The Principal Data Scientist leads advanced machine learning initiatives, designs scalable AI solutions, and shapes Aera's data science strategy while collaborating with cross-functional teams.
Aera Technology is a pioneer in the growing category of Decision Intelligence Platforms and a Leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for 2026 – the technology to digitize, augment, and automate decision-making processes with AI and machine learning. Through our AI decision automation platform, Aera Decision Cloud™, we are helping the best-known brands in the world make smarter, faster decisions.
Privately-held and VC-funded, we have a global team of over 400 Aeranauts – and we’re growing. We deliver Decision Intelligence innovation and services that enable enterprises to automate and scale decision making with accuracy and speed. We continue to be the trusted choice of market leaders for our proven ability to generate value and unlock opportunities that were previously unattainable.
The Principal Data Scientist plays a critical role in shaping and advancing Aera’s Data Science strategy. This role drives high-impact machine learning initiatives, designs and deploys scalable AI solutions, and ensures that Aera’s data-driven capabilities continue to evolve in line with business goals. The Principal Data Scientist acts as a thought leader — partnering with Product, Engineering, and Client Success teams to solve complex business problems, enhance product intelligence, and guide the overall data science direction for the organization.
The ideal candidate will be based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and able to be in office with the SVP of data science and CTO at HQ in Mountain View three days per week .
Responsibilities:
- Lead the end-to-end design, development, and deployment of advanced machine learning and statistical models that deliver measurable business outcomes.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams — including Product, Engineering, and Client Success — to define data-driven solutions, influence product strategy, and ensure seamless model integration within the Aera platform.
- Drive experimentation and innovation by exploring new algorithms, techniques, and technologies that enhance model performance, scalability, and interpretability.
- Translate complex analytical results into clear, actionable insights for technical and non-technical stakeholders, shaping business and product decisions.
- Define best practices for model governance, versioning, and monitoring to ensure reliability and compliance in production environments.
- Act as a subject matter expert and thought leader within Data Science, mentoring senior team members and fostering a culture of rigor, innovation, and continuous learning.
- Partner with leadership to define and refine Aera’s long-term data science roadmap, ensuring alignment with overall organizational and product strategy.
- Contribute to the evolution of Aera’s Data Science platform through experimentation, evaluation of new tools, and collaboration with Engineering teams.
About You:
- Master’s or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, or a related quantitative discipline.
- 10+ years of experience in applied machine learning, statistical modeling, or AI solution development, with proven success deploying models in production.
- Strong expertise in Python, R, or similar languages, and experience with ML frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, or scikit-learn.
- Deep understanding of statistical methods, optimization, and data-driven experimentation.
- Experience leading large-scale projects and influencing product or platform-level decisions.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into business value.
- Demonstrated leadership in mentoring, peer development, and cross-functional collaboration.
If you share our passion for building a sustainable, intelligent, and efficient world, you’re in the right place. Established in 2017 and headquartered in Mountain View, California, we're a series C start-up, with teams in Mountain View, San Francisco (California), Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Paris (France), Munich (Germany), London (UK), Pune (India), and Sydney (Australia). So join us, and let’s build this!
Aera Technology is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Aera Technology will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Aera Technology respects the privacy of your data.
Benefits:
At Aera Technology, we strive to support our Aeranauts and their loved ones through different stages of life with a variety of attractive benefits, and great perks. In addition to offering a competitive salary and company stock options, we have other great benefits available. You’ll find comprehensive medical, vision and dental plans, a 401K plan, flexible paid time off, generous parental leave, and much more. We believe in a flexible working environment, to allow our Aeranauts to perform at their best, ensuring a healthy work-life balance. When you’re working from the office, you’ll also have access to a fully-stocked kitchen with a selection of snacks and beverages.
Top Skills
Python
PyTorch
R
Scikit-Learn
TensorFlow
Aera Technology Mountain View, California, USA Office
707 California Street, Mountain View, CA, United States, 94041
Aera Technology San Francisco, California, USA Office
171 2nd St, San Francisco, CA, United States, 94105
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