Data Scientist Intern

About decisio media
decisio media is a pre-seed entertainment discovery app on a mission to help people find what to watch based on who they actually are, not just what they clicked last. Users indicate their preferences by swiping right or left for content they have already experienced and up or down for items they have not, enabling a rich profile of likes and interests. The apps span movies and shows, video and tabletop games, books, and podcasts all designed without overt advertising. Each app uses machine learning to deliver a personalized set of recommendations, based on user behavior, stated preferences, and demographic data. The team is focused on building intuitive, data-driven experiences that make everyday choices easier and more enjoyable.
We're a small, scrappy team building something real, and we're looking for a Data Scientist who wants to get in early and help shape the product's analytical backbone. This is not a role for someone who needs a big paycheck and a big team around them on day one. This is a role for someone who wants ownership, fast iteration, and a real stake in the outcome.
Role Description
The Data Scientist Intern will support the design, implementation, and evaluation of recommendation and ranking models that power decisio’s personalized “top 5” suggestions. This remote internship role involves cleaning and structuring data from swiping behaviors, exploring patterns in user preferences, and contributing to model training and testing workflows.
The intern will collaborate with product and engineering teams to translate business questions into measurable data experiments and help interpret results to improve app features, including:
Recommendation Engine: Improve the algorithms driving our personalized recommendation outputs, helping users discover content that actually fits them
Performance Optimization: Diagnose and resolve latency issues in our analytics engine, with a particular focus on the drill-in feature for titles and personas
Application Performance: Partner with the team to improve overall app speed and responsiveness as it relates to data-driven features
Insights Dashboards: Build and refine internal dashboards that give our team clear, actionable visibility into user behavior and product performance
Who This is For
We're looking for one of the following:
A current college or graduate student who wants hands-on experience building recommendation systems and analytics infrastructure at a real startup
A recent post-grad looking to build a portfolio with meaningful, shipped work
An experienced Data Scientist between opportunities who wants to explore a venture-stage role, test the fit, and potentially grow into a long-term position
Candidates should have the flexibility to take on a three-month internship without guaranteed compensation. If the partnership works for both sides, there is a path to a longer-term role.
Qualifications
Foundational skills in Data Science, Recommendation Systems, Data Analytics, with the ability to work with real-world user data.
Strong understanding of Statistics and Data Analysis for hypothesis testing, experimentation, and model evaluation.
Ability to create clear and informative Data Visualization outputs to communicate insights and trends.
Familiarity with programming languages commonly used in data science (such as Python or R) and relevant libraries.
Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in a quantitative field (e.g., Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Data Science, Engineering, or related discipline).
Comfort working in a remote environment, with strong time management, communication, and collaboration skills.
Interest in recommendation systems, consumer apps, or user behavior analytics; prior project or coursework in these areas is a plus.
A self starter mentality, we're small so you'll have real autonomy and impact.
What You'll Get
Direct mentorship and exposure to every layer of a pre-seed startup, from product to fundraising
A portfolio-worthy project: your work will directly shape a live consumer product
The opportunity to convert this internship into a longer-term role with equity, if it's the right fit for both sides
A close-knit, mission-driven team that moves fast and values your input
To Apply
Send us your resume and a short note on why this kind of opportunity excites you right now. We're moving quickly and can't wait to meet you.
decisio media is an early-stage startup based in Portland, Oregon. This internship is unpaid and structured for candidates who have the flexibility to take it on for three months.

Work arrangement
Yes