Applied Data Scientist, Unit Economics Understanding

OpenAI OpenAI · AI Frontier · San Francisco, CA · Data Science

This role focuses on building the strategic unit economics understanding of OpenAI, guiding sustainable growth to make it the most impactful company of our generation and beyond. You will lead the development of foundational causal inference and data science models and frameworks to predict and quantify the drivers of customer lifetime value (LTV), translating deep data insights into strategic decisions and growth levers. The role requires both technical depth and executive-level communication.

What you'd actually do

  1. Partner with cross-functional teams (Finance, Product, Data Engineering, GTM, and other DS teams) to build causal inference and predictive models that drive business decisions.
  2. Develop and maintain LTV models across product lines and customer cohorts.
  3. Architect scalable frameworks and models that democratize economic insights for leadership and functional teams.
  4. Support strategic pricing and investment decisions with robust analytical and causal evidence.
  5. Lead cross-functional data science initiatives, ensuring analytical rigor, clarity, and timely delivery.

Skills

Required

  • Python
  • SQL
  • Causal inference
  • Statistical modeling
  • ML predictive models
  • ROI analysis
  • MS or PhD in a quantitative field (Statistics, Economics, Applied Math, Operations Research, Computer Science, etc.)

Nice to have

  • Executive communication
  • Strategic judgment
  • Collaboration and ownership

What the JD emphasized

  • Executive communication
  • Technical breadth
  • Strategic judgment
  • Collaboration and ownership
  • 7+ years of experience in applied data science, causal inference, or quantitative strategy
  • Proven record of delivering high-impact insights to executive leadership
  • Experience building scalable analytical frameworks and models that inform business decision-making