Senior Data Scientist II - Ads Optimization
About this role
Instacart's Ads Optimization team builds the decision-making engine behind a multi-billion dollar advertising business, managing systems for bidding, pacing, budgeting, and targeting. The person in this role will drive analytics, experimentation, and algorithmic strategies that connect ad supply and demand while balancing value for users, advertisers, and retail partners.
Operating at the intersection of data science, economics, and production systems, the incoming scientist will partner with product, engineering, and machine learning groups to ship solutions affecting platform revenue. Successful contributors typically possess a strong technical background in ad tech optimization, a rigorous analytical mindset, and the ability to navigate complex research-to-production workflows.
What you will do
- Own analytics and experimentation strategies for pacing, targeting, and optimization areas to improve platform efficiency and advertiser outcomes.
- Design and build intelligent pacing algorithms and budget allocation systems using adaptive and model-predictive control techniques in high-throughput environments.
- Lead end-to-end experimentation frameworks, diagnose complex signals, and translate results into actionable recommendations for leadership.
- Apply causal inference, statistical modeling, and machine learning to optimize ad spend distribution across auctions while balancing user experience and revenue.
- Present findings and strategic recommendations to cross-functional leaders across product, engineering, and data science.
- Serve as a technical anchor and thought leader within ads optimization, setting analytical standards and mentoring peers.
- Collaborate with ads product and sales teams to gather advertiser feedback and inform optimization priorities.
What you need
- Proven background in ads optimization at an ad tech organization, with practical experience in pacing, targeting, or budget allocation systems.
- Solid foundation in data science encompassing product analysis, data analysis, A/B experimentation, causal inference, and statistical modeling.
- Demonstrated history of deploying optimization systems into live production environments with measurable iteration.
- Excellent communication abilities to synthesize complex technical findings for senior business and engineering stakeholders.
- At least six years of professional experience working in data science or a closely related domain.
Nice to have
- Experience collaborating directly with ads product or sales teams, or with advertisers, to shape product and algorithmic priorities
- Background in budget-constrained allocation methods, adaptive control, or model-predictive control in production systems
Benefits
- Market-competitive compensation with location-based base pay ranges
- New hire equity grant and annual refresh grants
- Flex First remote work policy allowing employees to work from home, an office, or other locations
Skills and tech stack
Questions candidates ask
What is the remote work policy for this role?
Instacart operates under a Flex First team approach, giving employees the flexibility to choose where they do their best work, whether from home, an office, or another location, while staying connected through regular in-person events.
What is the salary range for this position?
The base pay range varies depending on the permanent work location, ranging from $218,000 to $230,000 USD in CA, NY, CT, and NJ, down to $182,000 to $192,000 USD in all other states.
What kind of systems does the Ads Optimization team manage?
The team owns systems responsible for bidding, pacing, budgeting, targeting, and additional optimization layers that convert advertiser goals into real-time outcomes.