Lead Data Scientist

Why PlayStation?

PlayStation isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Today, we’re recognized as a global leader in entertainment producing The PlayStation family of products and services including PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®VR, PlayStation®Plus, acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios, and more.

PlayStation also strives to create an inclusive environment that empowers employees and embraces diversity. We welcome and encourage everyone who has a passion and curiosity for innovation, technology, and play to explore our open positions and join our growing global team.

The PlayStation brand falls under Sony Interactive Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.

Role overview:

In Games and Publishing Analytics, we work with some of the most legendary game studios in the world -- responsible for developing some of the most recognisable and ambitious console games and franchises on PlayStation, including Uncharted, The Last of Us, Horizon, God of War, and Gran Turismo! 
 
We provide end-to-end analytics services for PlayStation Studios and use data to help them make their amazing games even better. We are looking for dedicated people to join us in pushing the boundaries of game analytics for PlayStation games and the industry at large! 

What you’ll be doing:

• Operate as part of a centralized team that delivers both portfolio-level strategic insights and deep, title-specific analysis.
• Lead media mix modelling (MMM) to measure the effectiveness of paid and owned marketing channels across campaigns, genres, and regions, guiding budget allocation and strategic planning.
• Build and apply churn and LTV models that connect early-game behavior to retention and monetization outcomes across diverse acquisition sources.
• Design and interpret incrementality tests in partnership with UA, brand, and lifecycle teams to isolate the true ROI of upper- and lower-funnel spend.
• Serve as a strategic partner to cross-functional teams, contributing to design reviews, experiment planning, and live-service readiness assessments based on predictive modelling.
• Collaborate with user research and design teams to extract meaningful insights from small-sample playtests, complementing qualitative feedback with statistically grounded analysis.
• Mentor and collaborate with game analysts to build an evidence-based understanding of games from early playtests through launch. Then, abstract and scale those insights across genres to define transferable design principles and drive systemic, portfolio-level improvements. 

What we are looking for:

• 5+ years in data science, customer analytics, or marketing analytics roles. Ideally in gaming, e-commerce, or subscription-based businesses. 
• Strong foundation in statistical modelling and causal inference, with demonstrated ability to quickly adapt to new tools and methodologies as business needs evolve.
• Proficiency in SQL and Python, with experience in modern ML frameworks.
• Comfort working with both structured analytics and modern AI/ML approaches, including deep experience building churn prediction, LTV, and marketing mix models in production environments, plus familiarity with LLMs for text analysis and advanced feature engineering.
• Ability to take specific challenges, abstract them into generalizable problems, and develop solutions using cross-disciplinary tools. Demonstrated across a history of applied projects that influenced strategic decision-making.
• A collaborative approach and strong communication skills, with the ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for partners across skill levels and departments, from executives to individual contributors, spanning design, marketing, product management, and more. 

Nice to have:

While not required, the following experiences will help you hit the ground running and deepen your impact in the role: 

• Analytical Thinking over Engineering Focus: Demonstrated strength in defining and solving decision-centric problems rather than focusing solely on model performance or infrastructure.
• Live Service or Economically Complex Systems: Hands-on experience with live-service games, e-commerce platforms, or systems involving progression tuning, combat balancing, or in-game economies.
• Independent and End-to-End Execution: A track record of owning analytical projects from problem definition through stakeholder delivery, especially in lean or ambiguous environments.
• Deep Gaming Literacy and Commercial Insight: Familiarity with modern console and/or PC titles, including how players experience narrative, systems, and design across the player journey. Paired with an understanding of the commercial levers that shape game success, such as acquisition, retention, monetization, and player lifetime value 

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.

We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond. 

PlayStation is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.