Group Director of Data Science and Technology

This individual may sit anywhere in the U.S. and Canada.

Realize the unimagined

Fantasy is a digital product and innovation company. We realize the unimagined for the world’s most ambitious organizations. Founded in 1999, our global reputation is based on our teams’ unique ability to think beyond the ordinary and launch ground-breaking products and services. We believe that our phenomenal team is the core reason for our success, our growth, and our thriving culture.

The Role

As the Director of Data Science & Technology, you’ll think beyond the ordinary and help innovate new products and services that our clients and their customers will use and love every day.

In this role, you will lead Fantasy’s global data science and technology discipline and will define the roadmap towards bleeding edge development and innovation, with support from both your internal teammates here at Fantasy and industry leading clients, located across the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

You will advise and collaborate with the best minds at the world’s most forward-thinking companies, including the likes of Netflix, Nike, Spotify, Asana, Tesla, Microsoft, Dolby, Ancestry, Salesforce, and others. You’ll work across diverse industries and varying form factors, including automotive, luxury, travel, operating systems, website ecosystems, voice recognition software, artificial intelligence, and more.

You will collaborate closely with internal teams, including User Experience, Research, Design, Content Strategy, and Production. These teams will rely on your leadership, insights, and experience to translate customer needs and pain points into strategic opportunities for innovation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Data Science and Technology discipline at Fantasy, including data scientists, analysts, and developers.
• Conduct regular team reviews and feedback sessions, promoting a culture of transparency and continuous improvement.
• Cultivate a team environment rooted in collaboration and perpetual growth within the Data Science & Technology department.
• Offer regular guidance and support to a diverse team, from junior members to directors, ensuring their ongoing professional development.
• Motivate the team to break new ground and think beyond, creating influential and inspiring results for our clients.
• Drive innovation in the Data Science and Technology practice at Fantasy, focusing on generative AI and machine learning.
• Use best practices in model training & development, data transmission, and data handling, ensuring client information confidentiality and adherence to internal practices.
• Efficiently handle contract and vendor documentation, including technical proposals and support-level agreements.
• Serve as the primary technical contact for third-party vendors, manage integration points and risks.
• Translate client briefs and goals into tangible services, analysis, or proof of concept products.
• Engage in client presentations and discussions, communicating the value and impact of AI & Data Science and Fantasy’s AI-enabled services.
• Guarantee the excellence of client materials and POC development, overseeing production and preparation of deliverables.
• Build and nurture productive cross-departmental partnerships.
• Facilitate internal and external workshops to educate on bleeding-edge technologies.
• Champion compelling storytelling by refining team outputs and narrative techniques using visual design.
• Achieve internal benchmarks for growth, innovation, and client satisfaction.
• Propel the agency forward by meeting targets in innovation, growth, and technology integration.
• Deliver accurate work estimations and initiate resource requests and allocations in alignment with project needs and budget.

Qualifications

• Bring a rich history of 10+ years in a Development-focused role.
• Possess deep expertise in Machine Learning and AI, especially in generative AI.
• Proven experience coding in multiple languages, with a strong preference for Java & Python.
• Proficient in machine learning frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch.
• Demonstrate deep technical knowledge in software development, including hands-on coding.
• Be familiar with systems architecture principles and product development best practices.
• Proven technical experience working with the latest AI technologies.
• Must have an excellent understanding of best practices across client, server-side, QA, and deployment technologies.
• Demonstrated experience in building and growing teams from the ground up.
• Passion for mentoring others and sharing knowledge through workshops, articles, or speaking engagements.
• Have a knack for making complex topics accessible to diverse audiences.
• Proven track record of thought leadership and innovation.
• Be a trailblazer in creating new services or products.
• Confident in client-facing situations, adept at pitching ideas and securing stakeholder buy-in.
• Excellent conflict resolution skills, able to navigate nuanced conversations diplomatically.
• Agency experience a plus.

Fantasy EOE

Fantasy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Since 1999, diversity has been vital to our success and ability to create products and services used and loved by millions of people all over the world. We are committed to continually fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.