Data Scientist

The Associated Press' Metadata and Data Science Team seeks a Data Scientist based in New York, NY.

Why this role matters:

The Data Scientist will designand implementdata scienceand applied machine learningsolutionssupportingnew product development,search and discoveryon platform, contentenrichmentand metadata generation.As a member of cross-functional project teams, theDataScientist will perform data analysis, evaluate commercial and open-source models, anddeliversolutionswith real-world impact.

The team works closely with various departments and functions across the organization to design, implement and manage end-to-endcontentmetadata, tomaintainthe integrity of schema standards, and to build solutions with data,analyticsand machine learning methods.

What you will do:

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  Evaluate, fine-tune, andmaintainstatistical and machine learning modelsusedinrun-timeproduction environments, measuring and communicating performance improvements to stakeholders

  
  

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  Partnerwith cross-functional teams to design andoptimizeAI/ML solutions that delivernew product capabilities and internal workflow improvements, using news articles, photos, videos, election results, and other news data

  
  

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  Research, evaluate, and recommend models and methodologies across the AI/MLlandscape, presentingrecommended solutionsto technical and non-technical stakeholders

  
  

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  Identifyand address gaps inmodelquality and performance metrics, synthesizing findings into clear, actionable recommendations

  
  

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  Contribute to the design and enhancement of data and ML pipelines,including multimodal embedding generationand knowledge extraction,with a focus on accuracy, efficiency, and scalability

  
  

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  Design user-centered solutions and search algorithms focused on quality and performance

  
  

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  Stay current with emerging technologies and advances in NLP, machine learning, and data science, proactively surfacing opportunities for improvement

  
  

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  Support the full model development lifecycle, from problem definition and prototyping throughintegration,deployment, monitoring, and iteration

  
  

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  Communicate analysis and present findings clearly, adapting to a range of technical and business audiences

  
  

Who you are:

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  3+ years of relevant data science experience, with strongproficiencyin Python including NumPy, Pandas, and large-scale semi-structured JSON data

  
  

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  Bachelor's degree in Data Science or Computer Science

  
  

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  Experienced applying core machine learning methods including classification, clustering, regression, and ranking

  
  

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  Hands-on experience with NLP techniques such as entity recognition, disambiguation, semantic similarity, and embedding-based retrieval

  
  

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  Experience with transformer models for structured extraction, classification, summarization, and generation

  
  

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  Experience with hybrid search algorithms, retrieval pipelines,intent detection,queryexpansion,andrelevance tuning in Elasticsearch or OpenSearch

  
  

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  Experience working with both language and multimodal models

  
  

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  Experienceand comfortworking withreal-worlddata, includingtext and visuals, at scale

  
  

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  Familiar with ML engineering and MLOps practices, witha track recordof delivering runtime solutions

  
  

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  Familiarity with cohort analysis, session segmentation, A/B testing, and confidence calibration

  
  

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  Analytical and curious, with strong problem-solving skills and a practical focus on high-impact, cost-aware solutions

  
  

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  Able toeffectivelymanagemultipleprojectdeliverablessimultaneously

  
  

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  Comfortablebeingaccountable for deliverables across the full product development lifecycle,from problem definition through launch and iteration

  
  

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  An effective communicator who can tailor analysis and presentations to both technical and non-technical audiences

  
  

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  Collaborative and empathetic, with a genuine focus on user impact and a desire to grow data literacy across the organization

  
  

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  Advanced-level professional competency in written and spoken English

  
  

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  Authorization to work in the United States for any employer

  
  

What will set you apart:

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  Experience in news media or working with news as datastrongly preferred

  
  

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  Master's degree in Data Scienceor a related field

  
  

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  Familiarity with graph data models and designing entity-relationship schemas

  
  

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  Eagerness to learn the technical nuances of large-scale media operations andidentifyopportunities within evolving systems

  
  

Location:

This role is based in New York City with a hybrid work schedule. AP employees are onsite three days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Local candidates are preferred, but all qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

Salary & Benefits:

The anticipated salary range for this position is $116,000 - $130,000, based on a candidate's skills, qualifications, and location. The Associated Press offers comprehensive benefits, which include:

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  Competitive medical, dental and vision coverage

  
  

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  Retirement benefits

  
  

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  Company paid life insurance

  
  

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  Paid vacation and sick days

  
  

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  Paid parental leave for any new parent

  
  

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  Mental well-being resources