Senior Applied Scientist

About 2K

2K is renowned for developing some of the most iconic and culturally impactful video games, including major franchises such as NBA® 2K, BioShock®, Borderlands®, Mafia, Sid Meier's Civilization®, and XCOM®, along with popular titles like WWE® 2K, TopSpin®, and PGA TOUR® 2K. Our company thrives by pushing the limits of creativity, authenticity, and innovation across diverse game genres. Our portfolio is driven by notable development studios such as Visual Concepts, Firaxis Games, Hangar 13, Cat Daddy Games, 31st Union, Cloud Chamber, Gearbox, HB Studios, and 2K SportsLab, creating exceptional cross-platform experiences. At the heart of 2K’s success are our people and our commitment to cultivating a diverse, inclusive, and empowering environment where individuals are encouraged to be themselves and deliver their best work.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Senior Applied Scientist to join the Applied AI Team within our Product Organization, focusing on the flagship NBA 2K franchise. Our team harnesses AI, machine learning, statistics, operations research, and economics to develop systems that enhance main game experiences. Key areas include matchmaking, personalized in-game experiences, player engagement, in-game economy management, content optimization, and fraud detection.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, design, and continuously improve machine learning models that impact critical game systems such as matchmaking, skill rating, and recommendation engines.
• Create and enhance representation learning models to analyze player skill levels, lineup strengths, and interaction sequences derived from gameplay data.
• Keep current with advanced methodologies and lead initiatives to incorporate cutting-edge techniques into existing systems.
• Translate complex and unstructured product challenges into precise machine learning tasks.
• Provide leadership in technical discussions, promote best practices for model creation and deployment, and uphold scientific rigor.
• Work in close partnership with engineers, machine learning engineers, and product stakeholders to deploy models effectively and influence game design decisions.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate has a strong academic background in quantitative disciplines, coupled with significant experience applying machine learning and statistical models to real-world problems. Comfort with imperfect datasets, the capability to frame problems from scratch, and practical expertise in advanced approaches such as deep learning and representation learning are essential. This role demands a curious, solution-driven mindset and the ability to oversee projects from conception through implementation and evaluation.

Qualifications

• Master’s or Ph.D. degree in fields like Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Computer Science, Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, or Electrical Engineering.
• Proven track record in applied science or data science roles with hands-on experience deploying machine learning solutions in production environments.
• Experience with deep learning techniques, representation learning, embedding models, and self-supervised or semi-supervised learning methods.
• Proficiency in Python and SQL or comparable scripting languages, along with experience in big data processing technologies such as Apache Spark.
• Familiarity with machine learning frameworks like PyTorch or TensorFlow.
• Ability to independently prototype rapidly and test novel ideas effectively.
• Strong communication capabilities to clearly convey complex technical concepts to both technical and lay audiences.

Additional Preferences

• Background in building recommendation or ranking systems, or modeling user behavior.
• Experience working with sequence models (e.g., RNNs, Transformers), graph neural networks, or autoencoder architectures.
• Knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS), container technologies, and model serving/orchestration frameworks.
• Interest or experience in sports analytics, predictive modeling related to sports, especially NBA, is advantageous.
• A genuine interest in video games as consumer products.

Equal Opportunity & Accommodations

Our commitment to diversity means qualified applicants with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodations throughout the hiring process and employment. Candidates requiring accommodations may contact us to discuss their needs.

Important Note

Please be aware that 2K Games and its studios do not use instant messaging applications or personal email addresses for recruitment communications. Official email correspondence will only come from 2K.com domains.