Staff Applied Scientist - Economy

Who We Are

2K is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). Founded in 2005, 2K Games is a global video game company, publishing titles developed by some of the most influential game development studios in the world. Our studios responsible for developing 2K’s portfolio of world-class games across multiple platforms, include Visual Concepts, Firaxis, Hangar 13, CatDaddy, Cloud Chamber, 31st Union, and HB Studios. Our portfolio of titles is expanding due to our global strategic plan, building and acquiring exciting studios whose content continues to inspire all of us! 2K publishes titles in today’s most popular gaming genres, including sports, shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, casual, and family entertainment.

Our team of engineers, marketers, artists, writers, data scientists, producers, thinkers and doers, are the professional publishing stewards of our growing library of critically-acclaimed franchises such as NBA 2K, 2K PGA, BioShock, Borderlands, The Quarry, The Darkness, Mafia, Sid Meier’s Civilization, Marvel’s Midnight Suns, WWE 2K, and XCOM.

At 2K, we pride ourselves on creating an inclusive work environment, which means encouraging our teams to Come as You Are and do your best work! We encourage ALL applicants to explore our global positions, even if they don’t meet every requirement for the role. If you're interested in the job and think you have what it takes to work at 2K, we encourage you to apply!

What We Need

We are looking for a versatile and experienced Staff Applied Economist to join the Applied AI team and lead efforts on in-game economy research, analysis, and optimization. You will play a seminal role in our effort to bring economics expertise and data-driven scientific rigor to the design, diagnosis, balancing, and optimization of the in-game economies for 2K’s flagship game titles. If you have a passion for video games, virtual economy, AI/ML technologies, and applying advanced scientific techniques to real-world problems, this is the role for you.

What You Will Do

• Serve as the subject matter expert and thought leader, collaborating closely with product, commercial, and dev teams to identify and unlock opportunities for innovation and improvement in game economy design & mechanics.
• Spearhead the development and implementation of econometric, statistical and machine learning models on areas such as virtual economy health, marketplace pricing, micro- and macro-level response to economy setting changes. 
• Utilize predictive, simulation and optimization techniques to build out data-driven and farseeing support capabilities on economy tuning, balancing, and intervention decisions.
• Collaborate with other applied scientists and machine learning engineers to deploy and productize your models, integrating with games or streamlining decision-support insights.
• Foster a culture of developing and testing hypotheses through experimentation, and build out causal inference muscle for understanding intervention outcomes.

What Will Make You a Great Fit

• Master's or Ph.D. in Economics, Statistics, Marketing Science, Management Science, Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field. 
• 4-6 years of working experience with demonstrated ability in economist, data science, or applied research roles. 
• Deep knowledge in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics.
• Solid experience with developing and implementing statistical, machine learning, and econometric models.
• Proficient in Python or R programming, especially with tasks in data manipulation, analysis, and visualization, as well as statistical and ML modeling. Experienced with SQL, relational database, and large datasets.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly explain complex economic insights to non-specialist audiences.

Bonus Points

• Experience working on video game-related ML or data science projects, game design, or game economy balancing, with solid understanding of video game mechanics and virtual economy.

• Expertise in pricing optimization and revenue optimization.

• Background in mathematical optimization, reinforcement learning, imitation learning, simulation, experiment design, and causal inference methods.

• Specialized expertise in economics fields such as mechanism design, market design, or auction theory.

As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need reasonable accommodation.

Please note that 2K Games and its studios never use instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews and when emailing, only use 2K.com accounts. 

The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $133,900 and $215,000 per Year. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations. Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards and eligibility to participate in our 401(K) plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program. Regular, full-time employees are also eligible for a range of benefits at the Company, including: medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance coverage; 14 paid holidays per calendar year; paid vacation time per calendar year (ranging from 15 to 25 days) or eligibility to participate in the Company’s discretionary time off program; up to 10 paid sick days per calendar year; paid parental and compassionate leave; wellbeing programs for mental health and other wellness support; family planning support through Maven; commuter benefits; and reimbursements for fitness-related expenses.

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