Senior Associate, Data Science (Value Creation)
Compensation: $300,000 to $360,000 total cash equivalent
Location: New York City (hybrid)
Private equity value creation, data-led
A top-tier global private equity firm is building out its New York-based data science function and hiring multiple Senior Associate-level hires. This team sits close to the investment and portfolio leadership, helping identify value creation opportunities, pressure test deals pre-signing, and then partner with portfolio companies to ship pragmatic, measurable data products after close.
You are not being hired to optimize a single model for a year. You will be expected to move quickly, communicate clearly, and tie your work back to commercial impact.
Responsibilities
Partner with investment teams to support pre-deal diligence through data analysis and rapid, decision-grade insights
Work directly with portfolio companies to identify where data science can drive growth or efficiency, then build proof of concepts and help roll them out
Translate ambiguous business problems into executable data science workstreams
Build and implement models with a value-first mindset, not research for research’s sake
Present findings to non-technical stakeholders in clear business terms, including senior portfolio leadership
What they are looking for
Strong data science foundations and comfort implementing solutions end to end
Evidence you can connect technical work to business outcomes (not just accuracy metrics)
Clear communication and strong executive presence with non-technical stakeholders
Comfort operating at pace, across industries, with shifting context
Bonus points for experience in consulting, private equity, or other environments where you have to structure messy problems fast
Tech stack and environment
Python-first data science and analytics work
Business problem coverage typically includes churn and retention, demand and elasticity, inventory optimization, forecasting, product usage analysis, and growth opportunity mapping
Blend of pre-deal analysis and post-deal implementation, often with imperfect real-world data
Compensation and contract notes
Structured as a 1099 annual contract with strong expectation of renewal and a clear growth path
The team is actively benchmarking to keep the all-in package competitive with senior data science roles at top consulting and tech organizations
Visa sponsorship is unlikely for this structure
Interview process
Initial conversation (high-signal fit check focused on how you think and communicate impact)
Technical deep dive plus structured case-style discussion
Take-home case (48 hours to complete, designed to test problem framing, execution, and communication)
Final conversation with senior technical leadership (more of a team fit and working style discussion)
About People In AI
People In AI is a specialist recruiting firm focused on AI, machine learning, data science, and the engineering functions that support them. We work directly with hiring leaders to give candidates a clear view of role scope, expectations, and the real evaluation criteria, so you can decide quickly and confidently whether it is the right move.
