Director Data Science Startup Jobs in Connecticut

About the Role
This is a senior leadership role on the Global Product Management Data Science team managing the Client Experience Digital Platform - the central hub where clients interact with Gartner to unlock value. Our clients are IT and business leaders worldwide, relying on the platform embedded in their workflows for critical priorities. Our mission is to accelerate innovation through intelligent digital products that disrupt the market and ourselves - constantly seeking data science leaders to champion this vision.
The Director, Data Science will lead efforts across personalization, recommendation systems, and GenAI chatbot tools, delivering scalable intelligence that drives hyper-personalized experiences and business outcomes.
What You Will Do

• Lead the data science roadmap spanning personalization, recommendation systems, and GenAI chatbot development, owning strategy for user profiling, content matching, ranking, conversational AI, and next-best-action systems.
• Architect AI-powered chatbot systems including intelligent search, recommendation engines, context-aware retrieval, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers for seamless AI agent integration with enterprise systems and external tools.
• Apply transformer-based models, LLMs, and advanced techniques to enhance recommendation relevance, search optimization, user personalization, and scalable GenAI solutions.
• Leverage internal and external data to model client company priorities, competitive landscapes, engagement signals, and deliver targeted support.
• Collaborate with engineering, product, UX, and business leaders to prioritize ideas, launch MVPs, iterate rapidly, and deliver measurable business value.
• Lead a team of data scientists, driving enhancements in accuracy, coverage, latency, scalability, stability, and adoption while maintaining strong MLOps practices.
• Translate quantitative analysis into actionable strategies, pitch high-impact ideas, and influence senior leadership on long-term vision and solution roadmaps.
• Stay current on fast-moving AI/ML advancements, particularly LLMs, conversational AI, agentic systems, and transformer architectures.

What You Will Need

• 8-12 years of experience in data science, machine learning, or AI, with at least 3 years managing data science and engineering teams.
• Master's Degree or PhD in a quantitative field (math, computer science, engineering, etc.) required.
• Proven leadership developing personalization systems, recommendation engines, search/ranking solutions, conversational AI, chatbots, and GenAI applications powered by transformer-based models and LLMs.
• Demonstrated success translating business priorities into technical roadmaps, driving cross-functional execution, and delivering production ML systems with clear business impact.
• Strong communication skills to influence executives, translating complex analysis into compelling strategies and value propositions.
• Deep expertise in ML lifecycle, Lean product principles, MLOps, experimentation frameworks, and production recommender/GenAI systems.
• Proficiency with Python, ML frameworks (scikit-learn, NLTK, PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face, LangChain), SQL/relational databases (Oracle), NoSQL/graph databases (MongoDB), vector databases (Pinecone, Weaviate), distributed ML (Spark), Linux/shell scripting, and cloud platforms (AWS SageMaker, Azure ML).
• Working experience in: Large Language Models/Generative AI, conversational AI/chatbot development, NLP/text mining, search & recommendation systems, prompt engineering/LLM optimization, AI agent architectures.
• Collaborative leader who thrives in feedback-driven cultures with bias for action and client outcomes.

What You Will Get

• Competitive salary, generous paid time off policy, charity match program, Group Medical Insurance, Parental Leave, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and more!
• Collaborative, team-oriented culture that embraces diversity.
• Professional development and unlimited growth opportunities.

#LI-CW4
Who are we?
At Gartner, Inc. (NYSE:IT), we guide the leaders who shape the world.
Our mission relies on expert analysis and bold ideas to deliver actionable, objective business and technology insights, helping enterprise leaders and their teams succeed with their mission-critical priorities.
Since our founding in 1979, we've grown to 20,000 associates globally who support over 13,000 client enterprises in ~90 countries and territories. We do important, interesting and substantive work that matters. That's why we hire associates with the intellectual curiosity, energy and drive to want to make a difference. The bar is unapologetically high. So is the impact you can have here.
What makes Gartner a great place to work?
Our vast, virtually untapped market potential offers limitless opportunities - opportunities that may not even exist right now - for you to grow professionally and flourish personally. How far you go is driven by your passion and performance.
We hire remarkable people who collaborate and win as a team. Together, our singular, unifying goal is to deliver results for our clients.
Our teams are inclusive and composed of individuals from different geographies, cultures, religions, ethnicities, races, genders, sexual orientations, abilities and generations.
We invest in great leaders who bring out the best in you and the company, enabling us to multiply our impact and results. This is why, year after year, we are recognized worldwide as a great place to work.
Gartner is the world authority on AI
At Gartner, you'll join a company at the very center of the AI revolution. Gartner has proactive, objective guidance throughout clients' AI journeys. We set the standard for how organizations leverage artificial intelligence to drive meaningful impact. You'll have access to unmatched resources, expertise, and technology, and play a key role in helping Gartner and our clients innovate and grow as we leverage AI to transform business and technology landscapes.
It's an exciting time to be at Gartner, with limitless opportunities to make a real impact, grow your skills, and build a lasting, meaningful career in a field that's reshaping the way we operate. If you're passionate about AI and want to be part of a team that's guiding the leaders who shape the world, Gartner is the place for you.
What do we offer?
Gartner offers world-class benefits, highly competitive compensation and disproportionate rewards for top performers.
In our hybrid work environment, we provide the flexibility and support for you to thrive - working virtually when it's productive to do so and getting together with colleagues in a vibrant community that is purposeful, engaging and inspiring.
Ready to grow your career with Gartner? Join us.
Gartner believes in fair and equitable pay. A reasonable estimate of the base salary range for this role is 122,000 USD - 168,000 USD. Please note that actual salaries may vary within the range, or be above or below the range, based on factors including, but not limited to, education, training, experience, professional achievement, business need, and location. In addition to base salary, employees will participate in either an annual bonus plan based on company and individual performance, or a role-based, uncapped sales incentive plan. Our talent acquisition team will provide the specific opportunity on our bonus or incentive programs to eligible candidates. We also offer market leading benefit programs including generous PTO, a 401k match up to $7,200 per year, the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount, and more.
The policy of Gartner is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, citizenship status, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status and to seek to advance the principles of equal employment opportunity.
Gartner is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer and offers opportunities to all job seekers, including job seekers with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access the Company's career webpage as a result of your disability. You may request reasonable accommodations by calling Human Resources at +1 (203) 964-0096 or by sending an email to ApplicantAccommodations@gartner.com.
Job Requisition ID:108588
By submitting your information and application, you confirm that you have read and agree to the country or regional recruitment notice linked below applicable to your place of residence.
Gartner Applicant Privacy Link: https://jobs.gartner.com/applicant-privacy-policy
For efficient navigation through the application, please only use the back button within the application, not the back arrow within your browser.