Data Scientist

Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan • Toronto, ON

7d • CA$105,000 - CA$155,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a talented and driven Data Scientist to join our team. The successful candidate will work with Private Markets Teams to build solid data and analytics foundation: derive insights from data, interpret data, and develop statistical models as needed and contribute to overall data science capabilities. This role reports to the director of private investments technology and works with the private markets business group and the AI COE to identify, design, implement and maintain AI solutions, machine learning algorithms, statistical model development and related technologies. The Data Scientist also participates in data science practices and capability development at OTPP. If you are passionate about solving challenging problems and thrive in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment, we want to hear from you.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative discipline.
• Machine learning, data science, AI engineering, or applied analytics experience in industry or an academic setting.
• Experience in mathematical and statistical model development to support predictive decision-making
• Experience or strong familiarity with large language models, generative AI, retrieval-augmented generation, embeddings, vector databases, prompt engineering, and LLM evaluation
• Experience formulating business problems as analytical, machine learning, AI, or optimization problems, including defining objectives, constraints, trade-offs, and success measures
• Proficient programming skills in Python, R, Spark, or other open-source programming languages and related libraries
• Experience with relevant data science, machine learning, AI, or optimization libraries and tools, such as scikit-learn, PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face, LangChain, LlamaIndex, OR-Tools, Pyomo, Gurobi, CPLEX, CVXPY, SciPy, or similar
• Proficient SQL skills in mining complex and multi-sourced data environments
• Experience in both on-premise and cloud computing environments
• Experience analyzing large sets of data for patterns and correlations using visualization tools
• Proficient with Git workflow
• Good coding habits, including documentation, version control, testing, reproducibility, and code review
• Passionate about applying analytics, AI, machine learning, and optimization in the investment area
• Ability to quickly learn and adopt new technologies, tools, and approaches
• Ability to independently research potential solutions from industry, open-source, vendor, and academic resources
• Ability to articulate thoughts and ideas to effectively collaborate with business, data, and technology partners
• Strong problem-solving skills working in a team-based environment
• Candidates must be legally entitled to work in the country where this role is located.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s or Ph.D. degree in a quantitative discipline with a data science, statistical modelling, machine learning, AI, optimization, or computer science focus preferred.
• Experience or strong familiarity with mathematical optimization techniques, such as linear programming, mixed-integer programming, nonlinear optimization, stochastic optimization, simulation-based optimization, or heuristic methods is a huge asset
• Previous experience in investments, capital markets, private equity, or private markets is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Actively participate in the end-to-end machine learning and AI development lifecycle, from experimentation and prototyping to deployment, monitoring, and continuous improvement
• Design, build, and evaluate AI-enabled solutions using large language models, generative AI, retrieval-augmented generation, embeddings, vector search, prompt engineering, and model orchestration frameworks
• Implement best practices in LLM-based engineering, including RAG frameworks, evaluation approaches, guardrails, monitoring, and continuous improvement
• Develop and apply machine learning, statistical modelling, and mathematical optimization techniques to support predictive decision-making, scenario analysis, resource allocation, portfolio construction, and other complex business problems
• Translate business objectives, constraints, and trade-offs into analytical, AI/ML, or optimization-based solution approaches
• Champion strong coding standards, including documentation, version control, testing, reproducibility, and code review practices
• Contribute to building and promoting best practices across the team by sharing knowledge, reusable patterns, and lessons learned
• Stay up to date with emerging technologies, industry trends, and advancements in AI, machine learning, optimization, and data science
• Explore and experiment with new techniques, tools, models, and data sources, providing thoughtful recommendations to the business
• Collaborate with team members on research, analysis, experimentation, and idea generation, while progressively developing independent insights
• Build strong partnerships with business stakeholders, particularly within Private Markets, to drive impactful data-driven, AI-enabled, and optimization-based solutions
• Support the delivery of key reports, analytics, models, visualizations, prototypes, and decision-support tools aligned with business priorities.
• Continuously identify opportunities to enhance AI/ML and optimization approaches, leveraging new techniques, emerging tools, and alternative data sources

Benefits

• Pay-for-performance with base salary and annual incentive based on individual and enterprise performance.
• Numerous opportunities for professional growth and development
• Comprehensive employer paid benefits coverage
• Retirement income through a defined benefit pension plan
• The opportunity to invest back into the fund through our Deferred Incentive Program
• A flexible work environment combining in office collaboration and remote working
• Competitive time off
• Our Flexible Travel Program gives you the option to work abroad in another region/country for up to a month each year
• Employee discount programs including Edvantage and Perkopolis

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior