Data Scientist (Kaggle-Grandmaster)

Role Description

Mercor is hiring on behalf of a leading AI research lab to bring on a highly skilled Data Scientist with a Kaggle Grandmaster profile. In this role, you will transform complex datasets into actionable insights, high-performing models, and scalable analytical workflows. You will work closely with researchers and engineers to design rigorous experiments, build advanced statistical and ML models, and develop data-driven frameworks to support product and research decisions.

What You’ll Do

• Analyze large, complex datasets to uncover patterns, develop insights, and inform modeling direction

• Build predictive models, statistical analyses, and machine learning pipelines across tabular, time-series, NLP, or multimodal data

• Design and implement robust validation strategies, experiment frameworks, and analytical methodologies

• Develop automated data workflows, feature pipelines, and reproducible research environments

• Conduct exploratory data analysis (EDA), hypothesis testing, and model-driven investigations to support research and product teams

• Translate modeling outcomes into clear recommendations for engineering, product, and leadership teams

• Collaborate with ML engineers to productionize models and ensure data workflows operate reliably at scale

• Present findings through well-structured dashboards, reports, and documentation

Qualifications

• Kaggle Competitions Grandmaster or comparable achievement: top-tier rankings, multiple medals, or exceptional competition performance

• 3–5+ years of experience in data science or applied analytics

• Strong proficiency in Python and data tools (Pandas, NumPy, Polars, scikit-learn, etc.)

• Experience building ML models end-to-end: feature engineering, training, evaluation, and deployment

• Solid understanding of statistical methods, experiment design, and causal or quasi-experimental analysis

• Familiarity with modern data stacks: SQL, distributed datasets, dashboards, and experiment tracking tools

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to clearly present analytical insights

Nice to Have

• Strong contributions across multiple Kaggle tracks (Notebooks, Datasets, Discussions, Code)

• Experience in an AI lab, fintech, product analytics, or ML-focused organization

• Knowledge of LLMs, embeddings, and modern ML techniques for text, images, and multimodal data

• Experience working with big data ecosystems (Spark, Ray, Snowflake, BigQuery, etc.)

• Familiarity with statistical modeling frameworks such as Bayesian methods or probabilistic programming

Why Join

• Gain exposure to cutting-edge AI research workflows, collaborating closely with data scientists, ML engineers, and research leaders shaping next-generation analytical systems.

• Work on high-impact data science challenges while experimenting with advanced modeling strategies, new analytical methods, and competition-grade validation techniques.

• Collaborate with world-class AI labs and technical teams operating at the frontier of forecasting, experimentation, tabular ML, and multimodal analytics.

• Flexible engagement options (30-40 hrs/week or full-time) — ideal for data scientists eager to apply Kaggle-level problem-solving to real-world, production analytics.

We consider all qualified applicants without regard to legally protected characteristics and provide reasonable accommodations upon request.

Contract and Payment Terms

• You will be engaged as an independent contractor.
• This is a fully remote role that can be completed on your own schedule.
• Projects can be extended, shortened, or concluded early depending on needs and performance.
• Your work at Mercor will not involve access to confidential or proprietary information from any employer, client, or institution.
• Payments are weekly on Stripe or Wise based on services rendered.
• Please note: We are unable to support H1-B or STEM OPT candidates at this time.

About Mercor

Mercor partners with leading AI labs and enterprises to train frontier models using human expertise. You will work on projects that focus on training and enhancing AI systems. You will be paid competitively, collaborate with leading researchers, and help shape the next generation of AI systems in your area of expertise.