Jobs

Activision is looking for an outstanding Sr. Data-Mining Specialist with a passion for games to join our Central Design and Technologies team. This individual will have a pragmatic approach to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. The ideal candidate will possess peerless data-mining and analytical skills, a boundless intellectual curiosity, and demonstrated ability to not only to extract gold from terabytes of data, but to present the results in a concise and meaningful manner. This is a critical hire with a potential for rapid growth.

Basic Function:

The Sr. Data-Mining Specialist will personally drive exploration and analysis of large, complex data sets representing hundreds of millions of real-world play sessions. Responsibilities include working with Central Design and Technologies to establish the feasibility of critical studies, choosing the right tools and techniques to mine the data in a timely way, iterating on data visualization, and actively steering the data-mining group towards interesting results.

The Sr. Data-Mining Specialist must have a deep knowledge of and passion for all aspects of analysis; from seeing the possibilities in a given dataset, to using standard tools to perform complex extraction and analysis, to presenting results in a meaningful way. Problem-solving, prioritizing the need for timely answers while being open to discovery, and attention to detail must be second nature. The Sr. Data-Mining Specialist must thrive in a challenging and ambiguous environment and be adept at driving to meaningful results regardless of technical or organizational hurdles. The Sr. Data-Mining Specialist must be pragmatic and practical, rather than scholastic in their approach.

Principal Working Relationships:

• Sr. Director of Game Design (reports to)
• VP of Online Technology and Central Online team
• Database architects and programmers
• Sr. online staff at development studios

• Relevant degree required; advanced degree a plus
• 8 years experience and demonstrated expertise in data-mining and statistical analysis
• Possess strong understanding of standard data-mining tools and techniques. Experience with diverse statistical and data mining methods (e.g., cluster analysis, GLM/Regressions, Trees, SVMs, etc.). Social network analysis experience is a strong plus.
• Strong understanding of the realities of working with large, rich datasets
• Demonstrated ability to compromise and improvise while driving for results
• Must be committed to finding useful answers to fascinating questions
• Able to work and problem solve independently, to organize workload and priorities, and complete tasks on time
• Proven ability for high-quality execution, technical innovation/adaptation, and initiative.
• Avid gamer with a strong interest and knowledge of the video game industry