Principal Data Scientist- Eng

Principal Data Scientist (P6)At UKG, the work you do matters. The code you ship, the decisions you make, and the care you show a customer all add up to real impact. Today, tens of millions of workers start and end their days with our workforce operating platform. Helping people get paid, grow in their careers, and shape the future of their industries. That's what we do. We never stop learning. We never stop challenging the norm. We push for better, and we celebrate the wins along the way.

Here, you'll get flexibility that's real, benefits you can count on, and a team that succeeds together. Because at UKG, your work matters—and so do you.At UKG we are at the forefront of innovation leading the next wave of disruption in the Human Capital Management industry. With our unparalleled dataset — the most complete view into our customers' workforce — we are uniquely positioned to build AI-powered solutions that fundamentally change how businesses manage their people. Our Data Science team sits at the intersection of cutting-edge research and real-world impact, building models and intelligent systems at scale that serve millions of employees and managers every day.Responsibilities:Company-wide technical strategyArchitecture & infrastructure investmentBusiness-critical results & ownershipStrategic decision-making & executive influenceAI & agentic systems leadershipInnovation agenda & organizational resilienceTalent strategy & leadership developmentBusiness acumen & competitive positioningMinimum Qualifications:PhD in a quantitative field plus 8+ years of industry experience, or Master's degree plus 12+ years of experience in data science, machine learning, or a closely related discipline, with a demonstrated trajectory of increasing organizational scope and impact.Recognized technical authority in the broader data science community, with expertise across multiple AI/ML specialty areas. Track record of evaluating emerging techniques for strategic fit and driving their adoption across an organization.Proven ability to set and execute company-wide DS technical strategy, with accountability for outcomes that span multiple product areas and deliver business-critical results.Demonstrated ability to influence executive-level decisions on products, technology investments, and business strategy — and to represent data science as a strategic function in senior planning forums.Experience designing and governing DS systems at enterprise scale — including MLOps, model governance, data quality, responsible AI, and compliance requirements across a large organization.Strong command of ML frameworks, cloud platforms (GCP / Agent Platform, BigQuery, or equivalent), and the full modern AI/ML toolchain. Ability to set company-wide standards for code quality, automation infrastructure, and documentation.Demonstrated history of personally building and delivering production ML and AI models with hands-on depth across the full modeling lifecycle: problem framing, feature engineering, model development, evaluation, and post-deployment monitoring.Experience building, mentoring, and developing senior technical talent including staff-level ICs and engineering managers. Demonstrated influence on career frameworks and org-wide learning programs.Exceptional communication skills at the executive level — ability to articulate complex technical strategy, competitive tradeoffs, and long-term DS investments in terms that drive organizational alignment and business decisions.Preferred Qualifications:Experience advising on major vendor relationships, platform commitments, and build vs. buy decisions for AI/ML infrastructure at enterprise scale.Experience designing and governing enterprise-scale agentic AI systems, including safety, reliability, and compliance frameworks for multi-agent architectures.Deep familiarity with the HCM industry — understanding how Workforce Management, Talent, and Pay create differentiated value — and how ML capabilities translate to competitive advantage in that market.Experience shaping an organization's DS career framework, hiring strategy, and technical learning culture at scale.Advanced expertise in responsible AI at enterprise scale: fairness, interpretability, privacy-preserving ML, model risk management, and regulatory compliance.UKG is the Workforce Operating Platform that puts workforce understanding to work.

With the world's largest collection of workforce insights, and people-first AI, our ability to reveal unseen ways to build trust, amplify productivity, and empower talent, is unmatched. It's this expertise that equips our customers with the intelligence to solve any challenge in any industry — because great organizations know their workforce is their competitive edge. Learn more at ukg.com.Equal Opportunity Employer   UKG is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, disability, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, and other legally protected categories. View The EEO Know Your Rights poster. UKG participates in E-Verify. View the E-Verify posters here. It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment.

An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. Disability Accommodation in the Application and Interview Process For individuals with disabilities that need additional assistance at any point in the application and interview process, please email The pay range for this position is $163,900 to $235,550. The actual base pay offered may vary depending on skills, experience, job-related knowledge and work location. In addition to base pay, employees may be eligible to participate in a performance-based bonus plan and to receive restricted stock unit awards as part of total compensation. Learn more about UKG's benefits and rewards at