Data Scientist (Kaggle-Grandmaster)

Mercor is hiring on behalf of a leading AI research lab to bring on a highly skilled Data Scientist with a Kaggle Grandmaster profile. In this role, you will transform complex datasets into actionable insights, high-performing models, and scalable analytical workflows. You will work closely with researchers and engineers to design rigorous experiments, build advanced statistical and ML models, and develop data-driven frameworks to support product and research decisions.

• Analyze large, complex datasets to uncover patterns, develop insights, and inform modeling direction
• Build predictive models, statistical analyses, and machine learning pipelines across tabular, time-series, NLP, or multimodal data
• Design and implement robust validation strategies, experiment frameworks, and analytical methodologies
• Develop automated data workflows, feature pipelines, and reproducible research environments
• Conduct exploratory data analysis (EDA), hypothesis testing, and model-driven investigations to support research and product teams
• Translate modeling outcomes into clear recommendations for engineering, product, and leadership teams
• Collaborate with ML engineers to productionize models and ensure data workflows operate reliably at scale
• Present findings through well-structured dashboards, reports, and documentation
• Kaggle Competitions Grandmaster or comparable achievement: top-tier rankings, multiple medals, or exceptional competition performance
• 3–5+ years of experience in data science or applied analytics
• Strong proficiency in Python and data tools (Pandas, NumPy, Polars, scikit-learn, etc.)
• Experience building ML models end-to-end: feature engineering, training, evaluation, and deployment
• Solid understanding of statistical methods, experiment design, and causal or quasi-experimental analysis
• Familiarity with modern data stacks: SQL, distributed datasets, dashboards, and experiment tracking tools
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to clearly present analytical insights
• Strong contributions across multiple Kaggle tracks (Notebooks, Datasets, Discussions, Code)
• Experience in an AI lab, fintech, product analytics, or ML-focused organization
• Knowledge of LLMs, embeddings, and modern ML techniques for text, images, and multimodal data
• Experience working with big data ecosystems (Spark, Ray, Snowflake, BigQuery, etc.)
• Familiarity with statistical modeling frameworks such as Bayesian methods or probabilistic programming
• Gain exposure to cutting-edge AI research workflows, collaborating closely with data scientists, ML engineers, and research leaders shaping next-generation analytical systems.
• Work on high-impact data science challenges while experimenting with advanced modeling strategies, new analytical methods, and competition-grade validation techniques.
• Collaborate with world-class AI labs and technical teams operating at the frontier of forecasting, experimentation, tabular ML, and multimodal analytics.
• Flexible engagement options (30-40 hrs/week or full-time) — ideal for data scientists eager to apply Kaggle-level problem-solving to real-world, production analytics.