Director, Decision Science

salesforce.com, inc.; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 197,300 - 313,700; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid parental leave

401(k)

Employee stock-purchasing program

Job summary

salesforce.com, inc. is seeking a senior leader in data science to oversee the decision science team. This role involves shaping the long-term data strategy for Salesforce's Customer 360 Apps, ensuring that data-driven insights support decision-making at all levels.

The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in data science, proven leadership in high-performing teams, and exceptional communication skills, with proficiency in statistics and AI-driven analytics.

Competitive benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, vision programs, 401(k), and employee stock-purchase plans.

Qualifications

• 10+ years overall experience in data science or analytics.
• 5+ years of experience leading high-performing teams.
• Exceptional communicator who can synthesize ambiguity into clear strategy.
• Ability to build and retain top talent in an analytics organization.

Responsibilities

• Lead the decision science team developing metrics and insights.
• Define and drive the strategic vision for product analytics.
• Champion data-driven practices across Salesforce.

Skills

Data Science

AI fluency

Team Leadership

Communication

Statistics or Machine Learning

Education

MBA or Master’s in a quantitative field

Tools

SQL

Python

R

SAS

Job description

Department Overview

Data Solutions at Salesforce powers the Agentic Enterprise, delivering trusted data and AI‑driven insights that help the business act smarter, faster, and with greater confidence. This role leads the decision science team developing data foundation, metrics, and insights that fuel Salesforce's Customer 360 Apps, ensuring AI agents and human decision‑makers alike can act on reliable, curated, and trusted data.

Responsibilities

• Be the enterprise data and analytics thought leader across Salesforce's Customer 360 Apps, shaping the long‑term data strategy and acting as a trusted advisor to senior executives (GM, VP, and SVP levels) across Product, Engineering, and Go‑to‑Market.
• Lead a high‑performing, multi‑disciplinary data team (analytics, data engineering, and visualization) with a focus on scalability, innovation, and measurable business impact; establish a culture of excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Define and drive the strategic vision and multi‑quarter roadmap for product analytics, aligning data investments with company priorities and ensuring delivery of high‑impact data products, platforms, and insights at scale.
• Operate as a cross‑functional executive partner, influencing product and business strategy through data; proactively identify opportunities, shape decision‑making frameworks, and drive alignment across complex stakeholder groups.
• Establish best‑in‑class operating models for analytics delivery, including prioritization frameworks, resource allocation, and execution rigor; ensure consistent, high‑quality output across multiple concurrent initiatives.
• Lead the definition of north‑star metrics, KPI frameworks, and measurement systems to drive product adoption, customer success, and revenue growth; embed data‑driven decision‑making across product and business teams.
• Drive organizational impact by translating complex data into clear narratives and actionable insights for executive audiences, influencing company‑level strategy and investment decisions.
• Develop and grow a team of specialized ICs; establish clear career paths, succession planning, and leadership development while upskilling teams to leverage modern AI technologies (e.g., LLMs such as Claude, Agentforce) as a core part of their analytical workflow and decision‑making practice.
• Champion data as a strategic asset across Salesforce, promoting best practices in AI‑driven analytics to unlock new product and business value.

Qualifications

• 10+ years overall experience in data science or analytics, including 5+ years leading high‑performing teams and matrixed partners.
• AI fluency – ability to apply LLMs, Copilots, and agent‑based analytics tools (e.g., Claude, Agentforce) to accelerate insight generation, automate analysis, and embed AI into team workflows.
• MBA or Master’s in a quantitative field (computer science, economics, statistics, engineering, or equivalent) preferred.
• Hands‑on familiarity with Salesforce's core platform and product suite is a plus – including Data Cloud, CRM Analytics, Agentforce, and Customer 360 Apps.
• Trusted executive partner to VP, SVP, and EVP leaders, influencing company‑wide priorities, framing strategic decisions, and representing the function in executive forums.
• Experience defining data strategy, metric frameworks, governance standards, and scalable analytical solutions, with enough technical depth to guide tradeoffs in scalable analytical system design.
• Exceptional communicator who can synthesize ambiguity into clear strategy and translate complex data into compelling narratives for executive audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through ambiguity, structure complex problems, and develop innovative, data‑driven solutions with measurable business impact.
• Proficient (5+ years) in statistics or machine learning, strong data manipulation, product analytics, and statistical analysis skills, with advanced SQL, R, SAS, or Python experience.
• Inspiring leader with a track record of driving multiple large initiatives concurrently across cross‑functional teams (Product, Engineering, Customer Success, Product Marketing, and more).
• Strong execution discipline, prioritization skills, and ability to make timely decisions in dynamic environments.
• Ability to build, develop, and retain top talent while scaling an AI‑native analytics organization.

Benefits

Benefits include time‑off programs, medical, dental, vision, mental health support, paid parental leave, life and disability insurance, 401(k), and an employee stock‑purchasing program.

Typical base salary range: $197,300 – $313,700 per year (in select cities within the San Francisco and New York City metropolitan areas: $237,700 – $344,700 per year).

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Salesforce is an equal‑opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non‑discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. All employees and potential employees are assessed on the basis of merit, competence, and qualifications without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, transgender status, age, disability, veteran or marital status, political viewpoint, or other classifications protected by law. Recruiting, hiring, and promotion decisions at Salesforce are fair and based on merit.