Senior Data Scientist

Join the Global Pioneer of Predictive Demand Intelligence

At PredictHQ, we're redefining how businesses forecast demand by eliminating blind spots caused by unforeseen, event-driven disruptions. As the leader in predictive demand intelligence, our AI-powered platform helps companies master predictability - empowering them to optimize inventory, staffing, pricing, and marketing by understanding not just what events are happening, but why they matter.

From concerts and sports games to unexpected weather events and airport disruptions, we track and forecast the impact of millions of real-world events across the world. Our platform leverages cutting-edge machine learning to create high-quality, forecast-grade data to deliver actionable insights via powerful APIs and an intuitive web app. The result? Businesses can anticipate demand spikes and dips with unmatched accuracy and agility.

Our dynamic models adapt to changing conditions in real time, allowing customers to make smarter, faster decisions. That's why industry giants like Domino's, Uber, Expedia, and IHG rely on PredictHQ to stay ahead of demand and turn unpredictability into opportunity.

Founded in 2016 and backed by Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sutter Hill Ventures, and Aspect Ventures, PredictHQ has offices in Auckland and San Francisco.

Our Values

PredictHQ is about teamwork to achieve huge things. We are building innovative and complex products, so our empathetic, hard-working culture is key to our success. We are proactive in helping our teammates grow and thrive in their careers, as well as making sure everyone can put their family and friends first.

Job Purpose

This role sits at the powerful intersection of data science innovation and real-world customer impact. As a Senior Data Scientist at PredictHQ, you'll play a key role in helping our global enterprise customers and prospects integrate and optimise demand intelligence into their planning and forecasting workflows - demonstrating measurable improvements and clear business outcomes along the way.

It's a unique opportunity to work hands-on with some of the world's most recognised brands, solving complex forecasting challenges alongside their data science teams. You'll be a trusted advisor and technical partner, translating demand signals into action, while also shaping the improvement and refinement of our core data science products.

We're looking for someone who's not just technically excellent but genuinely interested in connecting with customers, understanding their forecasting challenges, and helping them drive better decisions.

Key Tasks and Expected Results  

• Work directly with customer data science teams to evaluate and optimise forecasting models using PredictHQ's features, demonstrating measurable improvements in accuracy and model performance

• Help shape and evolve our core demand intelligence models and features - ensuring they stay accurate, scalable, and effective across industries

• Support our Sales, Solutions Engineering, and Customer teams with technical insights, pilots, and clear analytical stories that highlight our impact

• Contribute to team retrospectives, propose workflow improvements, and help raise the technical bar across the Project team

• Stay up to date with the latest in forecasting, time series modelling, and applied machine learning, and apply relevant advancements to how we work and build

• 4+ years of experience in data science or applied machine learning roles, with a stong background in statistics, maths, or computer science

• Proven track record working directly with enterprise customers or in technical customer-facing roles

• Strong understanding of demand forecasting, time series modelling, and predictive modelling techniques

• Comfortable building, tuning, and evaluating machine learning models, and translating results into clear, measurable outcomes

• Confident working in Python and experienced with key libraries such as pandas, NumPy, scikit-learn, statsmodels, and XGBoost

• Clear and confident communicator - able to engage with technical and non-technical stakeholders, from data scientists to business leaders

• A natural problem solver who's proactive, self-motivated, and enjoys working both independently and collaboratively

Nice to have

• Experience using external or contextual data to improve forecasting models

• Proven experience optimising forecasting models using external or contextual data

• Applicants for this position must have New Zealand residency or a valid New Zealand work visa.

• Ensure that all activities are conducted in accordance with internal policies and procedures, applicable legislation, rules and standards, including relevant Acts, Advertising Standards Authority rules and regulations, and industry body requirements.

• Based in Auckland, this role follows our hybrid approach - combining the flexibility of working from home with one to two days a week in the office to foster team connection and collaboration.

Benefits

• Health Insurance

• Paid Birthday Leave and Paid Family and Friends Day Leave

• Strong focus on your training and development

• 10 weeks of fully paid parental leave

• Flexible work arrangements

• A hybrid work environment centred on collaboration, agility and fun

• Options in a fast-growing company in its early stages

• $500 annual stipend to support your work-from-home setup