ROLE: DATA SCIENTIST
TEAM: SALT MEDIA
LOCATION: TORONTO (HYBRID)
COMPANY OVERVIEW
Ready to shape the future of AI-driven advertising and build products that transform how brands connect with audiences? We’re looking fora Data Scientistto join our team at Salt Media and be a part of the evolution.Every day at Salt Media, we’re facilitating more informed, valuable conversations between companies and the people they serve. We’re driven by our mission to “Bring Audiences Home”—helping brands cut through irrelevant noise and connect with people who truly care.As an AI-driven media agency powered by our own proprietary products, we help clients make smarter, more impactful ad buying decisions while delivering a better experience for brands and consumers alike.
Our product suite and unique in-house service models blend the best of data science and marketing, empowering clients to take ownership of their digital media, social buying, and first-party data strategies.Our current product suite includes:
- Podium, our next-gen media mix modellingand measurementplatform
- Frontrunnr, our automated social boosting and ad optimization platform
- Media Mob, our creator discovery platform
…and this is just the beginning. We're constantly ideating and building. As one of our Data Scientists, you'll play a pivotal role not only in shaping and refining these products but also in envisioning and creating the next wave of transformative products that will define our future.
ABOUT YOU
If you’re an engineer who loves buildingproduct, has anownership mentalityand is someone who constantly wants tolearn and evolve, here are a few reasons why you might be excited to join Salt Media:
- Work with Cutting-Edge AI
- AI isn’t just a buzzword for us — it’s in our DNA. Asa Data Scientist, you’ll engage directly with generative models, ML-driven decision-making tools, and advanced data pipelines. You’ll use licensed AI tools internally to enhance your daily workflows and collaborate withcolleagues, andwill be given regularopportunities to explore and learn new toolingto help us all stay ahead of the curve and work smarter.
- High-Impact,Varied Environment
- You won’t be pigeonholed into a narrow engineering role. Instead, you’ll tackle a variety of challenges, on a variety of products, from improving backend architectures and optimizing models to experimenting with new tools and frameworks. Your work will make an immediate, visible difference to clients and the company’s trajectory.
- Autonomy and Ownership
- Rather than waiting for permission, you’ll propose solutions, influence product direction, and shape development processes. Our flat org structure eliminates red tape and encourages direct communication. If you see an opportunity to build something better, you run with it.
- Exposure to the Entire Business
- At Salt Media, you won’t be isolated in your own technical corner. You’ll collaborate closely with product leaders, data scientists, client-facing teams, and even the CEO. This cross-functional exposure expands your understanding of the product and customers, helping you hone both technical and business skills.
- Fast-Paced Growth and Learning
- Ad tech is evolving quickly, and we move with it. That means constant learning, continuous improvement, and never feeling stuck in outdated tech stacks or stale processes. As the company grows, so do your opportunities—new responsibilities, new projects, and a larger platform to showcase your talents.
- A Culture of Curiosity and Transparency
- Expect open communication, direct feedback, and a culture that values curiosity and problem solving over rigid hierarchies. You’ll join a team that encourages questions, celebrates breakthroughs, and is genuinely excited about building product to shake up a traditional industry.
ROLE OVERVIEW:
Asa Data Scientistat Salt Media, you’re a key contributor helping redefine how an entire industry operates. If you’ve ever wanted to make an impact somewhere where your code directly influences market-shaping decisions, read on.Reporting directly to theDirector of Data Science, you will partner with Internal and Client Business Teams to develop novel products, new systems and achieve client business goals.You'll work with a modern
tech stack
that includes:
- Python: The backbone of our codebase, poweringmost ofour development work.
- Cloud Platforms: A robust infrastructure builtonGCP to support scalability and reliability.
- Generative AI: At the heart of our innovation. We’re integrating large language models and developing bespoke AI solutions to redefine our products and services.
