Data Scientist

AAR; Wood Dale (IL); On-site; USD 115,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Benefits package

Professional development

Job summary

AAR is seeking a data science professional to design, implement, and deploy scalable ML models at our Wood Dale HQ. You will translate business problems into modeling solutions, build end-to-end ML workflows, and collaborate with data engineers and software engineers to embed insights into production systems.

We value strong statistical foundations, hands-on Python/SQL skills, and experience with large datasets, AB testing, and responsible modeling.

Qualifications

• Bachelors in data science, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, CS, or related quantitative field.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Proven ability to design and deploy ML models in production.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and own scalable analytical and ML models for market sizing, forecasting, and optimization.
• Translate business problems into structured modeling approaches with feature engineering.
• Design experiments, perform statistical tests, and validate model impact.
• Deploy models into production with data engineering and backend teams for reliability and performance.
• Work with large, complex datasets and define data requirements and preprocessing pipelines.
• Ensure model outputs are explainable and aligned with business logic.

Skills

Statistics

Machine Learning

Predictive Modeling

Regression

Classification

Time Series

AB Testing

Python

SQL

Cross-functional

Education

Bachelors degree

Masters degree preferred

Tools

AWS

Azure

Spark

Job description

This position is based at our Corporate Headquarters in Wood Dale, IL, with a planned relocation to the Merchandise Mart (Chicago) in early 2027.

What You Will Be Responsible For

• Design, develop, and own scalable analytical and machine learning models for market sizing, forecasting, opportunity identification, and optimization use cases.


• Translate ambiguous business problems into structured modeling approaches, including feature engineering, model selection, and evaluation frameworks.


• Design and analyze experiments, statistical tests, and validation methods to measure model quality and business impact.


• Deploy and integrate models into production systems in collaboration with data engineering and backend teams, ensuring reliability, scalability, and performance.


• Work with large, complex, and imperfect datasets; define data requirements and support robust preprocessing and feature pipelines.


• Ensure model outputs are explainable, interpretable, and aligned with business logic to support user trust and adoption.


• Monitor, validate, and improve model performance through testing, retraining, versioning, and feedback loops.


• Partners with product teams to define analytical features, influence roadmap decisions, and embed model-driven insights into decision-making workflows.

What You Need To Be Successful In This Role

• Strong foundation in statistics, machine learning, and predictive modeling, including regression, classification, clustering, time series, and experiment design e.g., AB testing.


• Proficiency in Python and SQL, with experience using common ML libraries such as scikit-learn, pandas, and numpy.


• Experience building end-to-end ML workflows, including data preprocessing, feature engineering, model training, evaluation, deployment, and monitoring.


• Familiarity with production ML practices, including model versioning, performance optimization, retraining, and monitoring for drift or degradation.


• Experience working with large-scale or complex datasets, including handling missing data, inconsistencies, and real-world data limitations.


• Ability to communicate model logic, assumptions, and outputs clearly to non-technical stakeholders and cross-functional partners.


• Experience collaborating with product managers, data engineers, and software engineers to deliver analytical features in production environments.


• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to operate effectively in ambiguous environments with evolving requirements.


• Bachelors in data science, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field.


• Master’s degree preferred


• 3 to 5 plus years of experience in data science, machine learning, or advanced analytics roles in a product or business-driven environment.


• Demonstrated experience developing, deploying, and improving predictive models that drive business decision-making.


• Experience working on analytics or ML-driven products such as forecasting, optimization, recommendation systems, or market intelligence tools.


• Experience in designing experiments or statistical validation approaches to evaluate model performance and business outcomes is preferred.


• Experience with cloud platforms or distributed data processing such as AWS, Azure, or Spark is preferred but not required.


• Experience in aviation, supply chain, or related industries is a plus but not required.

The rewards of your career at AAR go far beyond just your salary:

• Competitive salary and bonus package


• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage.


• 401(k) retirement plan with company match


• Generous paid time off program


• Professional development and career advancement opportunities

Physical Demands/Work Environment

• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.


• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be regularly required to sit, stand, bend, reach and move about the facility.


• The environmental characteristic for this position is an office setting.


• Candidates should be able to adapt to a traditional business environment.

AAR provides accommodation in accordance with applicable laws through all stages of the hiring process. If you require accommodation for any part of the application and/or hiring process, please advise Human Resources.

Compensation

The anticipated salary range for this position is $115,000 to $130,000 annually. This range reflects the base salary for candidates who meet the requirements of the role, including experience, education, and location. In addition to base pay, this role is eligible for a bonus. AAR offers a competitive benefits package, including medical/dental/vision/life/and AD&D insurance, 401(k) savings plan with employer match, paid time off and holiday pay, as well as opportunities for professional development and growth.

Job Information Technology

Primary Location United States-Illinois-Wood Dale

Schedule Full-time

Overtime Status ExemptWe are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.