Director, Decision Science

The role

You will build and lead the decision science team to turn data into decisions. You will own the function's strategy, roadmap, and standards while partnering with product, engineering, marketing, finance, and executive leadership.

What you will do

• Build and lead the decision science team.
• Hire, onboard, coach, and develop a group of scientists and analysts.
• Set the function's strategy and roadmap.
• Partner with product, engineering, marketing, finance, and executive leadership.
• Direct the development of predictive, prescriptive, and causal models.
• Raise the bar on how insights reach decision-makers.
• Present findings and recommendations to senior leaders.
• Grow data literacy across Instructure.
• Work with data engineering and platform teams.
• Hold the line on ethical, privacy-conscious data use.

Required qualifications

• 10 or more years of experience in data science, analytics, or decision science, including at least three years managing and developing a team.
• A track record of analytical work that changed real decisions and produced measurable business results.
• Deep expertise in experimental design, causal inference, statistical modeling, and machine learning.
• Strong SQL skills.
• Fluency in Python or R.
• Experience with modern data platforms and large-scale data tools, such as Snowflake, Databricks, or Spark.
• The ability to explain a complicated analysis to an executive in plain language, and to defend the method to a peer who knows the math.
• A record of hiring well, developing people, and building a team culture others want to join.
• Comfort setting priorities in a fast-moving environment where the questions change and the data is imperfect.
• A master's or PhD in statistics, economics, computer science, operations research, applied mathematics, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent practical experience.

Nice to have

• Experience in education technology or another B2B SaaS business.
• Familiarity with subscription and product-led growth metrics, such as retention, expansion, and adoption.
• Experience building an analytics or decision science function from an early stage.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation.
• Ownership program for all full-time employees.
• Flexible work culture.
• Generous time off, including local holidays and an annual Dim the Lights period in late December.
• Comprehensive wellness programs and mental health support.
• Learning and development resources, including professional development tools and tuition reimbursement.
• The technology and tools you need to do your best work.
• Motivosity employee recognition program.

Before you apply

• All employees must pass a background check.
• Identity verification measures implemented.
• Candidates may be asked to verify their legal name, current physical location, and provide a valid contact number and residential address.

About the company

Instructure aims to amplify the power of people to grow and succeed by creating intuitive products that simplify learning and personal development.