With a focus on building scalable capabilities for generating, operationalising, and measuring data-driven insights for their clients, ZS has a strong advanced data science group within their Business Consulting function. The team focuses on integrating transformative AI-enabled solutions and data products across multiple industries such as healthcare, life sciences, telecommunication, high tech, and retail. As the company leverages deep industry expertise and leading-edge analytics to create solutions that work in real life, the data science team plays a vital role in driving these functions. 

What Do ZS Look For In A For Data Scientist?

From foundational research in deep learning, natural language processing (NLP), optimisation, and operational research — the advanced data science team at ZS works across various solutions. They are involved in developing solutions to full-scale productisation. In other words, the team works on completing the entire life cycle from innovation to industrialisation.

To fit into these roles, ZS look for AI technocrats who can effectively lead a hybrid team of scientists and engineers. This requires mastery in either advanced data science or engineering and working proficiency. 

In fact, the company is building an Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence (AI CoE), which focuses on conducting applied AI research. To accommodate data scientists into the AI CoE, they are looking for research scientists who have a strong educational background in concepts such as NLP, computer vision, reinforcement learning, deep learning etc. The company believes that the CoE will serve as a vehicle for developing frontier innovations for the clients. 

While a strong educational background is something that they look forward to, ZS also focuses on the importance of an internship or work experience. “The candidate must share the evidence of application of the skills learnt through internship or work experience,” the company said. 

Interview Process

The interview process comprises a series of exciting conversations around candidates’ areas of expertise and their depth of knowledge. The process begins with a round of telephonic discussions to understand the candidate profile and align it to ZS’s role. The next steps are panel presentation, research paper discussion, unstructured case discussion, or hands-on-case round depending upon the candidate’s expertise.

One may visit the careers page on ZS’s website to look for relevant career opportunities.

Growth Opportunities For Data Scientists

ZS culture celebrates innovation and curiosity and is on a lookout for creative thinkers and solvers from a variety of backgrounds that help in developing and delivering products that drive better business outcomes. To, therefore, keep the data scientists updated and upskilled, ZS offers sponsorship programs to support data scientists pursue higher education such as Masters at ivy league institutes across the globe. 

In an earlier interaction with AIM, ZS had said that it also provides various internal platforms for the team to strive for grassroots innovations. It keeps data scientists challenged with initiatives such as participation in hackathons, participation in conferences and summits, potential to publish whitepapers and blogs in external publications, among others.

The fact that team members are encouraged to evolve in their current roles by experimenting with new tools, technologies and algorithms, keep the data scientists driven and motivated towards their work.

ZS is a Great Place to Work For certified firm and has more than 35 years of experience and 7,000-plus ZSers in more than 28 offices worldwide.