VP of Data Science
At a glance
VP-level Data Science role at Attain. Chicago · no salary stated · we estimate $185,000–$190,000.
Attain has not published a salary for this role. The figure below is our estimate, not theirs.
dataroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Set how the company measures impact, tests causal claims and checks modeled data
- Own product models for census balancing, attribution, audience targeting and incrementality, along with their validation
- Document consistent rules for attribution windows, touch models and ROAS calculations after Product selects them
- Explain the methodology to technical and commercial teams, and turn advanced methods into product and business recommendations
- Lead data scientists and coordinate specialist work with external consultants
What you bring
- At least ten years in AdTech or MarTech data science, including four or more years leading a team
- A senior track record owning measurement methods in AdTech, MarTech or a data-driven consumer platform
- Deep grounding in causal inference, attribution, incrementality and media mix modeling, backed by statistical methods
- Hands-on experience with large consumer datasets and the tradeoffs in matching, imputation, coverage gaps and bias
- An advanced quantitative degree or equivalent depth, plus experience defending models to external clients, partners or regulators
Who this fits
This VP role suits a hands-on methodology leader who can advise clearly, disclose model limitations and earn trust with both technical and commercial audiences. You’ll lead a data science team and work closely with product, engineering, ML and commercial groups.
From the employer
About Attain
Built for consumers and companies, alike
In a world driven by data, we believe consumers and businesses can coexist. Our founders had a vision to empower consumers to leverage their greatest asset—their data—in exchange for modern financial services. Built with this vision in mind, our platform allows consumers to access savings tools, earned wages and rewards without cost or hidden fees. In exchange, they give permission to use their real-time data for research, insights and targeted advertising.
At Attain, your contribution will help us build a more equitable and efficient data sharing ecosystem—whether helping consumers access modern financial services or businesses leverage data to achieve better outcomes. You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with hands-on leaders and mission-driven individuals everyday.
About the role
As Attain's VP of Data Science, you'll own the science behind our products, and be the person clients and partners trust when they want to stress-test our numbers. Attain's differentiation isn't just that we have data; it's that our methodologies are defensible. You'll set the standard for what "defensible" means and be comfortable being the one in the room when a sophisticated buyer or a partner's data science team wants a peek under the hood to understand how our products work.
This role reports into the SVP of Engineering and sits at the intersection of methodology, product, and client trust. You'll work closely with product, engineering, and ML teams on how we model and validate at scale, and just as closely with commercial teams on how that science shows up in front of clients.
You'll be a great fit for the role if
- You have deep expertise in causal inference, incrementality, attribution, and media mix modeling, and the statistical grounding (Bayesian methods, experimental design) to defend it under pressure
- You've worked hands-on with large-scale consumer datasets (transaction, purchase, panel, or identity data) and know the real tradeoffs in imputation, matching, coverage gaps, and bias correction
- You've built your career in AdTech/MarTech, and have personally owned methodology in front of both internal and external stakeholders
- You know how to be a strong advisor, not just a decision-maker; you can lay out every question, concern, and limitation on a product or methodology choice clearly enough to ensure there is no ambiguity in the decision-making process
- You have excellent communication and presentation skills, and can move comfortably between a technical ML/engineering audience and a commercial/executive one, and you're credible with both
- You'd rather disclose the limits of a model proactively than get caught defending it after the fact
- You're excited to lead a team of data scientists who combine methodological depth with a product and client mindset
What a typical week will look like
- Define and maintain the standards for how Attain measures impact, proves causality, and validates modeled data
- Own the modeling behind our products, e.g. census balancing, attribution, audience targeting, incrementality, and the validation regimes that back them
- Set and document the standard for how core calculations (attribution windows, touch-model methodology, ROAS conventions) are implemented consistently and defensibly, once Product has decided what those calculations should be
- Represent Attain's methodology to both engineering and commercial stakeholders, and sometimes externally as well
- Translate advanced methods into product decisions and business recommendations for commercial teams, and translate commercial pressure back into a realistic scientific roadmap
- Partner closely with Engineering and ML leadership on modeling infrastructure and standards, without owning that infrastructure directly
- Develop and lead our team of data scientists
- Partner with and manage engagements with external consultants who bring domain-specific expertise
Preferred Qualifications
- 10+ years in data science within AdTech/MarTech, with 4+ years leading a team
- Track record owning measurement science or methodology at a senior level in AdTech, MarTech, or a data-driven consumer platform
- Advanced degree (MS/PhD/MBA) in economics, statistics, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent demonstrated depth
- Experience presenting and defending modeling approaches to external clients, partners, or regulators
- Strong Python and modern ML/statistical tooling; comfortable operating on a cloud data stack
- Experience building and scaling a data science team
- Prior experience with panel-based or modeled/synthetic consumer data specifically is a strong plus
We are excited to hear from you.
At Attain, we are passionate about finding people to continuously help us grow our organization. We encourage you to apply, even if your experience doesn’t match every detail on the job description. If we don’t see something that immediately fits, we will keep your resume on file for future opportunities.