Lead Data Scientist: Staffing Forecasting & Optimization

Socket.dev; Washington; On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) with employer match

Tuition coverage

Paid vacation and sick leave

Stock program

Parental leave

Job summary

Starbucks Coffee Company is seeking a Lead Data Scientist for the Staffing Algorithms team to forecast and optimize staffing across US and Canada stores. You will guide modeling, analytics, and strategic workforce planning to impact store operations and customer experience at scale.

The role emphasizes end-to-end data products, mentorship, and cross-functional collaboration in a cloud-enabled environment with strong storytelling via dashboards.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive experience in data science with end-to-end data product deployment.
• Strong foundation in machine learning and statistical techniques including regression, classification, clustering, and causal inference.
• Advanced proficiency in Python, SQL, and cloud-based analytics platforms (Databricks, Azure) with production-grade data pipelines.
• Excellent communication and data storytelling skills with clear visualizations in Tableau.
• Experience building in-house production systems in complex, data-rich domains.
• Mentoring experience.

Responsibilities

• Design and Architect the Future Staffing Ecosystem: build a scalable, data-driven staffing framework.
• Drive Labor Optimization: identify inefficiencies and implement ML-driven optimization strategies.
• Mentor and Develop Talent: guide data scientists and foster a culture of innovation.

Job description

Starbucks Coffee Company is seeking a Lead Data Scientist for the Staffing Algorithms team to forecast and optimize staffing across US and Canada stores. You will guide modeling, analytics, and strategic workforce planning to impact store operations and customer experience at scale.

The role emphasizes end-to-end data products, mentorship, and cross-functional collaboration in a cloud-enabled environment with strong storytelling via dashboards.