Senior Ranking Data Scientist
Mercor • Remote • Posted 44 days ago
Education
Any
Type
Pay Rate
$112.5/task
Posted
44d ago
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About this Role
The main function of a Ranking Data Scientist is to produce innovative improvements to machine learning models by leveraging exploratory data analysis from complex and high-dimensional datasets.
Pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act, Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, qualified applicants will be considered for assignment with arrest and conviction records. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness, meet client expectations, standards, and accompanying requirements, and safeguard business operations and company reputation.
Location Requirements
Responsibilities
Qualifications
About Cincinnatus
Equal Employment Opportunity
The main function of a Ranking Data Scientist is to produce innovative improvements to machine learning models by leveraging exploratory data analysis from complex and high-dimensional datasets. Pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act, Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, qualified applicants will be considered for assignment with arrest and conviction records. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness, meet client expectations, standards, and accompanying requirements, and safeguard business operations and company reputation. Cincinnatus is an enterprise staffing company that partners with leading technology companies to source and employ highly skilled professionals for full-time and long-term contingent roles. Cincinnatus serves as the employer of record for these engagements, providing W-2 employment, payroll, benefits, and compliance, while placing employees directly within client teams to work on high-impact initiatives. Roles hired through Cincinnatus are not project-based or freelance engagements. They are structured, role-based positions that typically involve full-time or fixed-term commitments, close collaboration with a client's internal teams, and integration into standard enterprise workflows. Cincinnatus is a legal entity separate from Mercor. While opportunities may be discovered through Mercor's platform, employment, onboarding, payroll, and benefits for these roles are administered by Cincinnatus. Cincinnatus is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or any other legally protected characteristic. Cincinnatus is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans throughout the job application process. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to legally protected characteristics and provide reasonable accommodations upon request.
- Apply knowledge of statistics, machine learning, programming, data modeling, simulation, and advanced mathematics to recognize patterns, identify opportunities, pose business questions, and make valuable discoveries leading to prototype development and product improvement.
- Leverage computer vision, feature extraction, and machine learning algorithms to determine the most important aspects that drive “shareability” of content on the company's social media platform.
- Use a flexible, analytical approach to design, develop, and evaluate predictive models and advanced algorithms that lead to optimal value extraction from the data.
- Generate and test hypotheses and analyze and interpret the results of product experiments.
- Work with product engineers to translate prototypes into new products, services, and features and provide guidelines for large-scale implementation.
- Provide Business Intelligence (BI) and data visualization support, including support for online customer service dashboards and other ad-hoc requests requiring data analysis and visual support.
- Conduct metric movement investigations for key recommendation products.
- Prepare leadership reporting on a weekly basis.
- Review and analyze experimentation results.
- Respond to ad-hoc team and leadership data requests.
- Identify target users for products to inform short-term and long-term strategy.
- Master’s degree in Mathematics, Statistics, a relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experience (PhD preferred).
- A minimum of 5 years of work experience in analytics.
- Fluency with SQL and Python.
- Hands-on experience building models with PyTorch or TensorFlow libraries.
- Experience training and/or using computer vision models.
- Ability to communicate effectively in writing, including conveying complex information and promoting in-depth engagement on course topics.
- Experience working with large datasets.
Requirements
- Must be eligible to work in Remote
- Fluent proficiency in English (Written & Verbal)
- Reliable high-speed internet connection
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience
- Demonstrated expertise in Data Science
Compensation Analysis
This role offers a powerful combination of high income ($112.5/hr) and total flexibility. Unlike traditional contracting, you generally set your own hours. It is an ideal "second stream" of income for professionals who want to stay sharp in their field while gaining exposure to the booming AI industry.
Skills & Categories
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is this for freelancers or full-time employees?
Both. Mercor tries to match you with clients who want long-term contractors. Unlike other platforms where you log in and grab small tasks, Mercor matches you with one company for a steady role (e.g., 'Python Tutor for 3 months').
I'm not comfortable on camera. Can I still apply?
No. The application requires a video interview with an AI avatar. The AI asks you questions about your resume, and the video is shared with potential clients to prove your communication skills.
Does it cost money to join?
No. You should never pay to join these platforms. Mercor makes money by charging the client a fee on top of your hourly rate.
Is this traditional consulting?
Not exactly. You act as a "Teacher" for advanced AI. Instead of client deliverables, you are given complex scenarios to evaluate. You grade the AI's logic, correct its hallucinations, and provide expert-level reasoning. Your job is to train the model to think like you do.
Why is the pay so high?
This role requires deep, verified expertise. General knowledge isn't enough; the model is specifically being trained on "edge cases"—the rare, difficult, or highly technical nuances that only a senior professional would know.
What is the workload like?
This is cognitive, deep work. Unlike simple data labeling, you might spend 45-60 minutes on a single task, researching citations or verifying complex calculations. Quality is prioritized over speed.
How soon will I start?
Important: Mercor is a talent marketplace, not a task queue. Applying puts you in a pool of candidates. You will only start working when a specific client (like a major AI lab) selects your profile. This matching process can take weeks.