Data Science Manager II, Growth

CURRENT ROOT EMPLOYEES - Please apply using the career page in Workday. This career site is for external applicants only.

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.

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 Quantitative 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 Data Science Manager II on the Growth Data Science team, you will lead a group of data scientists and marketing specialists responsible for launching campaigns, onboarding partners, and expanding Root’s presence in the mid and upper funnel.

You’ll drive the end-to-end execution of new marketing efforts, from vendor sourcing and test design to campaign launch and performance evaluation. This role requires close collaboration with internal teams (engineering, product, legal, procurement) and external partners to ensure campaigns are executed efficiently and learnings are captured effectively. The ideal candidate combines strong analytical rigor with fast-paced execution, bringing structure to ambiguity and a clear focus on driving business value through marketing experimentation.

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

• Lead a team of 3-5 data scientists and marketing specialists on the Growth Data Science team

• Accelerate the pace and quality of experimentation in mid and upper funnel channels, with a focus on identifying incremental impact and scalable performance

• Improve excellence in execution by streamlining workflows, reducing cycle time, and increasing R&D throughput

• Collaborate with cross-functional partners to influence roadmaps, prioritize key initiatives, and execute on these initiatives in lock-step

• Craft and deliver communication that drives clarity, awareness, and alignment across teams

• Lead short- and medium-term planning for the team, including sprint planning and quarterly OKR setting

• Maintain a high standard of operational excellence across the team

• Coach and mentor individuals on the team to increase talent density and foster professional development and growth

What You Will Need to Succeed

• Advanced degree in a quantitative discipline and/or 5+ years of applying advanced quantitative techniques to problems in industry

• 3+ years of experience in a leadership role, with a track record of enhancing team output

• Demonstrated expertise in experimental design and causal inference, including randomized controlled trials, geo-testing, and statistical frameworks for identifying causal effects

• Track record of building and applying measurement frameworks that assess campaign effectiveness and guide marketing investment

• Experience with programmatic marketing platforms (e.g., DSPs), including audience building, targeting strategies, and attribution

• Strong programming skills with experience in SQL and Python or R

• Ownership mentality: takes the initiative to identify, champion, and execute on the highest impact work

• Ability to consider problems from first principles, with the instinct to use expertise and prior experience to guide but not dictate the solution

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills: communicates effectively with technical and non-technical audiences

• Preferred but not required:

  • Insurance industry experience

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Root, Inc., we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway!

At Root, we judge people based on the merit of their work, not who they are. If you are passionate about what this role entails and solving real problems, we encourage you to apply. We want to learn about you and what you can add to our team.

We’re harnessing the power of technology to revolutionize insurance. Using machine learning and mobile telematic platforms, we’ve built one of the most innovative FinTech companies in the world. And we’re just getting started.

Our success is in large part due to our unwavering standards in hiring. We recognize that our products are only as good as the people building and promoting them. We want individuals who find solutions by going through the cycle of ideation to implementation with curiosity, rigor, and an analytical lens. Ask anyone who works here and you’ll hear similar reasons for why they joined:

Autonomy—for assertive self-starters, the opportunities to contribute are limitless.

Impact—by challenging the way it’s always been done, we solve problems that have a big impact on our business.

Collaboration—we encourage rich discussion and civil debate at every turn.

People—we are inspired by the collection of crazy-smart people around us.