Sr Data Scientist
Apply Now Apply Later Job ID 10142140 Location San Francisco, California, United States Business Industrial Light & Magic Date posted Feb. 03, 2026Job Summary:
Our R&D teams at Lucasfilm and ILM are seeking a Sr Data Scientist to join a strategic R&D initiative focused on Generative AI. The goal of this project is to develop a robust data curation pipeline that can help identify and leverage our most useful assets and media for technical model training.
You will play a critical role in bridging the gap between raw visual data and advanced machine learning applications. You will be responsible for the statistical analysis, sampling strategies, and evaluation metrics required to ensure our training data is diverse, relevant, and optimized for next-generation image and video synthesis.
This role is considered Hybrid, which means the employee will work 2-3 days onsite at our San Francisco location and occasionally from home. This is a project position for 6 months.
What you’ll do
Data Strategy & Diversity Analysis
Independently design and implement statistical methods to ensure curated datasets retain representative coverage across various visual attributes, stylistic choices, and subject matter.
Develop logic to identify and down-weight low-variance or repetitive data points to maximize training efficiency.
Collaborate with key stakeholders on algorithms for de-duplication to automatically eliminate redundant or near-identical assets from the training corpus.
Evaluation Metrics & Quality Assurance
Design and lead implementation of automated metrics to assess the quality of generative images and videos.
Validate automated quantitative metrics by correlating them against qualitative feedback provided by senior creative stakeholders.
Establish success criteria for model fidelity, accuracy, and stylistic consistency.
Pipeline Integration
Work closely with the engineering team to integrate data cleaning, normalization, and sampling modules into a scalable automated pipeline.
Assist in defining taxonomy and metadata standards to systematically organize unstructured visual assets.
Project Focus & Timeline
This is a fast-paced, 6-month initiative. You will move through rapidly iterating phases:
Phase 1: defining data taxonomy and establishing baseline automated metrics.
Phase 2: refining metrics for temporal consistency and validating against initial model fine-tuning runs.
Phase 3: final validation of metrics and delivery of fully curated, optimized datasets for cold storage.
What We’re Looking For
5+ years experience in related field
Education - Bachelor’s degree in Data Science, Computer Science, or a related field of study, and/or equivalent work experience. Master’s Degree preferred
Experience: Proven background in Data Science with a strong emphasis on Computer Vision, Generative AI, or Deep Learning.
Technical Skills: Proficiency in statistical analysis and dataset curation (distribution analysis, sampling techniques). Experience working with large-scale unstructured media data is a plus.
Evaluation Expertise: Familiarity with standard and novel metrics for evaluating Generative Models (e.g., FID, FVD, or similar).
Communication: Ability to translate complex statistical insights for engineering partners and non-technical creative leads.
The hiring range for this position in San Francisco is $155,400-$208,400 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.
About Industrial Light & Magic:
Founded in 1975 by George Lucas, ILM is the leading effects facility in the world, serving the motion picture, commercial production, and attraction industries. ILM has created visual effects for over 325 feature films and has played a key role in seven of the top 10 worldwide box-office hits of all time and has contributed to 25 of the top 50. ILM has set the standard for visual effects, creating some of the most stunning images in the history of film. At the forefront of the digital revolution, the company continues to break new ground in visual effects, VR, AR, and Immersive Cinema.
About The Walt Disney Company:
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.
This position is with Lucasfilm Ent Co Ltd, LLC Payroll Svc, which is part of a business we call Industrial Light & Magic.
Lucasfilm Ent Co Ltd, LLC Payroll Svc is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, genetic information or disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney champions a business environment where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a constantly evolving world.
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