Data Science Intern (PhD) - League of Legends

As Riot continues to deliver games and content to our passionate players, our Data discipline has challenges and opportunities centered on crafting, building, and maintaining data products that support the organization’s growth. Whether you are a Data Scientist building machine learning and AI models, a Data Engineer bringing scale and efficiency to systems, or a Software Engineer developing data systems as part of our live games, we need you to help push forward our “Player Experience First” aspirations.

As a Data Science Intern on the League Data Central team, you will build data products to support the games and functions of the organization. You will report to the Data Science Manager on League Data Central, the hub for all Data Science and Data Engineering for League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and Wild Rift. The team collaborates on cross-functional projects that range from in-game features to content design to infrastructure. In a world of high volume data, you will develop products that bring personalized experiences to players, optimize our strategy, and refine in-game features.

• Work closely with game feature teams to optimize the way that we design and serve to players
• Partner with game designers and engineers to design and implement data products
• Explore the application of data science techniques to games in development and production

• Currently enrolled in an M.S. or Ph.D. program in statistics, engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence, or a related quantitative field (math, physics, etc.)
• Available to work full-time hours for 10-12 weeks at the indicated office during the summer (pending COVID restrictions)
• Experience in statistical modeling and optimization 
• Experience processing data and build machine learning models using Python
• Experience with databases and SQL

• Basic understanding of data warehousing, relational databases (e.g., MySQL), and distributed data processing or storage systems (e.g., Spark, Flink, Hadoop)
• Basic experience withSpark, or other big data tech (e.g., Hadoop)
• Basic experience with cloud data tools (e.g., AWS, GCP)

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes the delight of players. We will certainly be looking at your past studies and experience, but for this role, we also look for dedicated people with a personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about the experiences of players, this could be the role for you!

Riot Internships are paid, and we offer relocation and housing support. Interns can also participate in our 401(k) plan. You can expect subsidized meals, in-game perks, and the ability to participate in our Play Fund, so you can broaden and deepen your knowledge of our players and community through games. The University Programs team also invites you to intern focused events so you can connect with your fellow interns and Rioters to make the most out of your experience.

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It’s our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance relating to an applicant's criminal history (LAMC 189.00).