Staff Data Scientist - Ads Marketplace
About The Position
As a Staff Data Scientist on Nextdoor’s Monetization Team, you will drive revenue growth and advertiser value by focusing on the machine learning auction ads delivery layer. You will contribute to growing and improving core Ads products and help shape the future of data and revenue at Nextdoor. The role includes shaping ranking models and objective functions, establishing an explainability layer for model feedback loops, and performing auction measurement. You will also have the opportunity to drive the roadmap and explore applications for artificial intelligence and large language models. You will work closely with Product, Engineering, Machine Learning, Sales, and Finance, developing and delivering metrics, analyses, solutions, and insights with actionable recommendations for business partners. Nextdoor’s Data Science team uses a semi-embedded structure, partnering directly with product and engineering stakeholders. The company operates in an AI-first environment and expects employees to use AI tools in their workflows while taking ownership of AI-assisted outputs. Nextdoor describes its work environment as warm and inclusive and uses a hybrid employment model; expectations are discussed with candidates for roles near its offices.
Requirements
- At least 7 years of relevant Data Science experience.
- Experience in Ads Marketplace and/or monetization.
- Experience architecting, debugging, and executing complex SQL queries.
- Excellent knowledge of Python, including common scientific computing packages and data science tools such as NumPy, pandas, and scikit-learn.
- Experience formulating, running, and sharing complex analyses, including experiments, causal inference studies, and exploratory analysis.
- Curiosity about finding meaningful insights that inform product and business strategy.
- Eagerness to explore and apply AI and emerging technologies to reimagine how work gets done.
Nice To Haves
- Work experience related to social or community-based products.
- Work experience related to small businesses and marketplaces.
- Work experience related to advertising and auction systems.
- Experience with agentic coding platforms such as Cursor or Windsurf.
Responsibilities
- Design and develop algorithms and models to optimize Ads Marketplace performance and drive value for end-users and advertisers.
- Design experiments to ensure they are run efficiently and accurately, monitoring early feature development and tracking post-release follow-ups.
- Develop and share strategic insights through data analysis, including designing experiments and evaluating the performance and impact of data-driven content.
- Partner with cross-functional teams, including product, design, engineering, marketing, and operations, to support product development.
- Participate in in-person Nextdoor events, including trainings, off-sites, volunteer days, and team-building exercises.
- Build in-person relationships with team members and contribute to Nextdoor’s company culture.
Benefits
- A variety of health plans, including a 100% covered employee-only plan option.
- OneMedical membership for concierge care.
- Equity grant with quarterly vesting; the first vest date is within 3 months of the start date.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
