Principal Data & AI Consultant

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Act as a senior trusted advisor to CIO, CTO, CDO, CRO, and various business, product, and technology stakeholders.

• Spearhead Data & AI exploration and convert ambiguous business challenges into quantifiable, production-ready solutions.

• Architect comprehensive end-to-end systems that encompass data platforms, analytics, machine learning, GenAI, applications, APIs, governance, and integrations.

• Guide and critique advanced forecasting and predictive modeling methodologies.

• Establish business and model success metrics, including R², WAPE, MAPE, statistical significance, and business-impact KPIs.

• Ensure point-in-time accuracy, prevent data leakage, and uphold stringent model development and validation protocols.

• Provide hands-on technical leadership utilizing Python, SQL, Snowflake, notebooks, Git, and contemporary Data/AI platforms.

• Shape AI applications encompassing forecasting, sponsorship sales, lead scoring, next-best-action, revenue intelligence, personalization, subscription growth, and commercial optimization.

• Assess when classical analytics/ML, GenAI, or agentic AI serves as the suitable solution.

• Facilitate architecture and solution design workshops, delivering recommendations to senior and executive stakeholders.

• Assist with proposals, SOWs, RFI/RFP submissions, estimates, staffing models, and technical solution development.

• Lead and mentor multidisciplinary teams spanning Data Science, Data Engineering, AI Engineering, Software Engineering, and Architecture.

• Engage in client stand-ups, backlog refinement, executive presentations, and strategic planning sessions.

• Educate and transfer knowledge to client teams; ensure documentation, reproducibility, and effective handover.

• Challenge client requests when the suggested approach fails to address the core business issue.

⛳️ Requirements

• 7+ years of hands-on experience in forecasting and data domains.

• Demonstrated experience leading a minimum of two similar forecasting projects from discovery to production/handover.

• Strong proficiency in comparable-unit/same-store-style forecasting methodologies.

• Expert knowledge in multivariable regression, collinearity analysis, VIF interpretation, model tuning, selection, and holdout validation.

• Thorough understanding of sparse and zero-inflated datasets; must recognize why null values cannot be treated as zero without consideration.

• Strong metric fluency, including R², WAPE, MAPE, and p-values, with the capability to articulate metric selection in business terms.

• In-depth understanding of data leakage and point-in-time feature accuracy.

• Proficient in Python and SQL with experience in developing reproducible analytical workflows/notebooks.

• Experience with Git and pull-request-based software delivery.

• Strong capabilities in Data Architecture and Solution Architecture across ingestion, transformation, modeling, security, governance, APIs, cloud, and production operations.

• Comprehensive understanding of ML, GenAI/LLMs, RAG, AI agents, and contemporary enterprise AI strategies.

• Proven executive communication abilities; must be adept at presenting to non-statistical audiences by prioritizing business outcomes before methodology.

• Capable of clearly articulating forecast/model limitations, uncertainties, and risks in accessible language.

• Established client consulting and thought-leadership experience; able to teach methodology, rather than merely executing it.

• Demonstrated experience in leading senior client workshops, technical explorations, architecture discussions, and executive presentations.

• Strong commercial insight and the ability to link technical decisions to revenue, operational, or customer outcomes.

• Preferred background in sports, media, entertainment, streaming, ticketing, subscriptions, sponsorship, advertising, telecom, or commercial/revenue analytics.

• Desired expertise in hierarchical/mixed-effects modeling, ADRs, large-scale categorical encoding, MLOps, governance, and responsible AI.

• Strong experience with Snowflake; familiarity with Snowflake ML/Model Registry is a plus.

• 10–12+ years of overall experience in Data, Analytics, AI, Architecture, or related technology fields.

• Willingness to work onsite in corporate or client offices as required.

• For roles requiring business travel/event attendance: a valid driver’s license and a satisfactory driving record.

🏝️ Benefits

• Comprehensive healthcare and benefits package including Medical, Dental, vision, Disability coverage, and various other options.

• Flexible Spending Accounts (Medical, Transit, and Dependent Care).

• Employer-paid Life Insurance and AD&D coverage.

• Health Savings Account paired with a low-cost High Deductible Medical Plan.

• 401(k) Safe Harbor Retirement plan with employer matching and immediate vesting.

• Inclusive, open, and respectful workplace culture.

• Reasonable accommodations available during the recruitment process, as needed.