Principal Data Scientist

About the role

You will serve as a strategic leader, guiding data-driven initiatives and partnering with executive stakeholders to align technical strategy with business goals. This role involves overseeing the full lifecycle of AI and machine learning projects while fostering a culture of data literacy and technical excellence.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Define the vision and strategy for AI practices to ensure alignment with broader business objectives.
• Partner with executive leadership to identify opportunities for machine learning and data quality improvements.
• Manage end-to-end AI system design, including problem framing, governance, and risk mitigation.
• Prioritize data science initiatives to ensure they remain on schedule and within budget.
• Design rapid experimentation frameworks to test hypotheses and guide future project direction.
• Translate complex technical findings into clear, actionable insights for non-technical audiences.
• Lead the growth of the data science community and mentor junior team members.
• Ensure all solutions adhere to FATTER AI principles regarding fairness, accountability, transparency, trustworthiness, explainability, and responsibility.
• Implement CD4ML practices and utilize data versioning tools.

Requirements

• Proven experience in the Retail and Customer Analytics industry.
• Expertise in defining data science strategy and vision.
• Demonstrated ability to lead analysis and modeling from inception through to production deployment.
• Proficiency in statistical modeling, machine learning, deep learning, and optimization techniques.
• Specialization in at least one AI domain, such as NLP, computer vision, or Generative AI.
• Ability to write production-ready, testable code using Python, R, or equivalent tools.
• Experience gathering and preprocessing large, complex datasets while maintaining data integrity.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with a track record of building trust and gaining buy-in.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and manage conflict effectively.

Skills & tools

• Python
• R
• CD4ML
• Data versioning tools
• Machine learning and deep learning frameworks
• Statistical modeling

Practical notes

• The company uses AI tools for administrative recruitment tasks, but all hiring decisions are made exclusively by human interviewers and managers.
• Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities or religious beliefs throughout the hiring process.
• Project scopes may shift or be cancelled due to the nature of technology consulting; candidates will be notified if this impacts their application.