Senior Data Science Manager, Performance Marketing

Root was founded on the belief that car insurance is broken, and we set out to change it. We’re harnessing the power of technology to revolutionize this archaic, complicated industry. Using machine learning and mobile telematic platforms, we’ve built one of the most innovative insurtech companies in the world.

The Opportunity

We believe that a disruptive insurance company must have a principled quantitative framework at its foundation. At Root, we are committed to the rigorous development and effective deployment of modern statistical machine learning methods to problems in the insurance industry.

At Root, the Data Science team owns the majority of all marketing capital allocation, using quantitative methods to test, maintain, and enhance our marketing strategies across numerous distribution channels. As a Senior Data Science Manager, Performance Marketing, you will drive continuous improvement of marketing strategies, channels, and operational processes while supporting the exploration of novel opportunities.

You will lead a team of data scientists and machine learning engineers who design, deploy, and evolve the systems that power Root’s performance marketing engine. This includes optimizing bidding strategies, accelerating model iteration and deployment, and advancing applied R&D to improve how we capture and convert demand at scale. You will own the end-to-end measurement framework for performance marketing, ensuring rigorous measurement of business impact as media mix, partners, and tactics evolve. In this role, you will continuously raise the ceiling on how effectively Root turns marketing spend into value, while exploring new, deeper ways of engaging with marketing partners to unlock incremental performance.

Root is a “work where it works best” company, meaning we will support you working in whatever location that works best for you across the US. We will continue to have our headquarters in Columbus to give more flexibility and more choice about how we live and work.

Salary Range: $178,419 - $245,326 (Bonus and LTI eligible)

How You Will Make an Impact

• Advance Root’s performance marketing engine through improved bidding strategies, automation, and applied machine learning
• Lead a team of 3-5 data scientists and machine learning engineers accountable for the deployment and performance of a nine-figure annual marketing budget
• Drive fast, disciplined experimentation across channels and partners, with clear measurement of incremental impact on growth and profit
• Make operationally critical decisions under uncertainty, balancing speed, risk, and rigor 
• Partner with cross-functional leaders to influence priorities and deliver high-impact initiatives
• Define quarterly and annual roadmaps for performance marketing, translating business goals into prioritized modeling, measurement, and infrastructure enhancements
• Maintain a high standard of operational excellence across the team

What You Will Need to Succeed

• Advanced degree in a quantitative discipline (PhD preferred) and 7+ years of applying advanced quantitative techniques to problems in industry
• 3+ years in a leadership role, with a track record of growing talent, scaling team impact, and delivering strategic outcomes
• Demonstrated experience building, validating, and applying statistical machine learning methods to industry problems
• Excellent command of AWS (or analogous) utilities, e.g., EC2, SageMaker, S3, Athena
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills: communicates effectively with technical and non-technical audiences
• Comfort leading across multiple concurrent initiatives while maintaining clarity and momentum
• Strong ownership mindset, proactively identifying high-impact opportunities and driving them through execution

• Ability to consider problems from first principles, with the instinct to use expertise and prior experience to guide but not dictate the solution
• Preferred but not required:
• • Insurance industry experience
  • Experience owning and operating systems that support large-scale customer acquisition
  • Full funnel marketing experience: developing, executing, and measuring the impact of targeted, data-driven marketing strategies

As part of Root's interview process, we kindly ask that all candidates be on camera for virtual interviews. This helps us create a more personal and engaging experience for both you and our interviewers. Being on camera is a standard requirement for our process and part of how we assess fit and communication style, so we do require it to move forward with any applicant's candidacy. If you have any concerns, feel free to let us know once you are contacted. We’re happy to talk it through.

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