Manager, Data Science

*PLEASE NOTE: This role requires the candidate to be in or near Charlotte, NC. In-office presence is required three days a week. Additionally, this position does not offer visa sponsorship.*

The POSITION

The Manager, Data Science will lead a team of data scientists to design, develop, and deploy models that drive measurable business outcomes across LendingTree. This role combines technical leadership with strategic oversight — ensuring scientific rigor, operational excellence, and cross-functional impact. 

You will play a key role in helping shape the team direction, mentoring talent, and collaborating with engineering, product, analytics, and business stakeholders to deliver scalable, high-quality data science/AI solutions. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable discussing model architectures, business tradeoffs, and team development strategies. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership & Strategy:

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of data scientists, fostering technical excellence and growth. 

• Collaborate with senior stakeholders to identify and prioritize opportunities where machine learning and AI can deliver value. 

• Promote best practices in experimentation, modeling, validation, and monitoring to ensure robust, production-grade solutions. 

Model Development & Delivery:

• Oversee the design, development, and deployment of data science models, ensuring scalability, reproducibility, and operational performance. 

• Guide the team through data acquisition, feature engineering, and model lifecycle management from prototype to production. 

• Partner with MLOps and engineering to streamline workflows and monitor models in production environments. 

• Review and enhance model documentation, testing, and versioning standards. 

Technical Expertise:

• Apply expertise in Python, SQL, and ML frameworks (Scikit-learn, PyTorch, TensorFlow, etc.) to provide hands-on guidance where needed. 

• Lead code reviews and establish quality control standards for data science deliverables. 

• Champion explainability, fairness, and reliability in all model-driven solutions. 

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication:

• Translate complex analytical findings into actionable business insights for diverse audiences. 

• Collaborate closely with Analytics, Product, and Platform leaders to integrate data-driven decision-making into products and operations. 

• Drive alignment across business units to ensure models address real-world needs and deliver measurable impact. 

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Statistics, or a related field (PhD a plus). 

• 7+ years of experience in applied data science, with experience in a leadership or people management role. 

• Proven ability to lead teams through full ML lifecycle — data preparation, modeling, validation, deployment, and monitoring. 

• Advanced proficiency in