Principal Data Scientist - AI

Philadelphia, PA, US Senior Data Scientist

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Skills & Technologies

AwsAzureGcpPrompt EngineeringPythonRlhf

About This Role

AI job market dashboard showing open roles by category

At Anaplan, we are a team of innovators focused on optimizing business decision\-making through our leading AI\-infused scenario planning and analysis platform so our customers can outpace their competition and the market.

What unites Anaplanners across teams and geographies is our collective commitment to our customers' success and to our Winning Culture.

Our customers rank among the who's who in the Fortune 50\. Coca\-Cola, LinkedIn, Adobe, LVMH and Bayer are just a few of the 2,400\+ global companies who rely on our best\-in\-class platform.

Our Winning Culture is the engine that drives our teams of innovators. We champion diversity of thought and ideas, we behave like leaders regardless of title, we are committed to achieving ambitious goals, and we love celebratingour wins – big and small.

Supported by operating principles of being strategy\-led, values\-based and disciplined in execution, you'll be inspired, connected, developed and rewarded here. Everything that makes you unique is welcome; join us and let's build what's next \- together!

We're seeking a versatile Principal Data Scientist who can work across the full stack of Anaplan AI applications, from model integration and prompt engineering to building intuitive user interfaces. In this role, you will have a direct impact on our industry\-leading platform by architecting and deploying cutting\-edge AI solutions that drive intelligent, automated, and forward\-looking decision\-making for our global customers. You will bridge the gap between traditional predictive algorithms and modern generative systems.

Your Impact

  • Advanced Modeling \& Predictive Analytics: Lead the research, design, and implementation of advanced Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Time Series Forecasting models to solve complex enterprise business and planning challenges.
  • Generative AI Architecture: Architect GenAI solutions, focusing on fine\-tuning proprietary and open\-source Large Language Models (LLMs) via Transformer architectures for specialized enterprise data tasks.
  • Next\-Gen Interfaces: Design and integrate Conversational AI and autonomous Agentic AI workflows to create intuitive experiences that can independently execute complex planning tasks.
  • Production \& Scale: Collaborate with Engineering, Product, and Design teams to transition AI models from early prototypes into robust, highly scalable production systems.
  • Technical Leadership: Serve as a core subject matter expert, mentoring cross\-functional teams and driving a culture of technical excellence, rigorous testing, and continuous learning.

Your Qualifications

  • Extensive professional engineering experience across Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or related domains.
  • Deep technical understanding of Transformer architectures, prompt engineering, and conversational AI patterns, alongside practical experience with autonomous agent frameworks.
  • Experience fine\-tuning LLMs (e.g., LoRA, QLoRA, RLHF) specifically for domain\-specific enterprise applications.
  • Taken responsibility for models from concept to production, utilizing strong MLOps and LLMOps practices to ensure scalable, reliable, and monitorable deployments.
  • High proficiency in Python and modern software development practices, including rigorous testing, code reviews, and CI/CD pipelines.
  • Strong hands\-on experience in traditional Machine Learning and deep learning techniques, specifically including Time Series Forecasting algorithms.

Desirable

  • Background in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Statistics, Data Science, or a related quantitative field.
  • Experience working with scalable cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and MLOps tools for model training, monitoring, and deployment.
  • Background in forecasting, planning, or analytics applications
  • Familiarity with Anaplan or similar enterprise planning platforms
  • Experience with A/B testing and experimentation frameworks for AI features
  • Contributions to open\-source ML projects or research publications

\#LI\-SP1

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB)

We believe attracting and retaining the best talent and fostering an inclusive culture strengthens our business. DEIB improves our workforce, enhances trust with our partners and customers, and drives business success. Build your career in a place where diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging aren't just words on paper – this is what drives our innovation, it's how we connect, and it contributes to what makes us a market leader. We believe in a hiring and working environment where all people are respected and valued, regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, disability status, citizenship, or any other aspect which makes people unique. We hire you for who you are, and we want you to bring your authentic self to work every day!

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, perform essential job functions, and receive equitable benefits and all privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Fraud Recruitment Disclaimer

It has come to our attention that fraudulent and fictitious job opportunities are being circulated on the Internet. Prospective candidates are being contacted by certain individuals, mainly through telephone calls, emails and correspondence, claiming they are representatives of Anaplan. The main purpose of these correspondences and announcements is to obtain privileged information from individuals.

