Summary
Colin Higgins is a data science and product-leadership professional with about a decade of experience, currently a Staff Data Scientist at Meta in San Francisco, applying ML and experimentation to high-impact platforms. He previously led data science teams at Meta (FB Home Ecosystem and Discovery Relevance) and at Instagram, where he drove product analytics and redefined content understanding using Facebook’s state-of-the-art image classification. His career spans leadership roles and hands-on work—from Vevo in content optimization and data engineering leadership to Insight Data Science fellowship experiences—demonstrating a track record of turning complex data into transformational business insights. He blends a strong technical toolbox (Python, SQL, R; Pandas, Dask, NumPy, SciPy; scikit-learn; matplotlib/seaborn) with cross-functional product leadership and execution in fast-paced environments. With a PhD in Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry and a BA in Biological Chemistry and Neuroscience, he brings rigorous analytical training to data-driven product experimentation.
10 years of coding experience
14 years of employment as a software developer
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Biological Chemistry and Neuroscience, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Biological Chemistry and Neuroscience at Grinnell College
Chemistry, Chemistry at Knox College
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry at University of Iowa