Staff Data Scientist

About CharterUP. CharterUP is transforming the $30 billion group transportation industry with cutting-edge technology and innovative SaaS software, delivering an industry-leading experience for both customers and operators. Trusted by most Fortune 500 companies, our platform connects users to thousands of charter bus and minibus operators nationwide. In just 60 seconds, customers can access real-time availability, transparent pricing, and detailed vehicle options—whether organizing a corporate event, a company shuttle, or a wedding. By streamlining what was once a fragmented and stressful process, CharterUP brings transparency, accountability, and efficiency to an industry overdue for innovation

With CharterUP, group transportation is no longer a hassle but an elevated, reliable experience. Join us as we lead the future of group travel.

Why Join Us

• Innovative Impact: Be part of the team that's revolutionizing group travel, setting new standards in an industry overdue for change.
• Growth Opportunities: As a hyper growth company and one of the fastest-growing companies recognized by Inc., there’s no better time to join our dynamic, growth-stage organization.
• Driven Team: Collaborate with some of the most driven minds in tech, all while working in a remote-first environment with a tech hub in Austin, TX.
• Funding and Stability: Our $60 million Series A funding was just the start—we’re poised for even greater expansion, and you can be part of this exciting journey. CharterUp has achieved this growth profitability and efficiently, ensuring long-term stability.

About the Role

CharterUP is seeking a founding Staff Data Scientist to launch and build our data science capabilities. As our first dedicated hire, you’ll play a dual role: rolling up your sleeves to design and deploy machine learning models in production while also laying the groundwork for a scalable data science function. Your initial impact will be hands-on, developing and implementing ML models that optimize pricing and availability to directly shape the customer and operator experience. Over time, you’ll expand into forecasting, automation, and optimization, while establishing the principles, infrastructure, and culture that will guide how data informs decision-making across CharterUP. This role offers the rare opportunity to combine immediate technical ownership with the chance to set the foundation for a data-first culture that transforms the future of group mobility.

Title: Staff Data Scientist

Reports to: Chief Product Officer

Location: This position is based in Austin, TX (Hybrid: Monday, Wednesday, Friday in-office).

What You’ll Do

• Hands-On Model Development: Design, implement, and maintain production ML models with an immediate focus on pricing and availability, expanding into forecasting, automation, and optimization
• Build and Shape the Function: Establish the principles, infrastructure, and systems for data science, ensuring a scalable foundation that supports long-term growth.
• Data Infrastructure & Quality: Drive improvements in data pipelines, modeling, and governance to ensure reliable, high-quality data for decision-making.
• Strategic Partnering: Collaborate closely with executives and cross-functional teams to translate complex data into clear insights, metrics, and recommendations that influence business direction.
• Champion a Data-First Culture: Promote best practices in experimentation, statistical rigor, and data storytelling, while mentoring peers and setting the stage for a future team.

Key Initial Objectives (6-12 months)

• Translate pricing and availability insights into scalable systems: Work with Engineering to embed elasticity models, demand forecasts, and operator availability logic into the core platform so they directly influence quotes and surfaced options.
• Build production-ready pricing and matching levers: Design and implement dynamic rules or models that optimize both customer price acceptance and operator match rates, ensuring supply is surfaced efficiently and profitably.
• Establish robust testing and monitoring: Put in place frameworks for controlled experiments on both pricing and supply-matching, with clear KPIs that balance margin, conversion, and operator acceptance.
• Accelerate decision-making with transparency: Ensure pricing and availability strategies are explainable and measurable, with dashboards that make outcomes visible across Product, Sales, Finance, and Ops.
• Lay the foundation for sca