Anaplan does not:

  • Extend offers to candidates without an extensive interview process with a member of our recruitment team and a hiring manager via video or in person.
  • Send job offers via email. All offers are first extended verbally by a member of our internal recruitment team whenever possible and then followed up via written communication.

All emails from Anaplan would come from an @anaplan.com email address. Should you have any doubts about the authenticity of an email, letter or telephone communication purportedly from, for, or on behalf of Anaplan, please send an email to [email protected] before taking any further action in relation to the correspondence.

Role Details

Company Anaplan
Title Principal Data Scientist - AI
Location Philadelphia, PA, US
Category Data Scientist
Experience Senior
Salary Not disclosed
Remote No

About This Role

Data Scientists extract insights and build predictive models from data. In the AI era, many roles now include LLM-powered analytics, automated reporting, and integration with generative AI tools. The role has evolved from 'the person who runs SQL queries' to 'the person who builds AI-powered data products.'

Modern data science roles fall into two camps: analytics-focused (insights, dashboards, experimentation) and ML-focused (building predictive models, recommendation systems, NLP features). The best data scientists can operate in both modes. The AI shift means that even analytics-focused roles now involve building automated insight pipelines using LLMs, going well beyond one-off reports.

Across the 3,824 AI roles we're tracking, Data Scientist positions make up 7% of the market. At Anaplan, this role fits into their broader AI and engineering organization.

Data Scientist roles remain in high demand, though the definition keeps shifting. Companies increasingly want candidates who can bridge traditional statistics with modern ML and LLM capabilities. The 'pure insights' data scientist role is consolidating into analytics engineering, while the 'build models' data scientist role is merging with ML engineering.

What the Work Looks Like

A typical week includes: analyzing experiment results for a product feature launch, building a predictive model for customer churn, creating an automated reporting pipeline using LLM-powered summarization, presenting insights to stakeholders, and cleaning data (always cleaning data). The ratio of analysis to engineering varies by company, but expect both.

Data Scientist roles remain in high demand, though the definition keeps shifting. Companies increasingly want candidates who can bridge traditional statistics with modern ML and LLM capabilities. The 'pure insights' data scientist role is consolidating into analytics engineering, while the 'build models' data scientist role is merging with ML engineering.

Skills Required

Aws (31% of roles) Azure (23% of roles) Gcp (19% of roles) Prompt Engineering (15% of roles) Python (51% of roles) Rlhf (1% of roles)

Python, SQL, and statistical modeling are the foundation. Increasingly, roles want experience with LLMs for data analysis, automated insight generation, and building AI-powered data products. Familiarity with cloud data platforms (Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks) and ML frameworks (scikit-learn, PyTorch) covers most job requirements.

Experimentation design and causal inference are underrated skills that separate strong candidates. Companies care about whether their product changes cause improvements, and can distinguish causation from correlation. A/B testing methodology, Bayesian statistics, and the ability to communicate uncertainty to non-technical stakeholders are high-value skills.

Good postings specify the data stack, the types of problems you'll work on, and the team structure. Look for companies that differentiate between analytics and ML data science. Vague 'data scientist' postings that list every skill under the sun usually mean the company doesn't know what they need.

Compensation Benchmarks

Data Scientist roles pay a median of $200,000 based on 697 positions with disclosed compensation. Senior-level AI roles across all categories have a median of $227,400.

Across all AI roles, the market median is $200,000. Top-quartile compensation starts at $253,000. The 90th percentile reaches $307,500. For comparison, the highest-paying categories include AI Engineering Manager ($293,500) and AI Safety ($274,200). By seniority level: Entry: $97,380; Mid: $160,000; Senior: $227,400; Director: $243,000; VP: $250,000.

Anaplan AI Hiring

Anaplan has 5 open AI roles right now. They're hiring across Data Scientist, Data Engineer, AI/ML Engineer. Based in Philadelphia, PA, US.

Location Context

Across all AI roles, 16% (613 positions) offer remote work, while 3,187 require on-site attendance. Top AI hiring metros: New York (2,448 roles, $210,000 median); San Francisco (1,990 roles, $253,000 median); Los Angeles (1,686 roles, $189,000 median).

Career Path

Common paths into Data Scientist roles include Data Analyst, Statistician, Quantitative Researcher.

From here, career progression typically leads toward Senior Data Scientist, ML Engineer, AI Product Manager.

Start with statistics and SQL. Build a real analysis project on public data that demonstrates insight generation alongside model building. The market values data scientists who can communicate findings clearly to business stakeholders. If you want to move toward ML engineering, invest in software engineering fundamentals and production deployment skills.

