Senior Data Scientist

About Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (The Times of India)

We are India's largest media conglomerate, known for our leading publications such as The Times of India, The Economic Times, and many others. With a rich heritage of over 180 years, we are dedicated to delivering news, information, and entertainment to millions of readers across the country. Our commitment to journalistic excellence, innovation, and integrity makes us a trusted name in the industry.

As our reputation precedes us, we are a Print++ company, with print being our core, on a transformative journey to bring newer content consumption experiences.

Come be a part of our growing family!

About the Hiring Function

The Product and Technology team is integral to our organization, driving innovation and the development of print and digital products that enhance reader engagement and operational efficiency. The hiring function within this team is dedicated to attracting and retaining top talent across various roles, including product management, software development, UX/UI design, and data analytics.

About the Position

We are seeking a Senior Data Scientist to drive data-led decision-making across our newsroom as part of a large-scale editorial and operational transformation. This role will operate at the intersection of editorial judgment, product innovation, and operational efficiency, delivering insights, models, and tools that enhance journalist productivity, content reach, and resource optimisation.

You will partner closely with editors, newsroom leadership, product managers, designers, and engineers to embed data science into everyday newsroom workflows—much like how leading global news organisations use data to inform coverage, distribution, and efficiency.

Key Responsibilities:

Editorial Intelligence & Productivity

• Develop data-driven insights to support editors in selecting, prioritising, and planning stories
• Build models and dashboards that surface actionable signals such as content performance, audience behaviour, and newsroom productivity
• Create intelligent feeds and recommendations for editors based on historical performance, trends, and editorial context
• Analyse newsroom workflows to identify bottlenecks and opportunities for automation or optimisation

Applied Data Science & Modelling

• Build and deploy statistical and machine learning models for:
• Content performance prediction and optimisation
• Audience segmentation and engagement analysis
• Content reuse and syndication across editions, languages, or formats
• Trend detection and topic clustering
• Translate complex analytical outputs into clear, interpretable insights for non-technical stakeholders

Data Analysis, Visualisation & Storytelling

• Perform deep exploratory data analysis on editorial, audience, and operational datasets
• Create automated and interactive visualisations to support editorial reviews and leadership decision-making
• Partner with design and product teams to embed analytics and insights directly into newsroom tools

Operational & Resource Optimization

• Apply data science techniques to optimize physical and operational resources such as:
• Print runs, ink usage, and pagination efficiency
• Edition-level content allocation and reuse
• Distribution and production planning
• Build forecasting models to improve cost efficiency without compromising editorial quality

Collaboration & Enablement

• Work with data engineers to define data pipelines, quality standards, and feature stores
• Collaborate with full-stack and platform teams to productionize models and insights
• Mentor junior data scientists and analysts; contribute to best practices in applied data science
• Advocate for data-informed culture while respecting editorial independence and judgment

Education & Experience:

• Master's degree in Computer Science, IT, or a related field.
• 5–8 years of experience in applied data science, analytics, or machine learning roles

Required Skills:

• Strong proficiency in Python (preferred) or R for data analysis and modeling
• Solid grounding in statistics, probability, and machine learning techniques
• Experience working with structured and semi-structured data at scale
• Strong SQL skills and experience working with analytical data warehouses
• Hands-on experience building models used in real-world, production environments
• Strong communication skills and comfort working with non-technical stakeholders

Technical Skills:

• Data analysis & modeling: Python (Pandas, NumPy, scikit-learn), stats libraries
• Visualization & BI: Tableau, Power BI, Looker, Superset, or Python-based visualization
• Data platforms: Cloud data warehouses (BigQuery, Snowflake, Redshift, etc.)
• ML deployment: APIs, batch pipelines, notebooks to production workflows
• Version control and collaboration: Git, notebooks, documentation tools

Good to have:

• Experience in media, publishing, or content-led platforms
• Exposure to NLP for content analysis, classification, summarization, or tagging
• Experience with recommendation systems or ranking algorithms
• Familiarity with experimentation frameworks (A/B testing, causal inference)
• Understanding of newsroom ethics, editorial workflows, and data sensitivity

Soft Skills:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Proven ability to translate data insights into business or editorial impact

What is in it For You

• Inclusive Workplace: We are an inclusive place to work, where diversity is valued, and everyone feels welcomed. We embrace everyone with open hearts and minds.
• Embracing Change: We welcome change and encourage innovative thinking and adaptability in our dynamic environment.
• Growth Opportunities: We believe we grow when our people grow, offering numerous opportunities for professional and personal development.
• People-Centric Policies: Our policies are designed with our people in mind, including a creche facility, comprehensive leave policies, flexible work hours, guest house facility, a robust POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) policy, to name a few.
• Collaborative Culture: We foster a positive and collaborative culture, where employees are encouraged to share ideas, support each other, and work together towards common goals. At BCCL, we are more than colleagues; we are a family.