Lead Data Scientist, Growth Strategy

CURRENT ROOT EMPLOYEES - Please apply using the career page in Workday. This career site is for external applicants only.

The Opportunity

Root is seeking a Lead Data Scientist to join our fast-growing Data Science team and lead the charge in optimizing our Partnerships and Independent Agents distribution channels. This role will be instrumental in shaping how we research, build, and scale machine learning models and data-driven strategies that enhance partner performance, customer acquisition, and profitability.

This is a unique opportunity to own a high-growth space from the ground up. You’ll collaborate closely with Product, Analytics, and Business Development to embed deeply in the problem space, drive strategic research initiatives, and deliver scalable data science solutions across a multi-partner landscape that includes names like Carvana, Goosehead, and Hyundai.

Root is a “work where it works best” company. Meaning we will support you working in whatever location that works best for you across the US. We will continue to have our headquarters in Columbus and offices in other locations to give more flexibility and more choice about how we live and work.

Salary Range:  $151,200 - $189,000  (Bonus and LTI eligible)

How You Will Make an Impact

• Serve as the technical lead for data science efforts across partnerships and agent channels.

• Translate partner needs and growth objectives into actionable data science projects.

• Conduct advanced research in pricing strategy, compensation optimization, and predictive agent performance.

• Develop lead-scoring models to prioritize high-conversion agents and tailor outreach strategies.

• Use NLP to extract insights from partner feedback and support logs, driving product and relationship improvements.

• Design and validate experiments and measurement frameworks that guide business decisions.

• Develop proof-of-concepts and quantitative models to evaluate new growth opportunities.

• Partner with engineering and analytics to deliver production-grade solutions.

• Mentor junior data scientists and set the standard for technical excellence and team collaboration.

• Foster alignment with cross-functional stakeholders through consistent communication and insight-sharing.

• Promote team effectiveness by championing good planning, process design, and best practices.

What You Will Need to Succeed

• BS, MS, or PhD in Statistics, Computer Science, Economics, or a related field.

• 6+ years of experience building predictive models, running experiments, and supporting decision-making in business environments.

• Proven expertise in Python (and/or R) and SQL; experience with modern ML and experimentation frameworks.

• Deep understanding of measurement, causal inference, and statistical validation.

• Strong communication skills with an ability to distill complex insights to non-technical partners.

• Familiarity with ML Ops concepts such as feature stores, retraining pipelines, and post-deployment monitoring.

• Ability to lead through ambiguity, prioritize high-impact work, and deliver in a fast-paced environment.

• Comfortable working across cross-functional teams to align technical work to business goals.

• Experience planning and sequencing team initiatives to deliver quarterly objectives.

• A team-first mindset with a track record of mentoring and elevating others.

As part of Root's interview process, we kindly ask that all candidates be on camera for virtual interviews. This helps us create a more personal and engaging experience for both you and our interviewers. Being on camera is a standard requirement for our process and part of how we assess fit and communication style, so we do require it to move forward with any applicant's candidacy. If you have any concerns, feel free to let us know once you are contacted. We’re happy to talk it through.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Root, Inc., we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway!

At Root, we judge people based on the merit of their work, not who they are. If you are passionate about what this role entails and solving real problems, we encourage you to apply. We want to learn about you and what you can add to our team.

We’re harnessing the power of technology to revolutionize insurance. Using machine learning and mobile telematic platforms, we’ve built one of the most innovative FinTech companies in the world. And we’re just getting started.

Our success is in large part due to our unwavering standards in hiring. We recognize that our products are only as good as the people building and promoting them. We want individuals who find solutions by going through the cycle of ideation to implementation with curiosity, rigor, and an analytical lens. Ask anyone who works here and you’ll hear similar reasons for why they joined:

Autonomy—for assertive self-starters, the opportunities to contribute are limitless.

Impact—by challenging the way it’s always been done, we solve problems that have a big impact on our business.

Collaboration—we encourage rich discussion and civil debate at every turn.

People—we are inspired by the collection of crazy-smart people around us.