Senior Data Scientist - CLV & Personalisation

Why Sony Interactive Entertainment? Sony Interactive Entertainment isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is the company behind the PlayStation brand. As a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation, we’re part of a proud legacy of innovation and excellence. SIE is a dynamic technology company, delivering cutting‑edge hardware and network services to more than 100 million people and an entertainment leader, home to some of the most beloved and recognizable intellectual properties (IP) in the world.

At PlayStation, Data Science plays a critical role in shaping how we invest in, retain, and delight our global player base. The CLV & Personalisation team focuses on understanding player behaviour and driving more effective engagement across the player lifecycle — from acquisition and onboarding through to retention, monetisation, and long‑term value.

As a Senior Data Scientist, you will drive the development of advanced modelling and analytical approaches that influence key commercial and product decisions at scale and are evaluated based on their impact on commercial outcomes. You will work on complex and often ambiguous problems, helping define how we measure player value and how we deliver more personalised player experiences. This role combines deep hands‑on modelling with ownership of problem definition, approach, and impact. You will work with a high degree of autonomy across ambiguous problem spaces, shaping how data informs strategy and decision‑making across the business.

What You’ll Do

• Design and deliver advanced machine learning models to drive player value, engagement, and growth across the lifecycle.
• Own ambiguous problem spaces, defining modelling approaches and breaking down complex business challenges into actionable solutions.
• Partner with senior stakeholders to shape strategies, and ensure Data Science drives high‑impact decisions.
• Apply advanced machine learning techniques, including deep learning and sequence modelling, where appropriate to capture complex player behaviours and improve model performance.
• Evaluate and select modelling approaches based on problem context, balancing performance, scalability, and interpretability.
• Work within cross‑functional teams, including engineering, product, and commercial stakeholders, to ensure solutions are scalable, production‑ready, and aligned with long‑term architecture.
• Mentor other data scientists and contribute to best practices across the team.
• Communicate complex modelling approaches, assumptions, and outcomes clearly to senior technical and non‑technical audiences.

What We’re Looking For

• You combine technical depth in machine learning with a proactive, solution‑oriented mindset, and the ability to influence strategy and inspire others.
• You thrive on solving sophisticated problems that deepen PlayStation’s understanding of its players and you use this understanding to inform data‑driven decisions and strategies that drive player growth.
• Proven industry experience delivering impactful, production‑ready machine learning solutions in areas such as customer value, retention, or personalisation.
• Strong expertise in modern machine learning approaches, including applying techniques such as transformers, embeddings, or sequence‑based models to real‑world behavioural data.
• Ability to critically assess when advanced approaches are warranted versus simpler solutions.
• Experience owning projects end‑to‑end, including problem definition, navigating ambiguity, selecting modelling approaches, and delivering impactful solutions.
• Ability to work with large, complex datasets and translate them into scalable solutions.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence decisions and communicate results persuasively to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Proficiency in Python, SQL, and modern ML tooling (such as Tensorflow, PyTorch, MLlib, feature stores); experience with PySpark or equivalent distributed data processing tools.
• A strong academic background, typically a Master’s or PhD in a technical or quantitative field, specialising in Machine Learning.
• Experience deploying models into production and maintaining business‑critical or consumer‑facing models.

Nice to Have

• Background in gaming, e-commerce, or subscription‑based businesses.
• Industry experience with experimentation frameworks and causal inference.
• Experience working in agile, fast‑paced environments.

Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.

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