Director of Data Science and Analytics

Company description

Welcome to Our World 
We’ve been leading the charge in the affiliate industry from day one—establishing performance marketing and paving the way for future innovations. We're known for maintaining one of the largest, most reliable partnership platforms with impeccable, personalized service. 
 
Founded in Santa Barbara, California in 1998, CJ (formerly Commission Junction) stands as the most trusted name in performance marketing. We specialize in building partnerships between top brands and reputable publishers to drive revenue and business growth. CJ’s industry-leading solutions make us the platform of choice for over 3,800 global brands across sectors like retail, travel, finance, technology, and home services. As part of Publicis Groupe, our savvy data capabilities, cutting-edge tech, and strategic expertise facilitate genuine connections, allowing brands to reach consumers wherever they are. 
 
A Quick Peek at Affiliate Marketing 
Think back to your last online purchase. Did an influencer tip you off about a great product and offer a discount? Or perhaps you relied on a trusted review site to make your decision? Whatever path you took, affiliate publishers likely played a role by influencing, informing, or helping you find the best deal. CJ connects brands with these publishers, creating valuable resources for shoppers like you. 

Overview

In this Director role at CJ, you will lead a team of Data Scientists, Analysts, and Data Engineers, developing scalable data science, AI, and analytics solutions that advance marketing science and innovation across the advertising industry. As a hands-on technical leader, you will balance team management and mentorship with direct involvement in solution architecture, development, and delivery.

You will lead a team of 4+ technical professionals while overseeing complex, long-term initiatives spanning Data Science, Engineering, Product, and other business functions. You will help shape and execute the technical roadmap, delivering solutions that improve marketing measurement, optimization, and intelligence for the business and its clients.

This role is ideal for someone who combines deep technical expertise with strong leadership skills and enjoys translating complex business challenges into scalable, production-ready solutions.

Responsibilities

• Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 4+ Data Scientists, Analysts, and Data Engineers, providing technical direction, managing priorities, and supporting professional growth.
• Data Products & Analytics: Oversee the development and delivery of scalable data products and analytics solutions across affiliate marketing, influencer marketing, and emerging advertising channels, enabling actionable insights for internal teams and clients.
• Data Architecture & Engineering: Manage Databricks data architecture, including source-level tables, ETL/ELT pipelines, and production workflows, ensuring data quality, reliability, and performance.
• Data Integrations & Delivery: Lead the design and implementation of data integrations and delivery solutions, including APIs, SFTP, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) connections, supporting internal platforms and external clients.
• Machine Learning & Modeling: Oversee the development and deployment of machine learning models for attribution, forecasting, fraud detection, anomaly detection, recommendation systems, and marketing optimization.
• Tracking & Attribution: Partner with Engineering and Product teams to enhance digital tracking infrastructure, event collection, conversion tracking, and attribution methodologies across advertising channels.
• AI & Automation: Drive AI innovation through the development and integration of LLM-powered applications, conversational analytics, and automation solutions that improve operational efficiency.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in Data Science and Analytics, or related technical disciplines, with strong proficiency in SQL and Python, PySpark, or Scala, and experience developing production-ready solutions.
• 3–5 years of experience managing and developing technical teams, including Analysts, Data Scientists, and Data Engineers.
• 2+ years of hands-on experience with Databricks, including developing scalable data pipelines, workflows, and analytics, machine learning, and AI solutions.
• Experience developing and deploying machine learning models, including forecasting, recommendation systems, fraud detection, anomaly detection, and optimization.
• Experience in AdTech, MarTech, or digital advertising, including knowledge of tracking technologies and attribution methodologies, ideally within e-commerce, travel, or financial services.
• Experience developing AI-driven solutions, including LLM-based applications and Generative AI technologies.
• Strong technical architecture, problem-solving, and leadership skills, with the ability to remain hands-on while mentoring a technical team.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts and collaborate with stakeholders across the organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in marketing science and experimentation, including Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM), media budget optimization, elasticity testing, and incrementality measurement.
• Experience designing and optimizing ETL/ELT pipelines and scalable data workflows.
• Experience applying machine learning to advertising use cases, including audience segmentation, campaign optimization, customer behavior modeling, and marketing effectiveness.
• Experience in affiliate marketing, influencer marketing, performance media, or campaign management, with an understanding of partner ecosystems and campaign measurement.

Additional information

This is a hybrid role requiring 3 days a week in office.

CJ is the leader in Performance Marketing.  We take pride in our innovative technology, comprehensive data solutions and our people.  We equip our teams with advanced tools, training and career development opportunities all to provide modern solutions, strategies and support to deliver high quality results for our clients. We work in an enthusiastic, collaborative team setting that values outstanding performance.

We're a community of creative and passionate problem solvers who go the distance to tackle the tough questions, think creatively, and drive resourceful growth, for our clients—and ourselves. We foster and embody an inclusive and collaborative culture where diverse perspectives are sought, relationships are valued, and people feel accepted with a sense of belonging in expressing themselves authentically. We pride ourselves in having a workplace environment that values both work and play.

Why Our Workplace Stands Out
Apart from offering competitive salaries, 401K matching, wellness programs, and comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, we provide:
• Flexible time off without the hassle of accrual
• A generous number of paid holidays
• Company-sponsored team-building events
• An Employee Referral Program
• Annual recognition awards
• Hybrid work arrangements for optimal work-life balance
• Parental bonding leave
• Backup care options for children and elders
• An employee discount program
• International SOS program for global support
• Business Resource Groups, where employees connect over shared interests to cultivate an engaging, inclusive environment

…and those are just a few of our great perks! Come join us and see what makes our company a great place to work.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact [email protected].

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

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Compensation Range: USD $135,375.00 - USD $194,460.00/Annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 1/1/2027.