Zendesk

Senior Staff Data Scientist

Zendesk • $150K — $180K *
US-AnywhereRemote in Montreal, QC
Information Technology
5 - 7 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Advanced degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, or equivalent experience.
  • 5+ years of experience in ML/AI focused on fraud detection, anomaly detection, or security.
  • Strong programming skills in SQL and Python, with data processing framework proficiency.
  • Fluency in AI-assisted programming tools to enhance workflows.
  • Expertise in statistical, ML, and anomaly detection techniques; adept with unbalanced datasets and sparsity.
  • Experience with large datasets and environments like Spark and Snowflake.
  • Strong communication skills for conveying complex concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

  • Run and develop the AI Security evaluation platform for testing Zendesk AI features.
  • Analyze behavioral and user interaction data to identify abuse patterns and automate methodologies.
  • Develop detection models using offline data for engineering guidance in production.
  • Enhance accuracy of spam detection projects while minimizing false positives.
  • Collaborate with teams to implement data-driven prevention strategies.
  • Stay updated on emerging trends in AI Security.
  • Mentor and lead technical projects, providing guidance to peers.
  • Partner with Security and Product teams to tackle emerging data challenges.

Benefits

  • Collaborative work culture that values diverse perspectives and ideas.
  • Opportunities for professional growth and skill development.
  • Employee wellness programs and resources.
  • Flexible work arrangements to support work-life balance.
Full Job Description
Job Description

About the Position

As a Staff Data Scientist at Zendesk, you will be joining the AI Security team and be responsible for envisioning and developing machine learning and AI approaches that help us understand and identify anomalous activity and AI Security risks. The role involves collaboration with Security Engineers, Software Engineers, ML researchers, and product teams to share actionable insights and models that can be used to keep Zendesk's customers safe and prevent product abuse.

Key Responsibilities
  • Run and develop our AI Security evaluation platform to test Zendesk AI features.
  • Analyze large volumes of behavioral and user interaction data to identify patterns of abuse, and automatize methodology.
  • Develop viable detection models and techniques using offline data that can inform and guide engineering implementation in production
  • Improve detection accuracy for existing spam detection projects while minimizing false positives
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement prevention strategies based on data insights
  • Know the latest trends in AI Security
  • Mentor and provide technical leadership on projects
  • Collaborate with our Security and Product teams on emerging data challenges and provide data science expertise

Required Qualifications
  • Advanced degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, or related quantitative field, or equivalent practical experience
  • 5+ years of experience applying ML/AI in areas such as fraud detection, anomaly detection, or security
  • Strong programming skills in SQL and Python, with proficiency in data processing frameworks
  • Fluency in AI-assisted programming (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor AI) and other AI tools to accelerate workflows.
  • Experience with a variety of Statistical, ML, data mining, and time series techniques, including strong experience with the specificities of anomaly detection techniques and their statistical properties (e.g., knowing how to deal with unbalanced datasets, sparsity)
  • Experience working with large datasets and distributed computing environments (e.g., Spark, Snowflake)
  • Strong communication skills with ability to translate complex technical concepts to non-technical collaborators

Preferred Qualifications
  • Proven track record implementing anomaly detection or AI Security evaluation systems at scale.
  • Experience with AI Red Teaming tools.
  • Knowledge of cybersecurity concepts and common attack vectors.
  • Experience with ML model monitoring, maintenance in production, and customer impact of guardrails and firewall models.


About Zendesk

Zendesk is a customer service software company headquartered in San Francisco, California, USA. It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the symbol ZEN and is a constituent of the Russell 2000 Index. The company provides a cloud-based customer support platform which allows quicker and easier interaction between businesses and customers. Zendesk has over 4,000 employees and serves 150,000 customers in 160 countries. The company was founded in 2007 by Mikkel Svane, Morten Primdahl, and Alexander Aghassipour.
Learn more about Zendesk
Size
2,570 employees
Market Cap
$10.3 billion
Industry
Enterprise Technology
Net Income
-$218.1 million
Founded
2007
5 Year Trend
+33.7%
Revenue
$1 billion
NASDAQ
ZEN
* Ladders Estimates

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