Principal Data Scientist | Candy Crush Soda Saga

King
London
1 year ago
Applications closed

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Principal Data Scientist and Machine Learning Researcher

Principal Data Scientist

Principal Data Scientist

Principal Data Scientist & Machine Learning Researcher

Principal Data Scientist & Machine Learning Researcher

Principal Data Scientist

Craft:

Data, Analytics & Strategy

Job Description:

Principal Data Scientist

We are looking for an experienced Principal Data Scientist, passionate about answering difficult problems and pushing the boundaries of game analytics, who isnt afraid to roll up their sleeves and dig deep into the data. This person will act both as a senior mentor as well as an individual contributor.

This is the perfect role for someone who has proven ability to apply their skills to generate business value, and wants to continue to grow their data science knowledge as well as their critical thinking, while mentoring colleagues to provide a meaningful impact on our game.

Your Role Within our Kingdom

You will be part of the content team in Candy Crush Soda Saga, working closely with varied stakeholders in a fun, dynamic and fast-paced environment.

You will possess the role of subject matter expert in data science while helping the team to further understand, model, predict, and segment the player experiences in our game. You will collaborate with game designers and product teams to identify potential opportunities (e.g. player behavior, game economy). You will also collaborate with, and mentor, other Data Scientists across the business to leverage insights from one game across multiple games, and ensure we are up to date on the latest algorithms and technology, continuously adopting and leveraging the best practices and cutting-edge solutions available in the market.

Specifically, you will

  • Conduct analysis, lead analytical efforts, develop analytical methods, and advance the development of analytical methodologies
  • Identify potential business opportunities, assess their feasibility and viability, translate business needs into technical requirements, analyse A/B tests and scope and build machine learning models and solutions where appropriate
  • Be the pro-active owner of the entire data chain for your projects and investigations, and provide a data driven perspective to discussions and prioritisation within the team
  • Communicate results to both technical and non-technical colleagues by generating dashboards, reports, and presentations
  • Mentor other data scientists, conduct code reviews, and provide feedback on analyses

Skills to Create Thrills

Our ideal candidate has solid experience leading an analytical team in a commercial environment. There are plenty of opportunities at King for you to learn from your colleagues in the areas where you have less experience, and to share your own skills where you have more.

Specific factors that are helpful to excel in this role include:

  • Leadership: The ability to mentor, guide and inspire your colleagues and drive best practices across the company
  • Stakeholder Management: The ability to recognise dependencies, build relationships and influence others
  • Business Insight: The ability to understand the problems and issues we want to solve, as well as identify those problems. Defining the right data, analysis or interpretation to be able to give correct recommendations and make the right decisions
  • Communication: The ability to design good ways of communicating, visualising, and reporting the insights you find in a clear and unambiguous way
  • SQL: The ability to write complex SQL queries to analyse our databases with 300+ million players and work with relational database systems
  • Analytical coding: The ability to use tools such as R or Python for analytical purpose and model building. Experience with building libraries, analytical tools and implementing new statistical models in R or Python.
  • Stats: The ability to understand and apply appropriate statistical and/or machine learning techniques. Deep understanding of probability theory, Bayesian statistics, and Machine Learning techniques
  • Experience with AB testing

Minimum requirements

  • Expertise in data science, for example regression, classification, and clustering algorithms, time-series analysis, Bayesian methods, ML, deep learning
  • A passion for analytics and diving into as well as experiencing the products on which you work (game enthusiasm with a solid understanding of the connection of gameplay and player behaviors is a plus)
  • Solid understanding of statistics, e.g. statistical power analysis, group sequential testing, time-series analysis, quasi-experimental methods
  • Experience in translating complex concepts into digestible content for a non-technical audience
  • Solid communication and stakeholder management skills

Tasty Bonus Points

  • Good knowledge, genuine passion, and interest in gaming/tech/entertainment industry trends
  • Experience in experimental design and game theory
  • Predictive Analytics: Experience in segmentation and related areas.
  • Randomized Controlled Trials: Working knowledge of randomized controlled trials (e.g., social science research, medical research, biostatistics, policy research) or digital A/B testing and online controlled experiments
  • Proven eye for business with strategic and analytical capabilities, with experience in using data to help drive strategy and business decisions

J-18808-Ljbffr

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

How Many AI Tools Do You Need to Know to Get an AI Job?

If you are job hunting in AI right now it can feel like you are drowning in tools. Every week there is a new framework, a new “must-learn” platform or a new productivity app that everyone on LinkedIn seems to be using. The result is predictable: job seekers panic-learn a long list of tools without actually getting better at delivering outcomes. Here is the truth most hiring managers will quietly agree with. They do not hire you because you know 27 tools. They hire you because you can solve a problem, communicate trade-offs, ship something reliable and improve it with feedback. Tools matter, but only in service of outcomes. So how many AI tools do you actually need to know? For most AI job seekers: fewer than you think. You need a tight core toolkit plus a role-specific layer. Everything else is optional. This guide breaks it down clearly, gives you a simple framework to choose what to learn and shows you how to present your toolset on your CV, portfolio and interviews.

What Hiring Managers Look for First in AI Job Applications (UK Guide)

Hiring managers do not start by reading your CV line-by-line. They scan for signals. In AI roles especially, they are looking for proof that you can ship, learn fast, communicate clearly & work safely with data and systems. The best applications make those signals obvious in the first 10–20 seconds. This guide breaks down what hiring managers typically look for first in AI applications in the UK market, how to present it on your CV, LinkedIn & portfolio, and the most common reasons strong candidates get overlooked. Use it as a checklist to tighten your application before you click apply.

The Skills Gap in AI Jobs: What Universities Aren’t Teaching

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept. It is already reshaping how businesses operate, how decisions are made, and how entire industries compete. From finance and healthcare to retail, manufacturing, defence, and climate science, AI is embedded in critical systems across the UK economy. Yet despite unprecedented demand for AI talent, employers continue to report severe recruitment challenges. Vacancies remain open for months. Salaries rise year on year. Candidates with impressive academic credentials often fail technical interviews. At the heart of this disconnect lies a growing and uncomfortable truth: Universities are not fully preparing graduates for real-world AI jobs. This article explores the AI skills gap in depth—what is missing from many university programmes, why the gap persists, what employers actually want, and how jobseekers can bridge the divide to build a successful career in artificial intelligence.