Director, Data Science

Hi, we’re Underdog!

We’re the fastest-growing sports gaming company ever.

We build innovative games and products for American sports fans.

Founded in 2020, our team built four of today’s most widely played fantasy games and recently launched our Underdog Sportsbook. We are the only sportsbook to ever launch on our own home grown technology, which allows us to build different and innovative experiences. We believe there’s so much more to be built for sports fans, and we’ll continue to win by building the best products and experiences for our customers.

The opportunity in front of us to become the biggest company in our space is massive; after all, we’re currently sitting in the fastest-growing consumer industry in the U.S. In just over two years, we reached a nearly $500 million valuation through some of the best investors in the game, including Mark Cuban, Kevin Durant, BlackRock, and SV Angel. We are many times larger now and our growth is not slowing down.

At Underdog, we believe that sports are for everyone and are building a tomorrow for every fan. Want to help create that future? Join us.

About the role and why it’s unique:

At Underdog Fantasy, we’re building the most innovative and engaging fantasy sports experience. Our Analytics & Data Science team plays a crucial role in shaping the future of our business by leveraging data to drive decision-making and build better, more personalized products and experiences for our users. We’re looking for a Director of Data Science to lead a team of talented data scientists in developing customer LTV, churn prediction, MMM, propensity, and uplift models, as well as recommender systems to power personalized user experiences.

• Lead and mentor a team of data scientists, fostering a collaborative and high-performing culture.
• Develop predictive models, including customer LTV, churn prediction, MMM, and propensity models, ensuring they drive measurable business outcomes.
• Build and refine recommender systems to personalize CRM communications, promotions, and in-app user experiences.
• Work closely with engineering teams to productionize models and integrate them into existing workflows.
• Partner with product, marketing, and CRM teams to design and implement data-driven personalization strategies.
• Act as a thought partner to stakeholders across the business, translating complex data science problems into actionable insights.
• Stay informed on industry trends and emerging techniques in data science and machine learning.
• Promote best practices in model development, validation, and monitoring to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Who you are:

• 10+ years of experience in data science, with 4+ years in a leadership role.
• Proven expertise in building and deploying machine learning models, including at least one or more of LTV, churn prediction, MMM, and recommender systems.
• Strong understanding of personalization techniques and strategies.
• Proficiency in Python, R, SQL, and modern machine learning frameworks.
• Ability to lead and inspire a team, fostering a culture of collaboration and professional growth.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to convey complex ideas to technical and non-technical audiences.
• A strategic thinker who aligns data science initiatives with business objectives.

Even better if you have:

• Experience in the sports or real-money-gaming industry.
• Background in optimizing CRM and marketing strategies through data science.
• Experience deploying machine learning models in production environments.

Our target starting base salary range for this position is between $208,000 and $235,000, plus target equity. The starting base salary will depend on a number of factors including the candidate’s skills and experience, among other things.

What we can offer you:

• Unlimited PTO (we're extremely flexible with the exception of the first few weeks before & into the NFL season)
• 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave
• A $500 home office allowance
• A connected virtual first culture with a highly engaged distributed workforce
• 5% 401k match, FSA, company paid health, dental, vision plan options for employees and dependents

#LI-REMOTE

This position may require sports betting licensure based on certain state regulations.

Underdog is an equal opportunity employer and doesn't discriminate on the basis of creed, race, sexual orientation, gender, age, disability status, or any other defining characteristic.