Your
core responsibilities
will include:
- Creatingand evolvingthe data models that drive our products, providing better results for our clients and givingusa unique competitive advantage in the market
- Workingwith the software engineering team to ensure the development and maintenance of data infrastructure (pipelines, ETL’s, ML Ops) is optimized for efficient data collection,processing,storage, and analysis
- Lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of media measurement and experimentation methodologies for AI/ML products across various clients
- Develop, test, deploy, and optimize media mix models to drive predictive analytics and maximize media investment
- Continuously monitor data pipelines and model performance, making improvements to enhance accuracy and efficiency
- Design and implement automated processes for model selection andvalidation,anddevelop robust quality control procedures to ensure effective governance of production models
- Work closely with business stakeholders to translate business questions into statistical measures for all use cases
- Partner with the Software Engineering team to co-develop the AI/MLPOVorthe final product
- Prepare client-ready deliverables and independently present findings and recommendations tonon-technical and leadership audiences, incorporating their feedback,driving alignment and support for data science initiatives
- Conduct code reviews, mentor junior team members, and document ML processes in a centralized repository to establish standardized approaches and best practices
- Contributing to fostering a culture ofproductexcellence and creativity
- Stayup to datewith emerging research and market trends
Within the
first 30 days
of theroleyou will:
- Progress through our structured onboarding program
- Set up your development environment, familiarize yourself with our tech stack, and understand our core products
- Meet our CEO
- Get to know your fellow Product Team members
- Haveregular1:1s with theDirector of Data Science
- Attendweeklycompany-wide update meeting
- Meet with cross-functional teammembersto understand roles, org structure, and workflows
Within the
first 60 days
you will:
- Begin independently contributing to feature development and propose improvements to existingmodels
- Take on ownership of a smallmodel-basedfeature or service area, ensuring its performance, reliability, and scalability
Within the
first 90 days
you will:
- Lead the development of a moderately complexmodelormodelimprovement from concept through release
- Offer input on tooling, architecture, or best practices to improve productivity andquality across the Product team
- Act as a trusted technical contributor, regularly sharing insights, advocating for best practices, and helping shape our long-termdata scienceroadmap
EXPERIENCE & SKILLS
While checkingallofthese boxes certainly isn’t required for you to apply, here is an overview of the kind of experience we’d love to see in your work history:
- BSc or higher in Data Science,Economics,Statistics,Math,Computer Science or related field, or equivalent experience
- 3+ years of experience in data science or analytics roles
- As an early technology adopter, you’llbe curiousabouthow to integrate cutting-edge technology into ourproduction
- Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure,Databricks, Snowflake)
- 3+years’ experiencebuilding and deploying MLmodels, and familiarity withMLflowand similarend-to-endMLOpspipeline
- Familiarity with data orchestration and pipeline management (Airflow), including AI pipelines
- Proficiency in Power BI, Tableau and Looker
- Extensive hands-on experience with statistical modeling techniques using Python – experience using packages such asStatsModel,Scikit-learn,Numpyro,CausalML,DoWhy,PyMCis a plus
- Experience with open-source MMM frameworks and hands-on expertise in building MMM models is a significant advantage
- Experience with distributed ML platforms using GPUs and how to optimize them in packages like JAX or TensorFlow orPyTorchis a significant asset
- Proven experience managing multiple stakeholders, concurrent workstreams, priorities and deadlines in a high pressure, fast-paced environment
- Proven track recordworking onlarge-scale data projects and delivering actionable insights that drive business results
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain and present complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences
- Strong problem-solving abilities and a passion for innovation in data science
- Additional consideration for candidates with
- Experience with media mix modeling and/or advertising technologies
- ‘Big Tech’ experience
OUR CULTURE
At Salt Media, you’ll be working in a startup-like atmospherewithin a larger agency group. Rapid learning, continuous experimentation, and room to shape your own role are key, but unlike other startups, here you'll reap the benefits of stability, scale and long-term vision. You’ll join a team of ambitious builders and problem solvers who move fast, are masters of their craft, and share an obsession with exploring cutting-edge technologies. There’s no red tape holding you back, so you’ll feel empowered to take bold risks and drive meaningful change.
We value transparency, curiosity, ownership, consistency, commitment and tech agility. We celebrate wins, encourage one another’s professional development, and foster an inclusive culture where everyone’s diverse perspective matters.
We embrace a hybrid approach to work at Salt Media, with 2 days per week spent collaborating with teammates and leadership in person at our Toronto office (located in Liberty Village). It’s a buzzing and productive environment where you’ll have the opportunity to not only get to know your colleagues, but an extensive networkofindustrypeers. Wespendthe other 3 daysworking remotelyfrom andstay connected via Slack.
INTERVIEW PROCESS
Our interview process shouldn’t take more thanabout 4hours of your time total. Here’s what’sinvolved for the Data Scientistrole:
- Introductory call with our recruiter toassess experience and fit(30-60 mins)
- Introductory callwithour Chief Product Officer to learn about the products you’ve built previously and toensureyour ways of working align with ours (30-60mins)
- TechnicalAssessment,which will involvedata science knowledge questions and “paper exercises”(60 mins)
- Final call with our Director of Data Science to answer any outstanding questions that you or we might have(30 mins)
If you’re ready to build products that transform the future of advertising, thrive in a transparent and collaborative environment, and see the tangible impact of your work, Salt Media is the place to bring your ambition to life.Apply nowand join us on our mission to “Bring Audiences Home”.Salt Media embraces diversity and equal opportunity. We’re committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, or family status.If you require any accommodations or support during the application or interview process,please let our recruiter knowand we’ll work with you to ensure you have a positive experience.
