(USA) Director, Data Science

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly experienced Director of Data Science & Machine Learning to lead the strategy, development, and delivery of next-generation Price Recommendation solutions. This leader will manage a high-performing team of Data Scientists and Machine Learning Engineers responsible for building AI and ML products that improve pricing decisions, customer value, and business performance at scale.

The ideal candidate combines deep expertise in machine learning with exceptional leadership, product thinking, and stakeholder management skills. They will define the long-term roadmap, influence executive strategy, partner closely with Product, Engineering, Merchandising, and Business teams, and ensure successful delivery of high-impact pricing solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Define and own the multi-year vision and roadmap for Price Recommendation capabilities aligned with business objectives.
• Identify opportunities to leverage AI, machine learning, causal inference, optimization, and experimentation to improve pricing decisions.
• Drive innovation by evaluating emerging technologies and translating them into scalable business solutions.
• Influence organizational strategy through data-driven recommendations and executive-level communication.

People Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of Data Scientists, Machine Learning Engineers, and technical managers.
• Foster a culture of innovation, ownership, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Establish clear goals, performance expectations, and career development plans for team members.
• Recruit and retain top AI and ML talent.

Product & Roadmap Ownership

• Partner with Product Management to define priorities, investment decisions, and roadmap execution.
• Balance long-term innovation with near-term business commitments.
• Drive prioritization across multiple initiatives while effectively managing dependencies, risks, and trade-offs.

Cross-functional Stakeholder Management

• Build strong partnerships with Product, Engineering, Merchandising, Finance, Operations, and Executive Leadership.
• Translate complex technical concepts into clear business outcomes for senior leadership.
• Align multiple organizations around common goals and execution plans.
• Serve as the primary data science leader for pricing initiatives across the organization.

Delivery & Execution

• Lead end-to-end delivery of ML products from ideation through production deployment and post-launch measurement.
• Ensure solutions are scalable, reliable, explainable, and measurable.
• Establish operational excellence through strong execution, governance, and engineering best practices.
• Define success metrics and continuously improve model performance and business impact.

Technical Leadership

• Provide technical direction on machine learning methodologies including:
• Demand forecasting
• Price elasticity modeling
• Causal inference
• Recommendation systems
• Reinforcement learning
• Optimization
• Experimentation and A/B testing
• Promote best practices in model development, validation, monitoring, and responsible AI.
• Guide architectural decisions to ensure scalable and reusable ML platforms.

Benefits

Beyond our great compensation package, you can receive incentive awards for your performance. Other great perks include 401(k) match, stock purchase plan, paid maternity and parental leave, PTO, multiple health plans, and much more.

Minimum Qualifications

• Outlined below are the required minimum qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no minimum qualifications.
• Option 1: Bachelors degree in Statistics, Economics, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Technology or related field and 6 years' experience in an analytics related field.
• Option 2: Masters degree in Statistics, Economics, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Technology or related field and 4 years' experience in an analytics related field.
• Option 3: 8 years' experience in an analytics or related field

Preferred Qualifications

Outlined below are the optional preferred qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no preferred qualifications.

Data science, machine learning, optimization models, PhD in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Information Technology, Operations Research, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Econometrics, Successful completion of one or more assessments in Python, Spark, Scala, or R, Supervisory experience, Using open source frameworks (for example, scikit learn, tensorflow, torch), We value candidates with a background in creating inclusive digital experiences, demonstrating knowledge in implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standards, assistive technologies, and integrating digital accessibility seamlessly.

The ideal candidate would have knowledge of accessibility best practices and join us as we continue to create accessible products and services following Walmart's accessibility standards and guidelines for supporting an inclusive culture.

Primary Location

2608 Se J St, Bentonville, AR 72712, United States of America