What to Expect in Interviews

Interviews combine statistics, coding, and business acumen. SQL is almost always tested, often with complex joins and window functions. Expect a case study round where you're given a business problem and asked to design an analysis plan. Coding rounds focus on pandas, statistical modeling, and visualization. The strongest differentiator is how well you communicate insights to non-technical stakeholders during presentation rounds.

When evaluating opportunities: Good postings specify the data stack, the types of problems you'll work on, and the team structure. Look for companies that differentiate between analytics and ML data science. Vague 'data scientist' postings that list every skill under the sun usually mean the company doesn't know what they need.

AI Hiring Overview

The AI job market has 3,824 open positions tracked in our dataset. By seniority: 119 entry-level, 1,813 mid-level, 1,472 senior, and 420 leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level). Remote roles make up 16% of the market (613 positions). The remaining 3,187 roles require on-site or hybrid attendance.

The market median for AI roles is $200,000. Top-quartile compensation starts at $253,000. The 90th percentile reaches $307,500. Highest-paying categories: AI Engineering Manager ($293,500 median, 31 roles); AI Safety ($274,200 median, 51 roles); Research Engineer ($260,000 median, 401 roles).

Data Scientist roles remain in high demand, though the definition keeps shifting. Companies increasingly want candidates who can bridge traditional statistics with modern ML and LLM capabilities. The 'pure insights' data scientist role is consolidating into analytics engineering, while the 'build models' data scientist role is merging with ML engineering.

The AI Job Market Today

The AI job market spans 3,824 open positions across 15 role categories. The largest categories by volume: AI/ML Engineer (2,702), Data Scientist (281), AI Software Engineer (258). These three account for the majority of open positions, though smaller categories often have higher per-role compensation because of specialized skill requirements.

The seniority mix tells a story about where AI teams are in their maturity. Entry-level roles (119) are outnumbered by mid-level (1,813) and senior (1,472) positions, reflecting that most companies are past the 'build a team from scratch' phase and need experienced engineers who can ship production systems. Leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level) total 420 positions, representing the bottleneck between technical execution and organizational strategy.

Remote work availability sits at 16% of all AI roles (613 positions), with 3,187 requiring on-site or hybrid attendance. The remote share has stabilized after the post-pandemic correction. Senior and specialized roles (Research Scientist, ML Architect) are more likely to be remote-eligible than entry-level positions, partly because experienced hires have more negotiating power and partly because these roles require less hands-on mentorship.

AI compensation is structured in clear tiers. The market median sits at $200,000. Top-quartile roles start at $253,000, and the 90th percentile reaches $307,500. These figures include base salary with disclosed compensation. Total compensation (including equity, bonuses, and sign-on) runs 20-40% higher at companies that offer those components.

Category matters for compensation. AI Engineering Manager roles lead at $293,500 median, while Prompt Engineer roles sit at $142,800. The spread between highest and lowest-paying categories reflects the premium on specialized technical skills versus broader analytical roles.

The most in-demand skills across all AI postings: Python (1,968 postings), Aws (1,203 postings), Azure (882 postings), Rag (877 postings), Gcp (735 postings), Prompt Engineering (587 postings), Pytorch (586 postings), Claude (554 postings). Python dominates, appearing in the vast majority of role descriptions regardless of category. Cloud platform experience (AWS, GCP, Azure) is the second most common requirement. The newer entrants to the top skills list (RAG, vector databases, LLM APIs) reflect the shift from traditional ML toward generative AI applications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Based on 697 roles with disclosed compensation, the median salary for Data Scientist positions is $200,000. Actual compensation varies by seniority, location, and company stage.
Python, SQL, and statistical modeling are the foundation. Increasingly, roles want experience with LLMs for data analysis, automated insight generation, and building AI-powered data products. Familiarity with cloud data platforms (Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks) and ML frameworks (scikit-learn, PyTorch) covers most job requirements.
About 16% of the 3,824 AI roles we track offer remote work. Remote availability varies by company and seniority level, with senior and leadership roles more likely to offer location flexibility.
Anaplan is among the companies actively hiring for AI and ML talent. Check our company profiles for detailed breakdowns of open roles, salary ranges, and hiring trends.
Common next steps from Data Scientist positions include Senior Data Scientist, ML Engineer, AI Product Manager. Progression depends on whether you lean toward technical depth, people management, or product strategy.

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