Sony Pictures Television is looking for a strong leader to join our team as Vice President of Data Science to lead our data science initiatives. The world’s largest independent studio, Sony Pictures Television, produces original content for linear networks and digital platforms. Our series – from dramas like THE NIGHT AGENT, THE LAST OF US, and THE BOYS, to comedies like TWISTED METAL and COBRA KAI, to unscripted series like JEOPARDY!, WHEEL OF FORTUNE, and AMERICAN IDOL – are beloved by our fans and customers worldwide. 

We are seeking a visionary & highly collaborative data science leader to spearhead our data science strategy, unlock predictive insights and build a world-class team of data scientists.  This leader will be on the ISA leadership team, and will be at the intersection of data, analytics and creative television production and distribution.  The leader will play a pivotal role in scaling the capabilities of the data science expertiseteam inside the larger Insights, Strategy & Analytics team and will unlock value in television production, content distribution & studio financial models.

In this role, the Vice President will collaborate with cross-functional analytics teams and stakeholders across SPE, set the vision and growth roadmap for the advanced data science organization, manage a high performance team of data scientists, and leverage cutting-edge and AI-driven data science techniques to drive strategic decision-making and business growth for the studio, content makers and content sellers. The successful candidate will have extensive experience in data science methodologies, predictive modeling, machine learning, the latest AI-driven data science innovations, and advanced statistical modeling, with a proven track record of driving business value through data science. 

The Vice President, Data Sciencewill report to the Senior Vice President, Data Analytics. 

Responsibilities:

• Lead and oversee a high-performancedata science team, providing strategic direction, innovative vision, and mentorship to ensure the team's success.A passion for development of people will be a must. 

• Develop and implement a comprehensive data science strategy that aligns with the studio’s creative & businessobjectives and shows a commitment to solving complex problems with data at the core 

• Innovate and bring into SPE the latest in data science techniques & innovations,identifying opportunities for cutting-edge ML/AI applications, including GenAI, NLP, Computer vision, neural networks and reinforcement learning, depending on the business context 

• Collaborate with other data analytics teams and leaders within ISAincluding engineering, data management & infrastructure, visualization experts, product managers and data strategists 

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and product managers to identify and prioritize data science projects and product development ideas that drive business value.

• Drive the agile & nimble development of advanced data apps or tools, predictive models, & machine learning algorithmsto solve complex business problems.

• Champion best practices in experimentation, model development, validation & deployment 

• Communicate complex data-driven insights and recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, tailoring the message to the appropriate audience.

• Translate insights into action by delivering models & tools that drive measurable outcomes in key studio production & content distribution areas 

• Stay current with the latest advancements and trends in AI, ML and data science and continuously evaluate new tools and technologies for potential adoption.

• Foster a collaborative culture of learning & teamwork, working as a core team member within Insights, Strategy & Analytics 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in a quantitative field, Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or Physics) or a related field.

• 15+ years of experience in data analysis, statistical modeling, or machine learning.

• 8-10+ years of experience in a leadership role, managing and mentoring data science teams.Proven positive leader of people a must. 

• Proven experience working in a high-paced environment, with strong preference for leaders with agile tool and model development expertise

• Extensive experience in programming languages such as Python or R or similar. Familiarity with modern ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, XGBoost). 

• Expertisewith data visualization tools such as Tableau or Power BI.

• Track record of building data-science driven data apps and tools that have significantly delivered business value and changed processes 

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey technical information to a non-technical audience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in the media and entertainment industry.

• Proficiency in SQL and experience with big data technologies such as Hadoop or Spark.

• Familiarity with cloud computing platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure.

• Experience working in an Agile development environment.

• Experience in media & studio environment preferred 

• Understanding of cloud computing and storage strategy within a media management context 

• Passion for film and television!  

• Executive presence 

• Strategic mindset  

• Impeccable attention to detail and love of problem-solving 

• Creative and innovative thinker and a passion for data analysis. 

• Intellectual data curiosity a must.

• Collaborative and transparent team-builder with experience working in a matrixed, multicultural, and international organization.  Must have a proven track record in managing high performance data science teams and building a nurturing and growth-oriented environment.  

• Exceptionally strong visual and verbal presentation skills and experience leading and delivering insight at an executive level 

• Lifetime learner with a strategic mindset and focus on innovation and continuous improvement  

Skills:

• High attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

• Self-starter with a passion for solving complex problems and delivering results.

• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills.

• Ability to translate technical jargon into layman terms

• Commitment to continuous learning and professional development.

• Ability to develop and nurture long-standing relationships with media operational teams, business stakeholders, and IT/IS partners