Applied Scientist

Summary

Join Thumbtack's Applied Science team and contribute to new product initiatives focused on balancing supply and demand in our marketplace. We leverage machine learning and optimization to acquire, retain, and expand our professional network, particularly high-capacity, licensed professionals. You will initiate and drive applied science initiatives to improve the acquisition, retention, and expansion of large professionals on the Thumbtack platform. This involves developing and deploying machine learning models, conducting marketplace experiments, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. The role requires expertise in machine learning techniques, strong coding skills, and excellent communication abilities. Success in this role will directly impact Thumbtack's strategic partnerships and revenue growth.

Requirements

• Expert knowledge of machine learning techniques, including classification, anomaly detection, and natural language processing (NLP)
• Ability to effectively read, write, and debug code in programming languages such as Python
• Good knowledge of probability and statistics, including experimental design, optimization, and causal inference
• Ability to break down complex problems rigorously and understand the tradeoffs necessary to deliver impactful projects
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively to cross functional partners of various technical levels
• Demonstrated ability to lead seamless execution

Responsibilities

• Initiate and drive applied science initiatives to completion with a focus on improving the acquisition, retention, and expansion of large professionals on the Thumbtack platform
• Develop, deploy, and optimize machine learning models and algorithms for various supply shaping problems, including
• Targeted large pro acquisition and lead scoring
• Pro retention and churn prediction for high-value segments
• Optimization of pro expansion (e.g., category, geo, budget)
• Enabling new features for marketplace matching and ranking algorithms specifically for large and licensed pros
• Leveraging external data (e.g., credentialing databases) for pro quality assessment and targeting
• Design and execute marketplace experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of new models, features, and strategies on key supply and business metrics
• Analyze a wide variety of data, including marketplace interactions, pro profiles, financial data, and external data sources, to identify trends, opportunities, and risks related to supply health
• Collaborate closely with engineering, product management, business development, and marketing teams to define problems, develop end-to-end solutions, and ensure successful implementation and monitoring of machine learning systems in production
• Maintain the right balance between speed of execution and scientific rigor when designing solutions for a fast-paced marketplace environment
• Contribute to improving the overall performance and robustness of supply shaping models by exploring new features, algorithms, and data sources