a rapidly changing world.

Recruiters or staffing agencies: Spokeo is not obligated to compensate any external recruiter or search firm who presents a candidate or their resume or profile to a Spokeo employee without 1) a current, fully executed agreement on file, and 2) being assigned to the open position (as a search) via our applicant tracking solution.

Spokeo is a people search engine that helps over 18 million monthly visitors reconnect with friends, reunite with families, and protect against fraud. Additionally, our 12 billion records and over 250 million unique profiles help business professionals locate people and assets, research criminal investigation subjects, and more.