Principal Data Scientist

About the Role

Databricks is seeking a Principal Data Scientist to be the statistical authority within the Data Science organization. This pivotal individual contributor role involves providing high-level, data-driven insights to the CEO, C-suite, and Board of Directors, influencing critical company decisions. The ideal candidate will bridge rigorous analytical work with executive communication, driving a data-first culture across Databricks.

• Executive translation. Convert complex data science findings into clear, actionable insights for top leadership, directly influencing the company's most important decisions.
• Statistical authority. Act as the company's leading statistical expert, ensuring the highest level of analytical rigor in executive decision-making and advancing statistical method application within Databricks.
• Org-wide uplevel. Elevate communication standards across the entire Data Science organization through coaching, setting best practices, and co-authoring key executive-facing deliverables.
• Strategic insights. Conduct deep strategic analyses on key areas such as revenue, platform health, operational efficiency, and competitive positioning, generating judgment-rich insights.
• Cross-functional influence. Collaborate with engineering VPs, product leaders, and executive staff to embed a data-driven decision-making culture company-wide, serving as a trusted analytical advisor.
• External thought leadership. Represent Databricks as a data science thought leader at industry events and in publications, helping to attract top talent.
• Methodology and standards. Develop and refine company-wide scientific methodologies, including experimentation frameworks, forecasting systems, and causal inference approaches, pushing industry boundaries.

• 15+ years of experience in data science
  , statistics
  , or quantitative research in industry and/or academia.
• Proven ability to present statistical and data science concepts effectively to C-suite and Board-level audiences, demonstrating measurable impact on executive decision-making.
• Extensive expertise across various data science disciplines, including experimentation
  , causal inference
  , forecasting
  , optimization
  , and machine learning
  .
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, capable of making complex statistical concepts intuitive and compelling for non-technical executives.
• Demonstrated success in elevating team capabilities, setting analytical standards, mentoring senior data scientists, and improving overall organizational output quality.
• Experience at the intersection of statistics and large-scale technology or data platforms.
• Ph.D. in Statistics
  , Mathematics
  , Computer Science
  , or a related quantitative field.

• Academic research or teaching background in statistics or a quantitative field.
• Industry experience at multiple tier-1 technology companies.
• Published research or recognized thought leadership in applied statistics.
• Experience building or leading a "Chief Statistician" or equivalent function.
• Experience in infrastructure, platform, or systems-oriented data science.