Senior Machine Learning Scientist - Forecasting (Open to Remote) (New York, NY,

Penguin Random House is the largest trade publishing company in the world. Accurate and timely forecasting is foundational to our business model, helping us plan demand, manage inventory, orchestrate our supply chain, and allocate resources. Improving forecast quality has a direct downstream impact on operational and financial outcomes.

We are investing in expanding our portfolio of business-critical forecasts and further improving our existing models. This role will own forecasting work end-to-end from model development to deployment to output monitoring, in close partnership with business stakeholders, platform engineers, and the rest of the forecasting group.

  • We have a mature machine learning practice and strong infrastructure, supported by strong data warehouse and DevOps partners. We are transitioning to AI-accelerated development and use modern agentic coding tools like Claude Code to speed up how we build and maintain forecasting systems, with rigorous quality gates including tests, reproducible workflows, and measurable improvements in model performance and reliability. Experience with Claude Code or agentic workflows is a plus, but we prioritize strong fundamentals and the ability and willingness to learn new workflows effectively.
  • Specific responsibilities include:
  • Own end-to-end forecasting systems: model development, evaluation, and production operation (deployment partnership, monitoring, refresh cadence, reliability, and iteration).
  • Build forecasting models across horizons and segments, choosing approaches appropriate to the business context and improving both accuracy and stakeholder usability.
  • Create and maintain a forecasting evaluation harness that makes quality repeatable and production-safe, including backtesting, error analysis, uncertainty quantification, and automated checks (tests, regression checks, data validation).
  • Build agentic workflows that automate repetitive forecasting tasks such as feature generation, backtest reporting, regression detection, and documentation, with human review and measurable quality gates.
  • Define success metrics tied to business outcomes and communicate assumptions, limitations, and risk so forecasts are used correctly.
  • Partner with stakeholders across operations, supply chain, inventory management, finance, and marketing to translate needs into a clear technical plan and measurable impact.
  • Please apply if you meet the following qualifications:
  • 5+ years of professional experience in machine learning or applied data science, including shipping models into production or operational workflows
  • Strong forecasting expertise, including time-series methods, feature engineering, and rigorous evaluation/backtesting
  • Strong probability and statistics fundamentals; comfort with probabilistic forecasting and explaining uncertainty in practical terms
  • Strong proficiency in Python and SQL; ability to write production-quality, testable software
  • Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills with non-technical stakeholders
  • Preferred qualifications:
  • PhD in a quantitative discipline (or equivalent practical experience)
  • Experience with probabilistic forecasting, hierarchical forecasting, and calibration techniques
  • Experience building evaluation infrastructure for ML systems (tests, regression checks, data validation, monitoring/alerting)
  • Experience using AI-assisted and agentic development workflows responsibly (verification loops, reproducibility, automated checks)
  • Experience integrating forecasting with optimization or decision science where appropriate

Please be advised that candidates selected to advance to the 1st round of interviews will be required to show photo ID on camera, and final interviews for this role will be in person at a Penguin Random House location.

The salary range for this position is $160,000 - $210,000. All positions are currently eligible for an annual profit award or bonus, subject to company results.  

Applications for this role will be accepted through February 28, 2026 or until the role is filled. We encourage you to apply early, as we review applications on a rolling basis. Please include your resume and cover letter for consideration. Before applying for any role at Penguin Random House, we recommend you review our applicant resources pageand our FAQs page.

Penguin Random House job postings include a good faith compensation range for each open position. The salary range listed is specific to each particular open position and takes into account various factors including the specifics of the individual role, and candidate's relevant experience and qualifications.

Full-time employees are eligible for our comprehensive benefits program. Our range of benefits include, but are not limited to, Medical/Prescrip

Back to blog

Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...