Research Scientist - Demand Forecasting

Meta runs one of the largest server fleets on earth, and every product bet (AI training, ranking, inference, storage) turns into a demand for compute that we must forecast, shape, and match to a physical supply of servers, racks, power, and data center space. As a technical owner within Server Demand Planning, you drive server demand forecasting and demand-supply matching for your area and close on feasible supply requirements: you forecast near- and long-term server capacity demand by rack/hardware type and region, and you build the operations research models that match that demand to supply so we land the right long-term DC & hardware infra requirements, in the right place, at the right time. You choose the right modeling approach for the problems you own, deciding when to ship a production-grade optimization system versus a fast lightweight model to unblock a decision, and you partner closely across product/service capacity owners, capacity engineering, supply chain, data center planning, and finance.

Research Scientist - Demand Forecasting Responsibilities:

• Own and drive a multi-horizon server/MW demand forecast (near term through 2-5+ years), producing trusted, reproducible release to inform decisions
• Aggregate and normalize demand signals from short-term demand and product groups into a single trusted statistical long-term demand plan
• Formulate and solve the demand-supply matching problem using operations-research models that reconcile forecasted demand with hardware roadmaps, cooling, lead times, and power constraints to inform the Plan of Record
• Build across the full modeling spectrum: production-grade optimization and forecasting systems and prototype models and heuristics that answer a leadership question or unblock a decision
• Partner with IDC engineering, site selection, and hardware strategy teams to align next-generation data center designs, rack sizing, and hardware roadmaps with demand, eliminating stranded power, cooling, and space capacity

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experience
• 6+ years applying operations research / management science to real planning problems in demand planning, capacity planning, supply-demand matching, network optimization, or inventory
• MS in a quantitative field (Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, Applied Math, Statistics, CS, or related), or equivalent experience
• Deep operations-research toolkit: mathematical optimization (LP, MILP, stochastic/robust optimization), simulation, queuing theory, and probabilistic/statistical forecasting
• Demonstrated ability to build BOTH production-grade models/systems (deployed, maintained, driving real decisions) AND lightweight/prototype models delivered fast under ambiguity
• Experience with demand-to-supply matching: reconciling forecasted demand against constrained supply, lead times, and inventory
• Fluency with optimization solvers (Gurobi, CPLEX, Xpress, or OR-Tools) and with SQL + Python for modeling, analysis, and pipelines

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct experience with server/compute or data center capacity planning at hyperscale
• PhD in Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, Management Science, or a related quantitative field
• Experience with planning platforms (Kinaxis, SAP IBP, o9, Blue Yonder, Demantra, E2open) and internal capacity tools (MCP/ICPC, Capacity Explorer)
• Statistical/ML forecasting depth (time series, hierarchical/probabilistic forecasting, forecast reconciliation)
• Publications, patents, or recognized technical leadership in OR / optimization / forecasting

About Meta:

Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology. People who choose to build their careers by building with us at Meta help shape a future that will take us beyond what digital connection makes possible today—beyond the constraints of screens, the limits of distance, and even the rules of physics.

Meta is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Meta participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law. Please note that Meta may leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in connection with applications for employment.

Meta is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at [email protected].

$154,000/year to $217,000/year + bonus + equity + benefits

Individual compensation is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base hourly rate, monthly rate, or annual salary only, and do not include bonus, equity or sales incentives, if applicable. In addition to base compensation, Meta offers benefits. Learn more about benefits at Meta.