Applied Scientist, Housing Market Forecasting

Applied Scientist, Housing Market Forecasting Join our dynamic team, leveraging a comprehensive database of over 100 million homes, transactions, and users to predict and analyze housing market trends. About The Role As an Applied Scientist specializing in traditional econometrics and machine learning with a focus on time series and hierarchical forecasting, you will play a critical role in shaping our understanding and forecasting of the housing market. Feature Extraction: Identify economic and demographic driving forces of housing market growth across regions and extract features that predict housing market trends 1 to 2 years in the future. Model Deployment: Collaborate closely with the engineering team to deploy models into production environments. Forecast Production: Contribute to monthly forecast production, communicating forecast performance and the housing market outlook to business partners and senior leadership team. Scenario Modeling: Develop scenario models that capture a wide range of housing market outcomes and contribute to a company-wide stress‑testing framework. This role is a Remote position. In addition to a competitive base salary and benefits, this position is also eligible for equity awards based on experience, performance and location. Who you are Keen Housing Market Observer: Strong interest and understanding of the housing market and the economic factors that influence it. Innovative Problem Solver: Passionate about working on innovative solutions to time series, panel data, and hierarchical forecasting problems, conducting independent research, and applying research methods to real‑world problems. Technical Proficiencies: Strong foundation in traditional econometric methods and modern machine learning techniques. Proficient in data cleaning, preprocessing, and feature engineering for time series data. Experience with large‑scale datasets and familiarity with distributed computing frameworks such as Spark. Ability to design and implement robust model evaluation and validation strategies, including cross‑validation and backtesting. Experience with metrics for time series forecasting accuracy and performance assessment. Proficient in software development best practices and version control systems (e.g., Git). Proficient in cloud‑based platforms and tools for deploying and monitoring machine learning models. Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, capable of conveying complex concepts to a broad audience. Experience: 2+ years of proven experience working in time series/spatial forecasting space. Educational Background: Master’s or PhD degree in Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, Econometrics, Physics, Earth Sciences, or a related scientific field. Get to Know Us At Zillow, we’re reimagining how people move—through the real estate market and through their careers. As the most‑visited real estate platform in the U.S., we help customers navigate buying, selling, financing and renting with greater ease and confidence. Zillow is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive, innovative environment. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact your recruiter directly. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable state and local law. Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. #J-18808-Ljbffr