Senior Manager - Data Science & AI Innovation

Nestlé S.A.; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k with company match

Healthcare coverage

Job summary

Nestlé USA is seeking a Senior Manager for Data Science & AI Innovation to lead commercial advanced analytics and AI/GenAI strategy. You will bridge commercial stakeholders with IT & Digital teams to deliver high-impact analytics, ML models, and scalable AI solutions.

Strong leadership and strategic execution are essential. The role reports to the Director of Business Intelligence & Data Analytics within the Commercial Intelligence Hub and requires a blend of technical depth and business acumen

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field; MBA/advanced degree a strong plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead AI/GenAI strategy for Commercial functions and bridge between stakeholders and IT & Digital teams.

Skills

Data science

AI/GenAI

Cross-functional leadership

Strategy & execution

Python/R/SQL

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering/Math/Stats/Data Science

MBA or advanced degree

Tools

R

Python

SQL

Job description

Senior Manager - Data Science & AI Innovation

Foods you love. Brands you trust. And a career that empowers you to grow.
At Nestlé USA, we’re all working towards the same goal – to delight and deliver for our consumers. With a rich portfolio of beloved brands, including DiGiorno, Toll House, and Coffee mate, in 97% of U.S. households, we have a unique opportunity – and responsibility – to be there for every moment in our consumers’ lives.

Joining Nestlé means becoming part of an inclusive workplace that inspires innovation, encourages strategic thinking and creativity, and celebrates your achievements. No matter where you work within the organization, you are empowered to challenge the status quo, embrace risk-taking, and pioneer new ideas. Our supportive and collaborative environment encourages bold ambitions and continuous learning so that everyone can grow and thrive.
This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

This leadership position will be responsible for overseeing Commercial advanced analytics and AI/GenAI strategy for Commercial functions, acting as the primary bridge between Commercial business stakeholders and IT & Digital teams. This role identifies opportunities and connects with internal & external delivery partners to deliver solutions that drive growth and influence the commercial strategy and daily operations through the implementation of advanced analytics and AI/GenAI capabilities.

This role will collaborate closely with and report to the Director of Business Intelligence & Data Analytics of Commercial Intelligence Hub to drive the future of advanced analytics and AI/GenAI innovation within the Nestlé Center for Demand Generation. The ideal candidate will have a strong technical/data science background and commercial / sales knowledge with proven experience as a business-savvy innovation leader – someone who understands the craft deeply enough to guide technical teams on the execution of business requirements gathered while working closely with business stakeholders, shaping strategy and prioritizing use cases.

This role requires excellent communication skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to drive data-driven decision-making across the organization while acting as a trusted intermediary between business stakeholders and technical teams. The role will lead, both directly & indirectly, a team of analysts and advisors responsible for generating advanced analytics and AI/GenAI solutions and driving business alignment for inflight and future innovation projects. The role will also be responsible for boosting solution adoption by different functions within Nestlé's Commercial organization and articulating value generated from use of the solutions.

Primary Responsibilities

• Work closely with commercial business functions to assess needs and determine the most effective means of facilitating decision-making through accurate, relevant and timely insights.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify and prioritize advanced analytics, AI, and GenAIprojects that drive business value and align with Commercial strategic priorities.
• Ensure adequate functional participation in requirements development, assist with translation of business requirements into technical specs, as needed, and validate that developed solutions meet detailed business requirements.
• Lead the development and implementation of selected AI and GenAI solutions (e.g., agentic workflows, LLM-powered assistants, machine learning models) in partnership with IT & Digital and external technical delivery partners, ensuring solutions are grounded in business value and follow IT & Digital policies and guardrails.
• Oversee creation of testing plans for advanced analytics and AI solutions, while ensuring functional participation and adherence to testing timelines.
• Serve as the primary liaison between Commercial business stakeholders and IT/technical development teams — framing ambiguous business problems into clear technical specifications and ensuring delivered solutions map back to measurable business outcomes.
• Identify, evaluate, and champion emerging AI, GenAI, and automation capabilities, translating them into scalable innovation initiatives aligned with Nestlé's commercial priorities.
• Drive the implementation, operationalization, and adoption of advanced analytics and AI/GenAI solutions within Commercial teams, recognizing that adoption — not just technical delivery — is the primary driver of ROI.
• Collaborate with commercial leaders by providing technical expertise to guide the prioritization and feasibility of analytics and AI initiatives.
• Represent Commercial team as part of Nestle’s cross functional Data Council to influence enterprise analytics strategic priorities and ensure alignment with other pillars in the organization (finance, supply chain, etc.).
• Self-starter with a history of applying advanced analytics and AI/GenAI expertise to identify insights that get results.
• Passionate about solving the most critical business problems through M/L, GenAI, and advanced analytics.
• Demonstrated ability to translate ambiguous business problems into clear, actionable AI/data science solutions — equally comfortable engaging business executives, data scientists, and technical architects/engineers.
• A technical foundation (data science, ML/AI) that has evolved into strategic, business-facing leadership — able to guide and challenge.
• Strategic thinker with ability to see the big picture and draw connections outside the immediate organization.
• Knowledge of how to identify, scope and manage work to execute advanced analytics and AI/GenAI opportunities to meet business needs with an emphasis to deliver value with speed.
• Knowledge of process improvement and design methodologies.
• Project management and stakeholder management experience and expertise to deliver scalable solutions in a fast-paced and challenging environment, including leading through influence across matrixed business and IT & Digital teams.
• Strong executive presence and storytelling skills, with the ability to prepare and deliver clear, compelling presentations that communicate recommendations, findings, results, and status updates on advanced analytics and AI/GenAI initiatives — tailoring message and technical depth for audiences ranging from technical delivery teams to senior business and IT & Digital leadership.
• An Agile mindset with ability to shift priorities to meet rapidly evolving business needs.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, Data Science, or a related field. MBA or advanced degree is a strong plus.
• Deep understanding of sales, marketing, or broader commercial functions, with 3-5 years of experience leading teams in a consumer products organization preferred.
• 7+ years of experience partnering with cross-functional stakeholders to translate business needs into technical solutions and drive adoption.
• Demonstrated career progression from a hands‑on technical/data science practitioner into a strategic, business‑facing leadership role — with the credibility to guide technical teams.
• 5+ years with a demonstrated track record of leading effective teams that deliver enterprise scale solutions with emerging technologies, advanced data and automation capabilities, or machine learning, AI, GenAI, LLMs, and agentic workflows that have strong adoption and proven business impact.
• Experience with advanced analytics and/or digital transformation projects preferred.
• Knowledge of various programming languages (R, Python, SQL) to develop and apply analytic solutions — sufficient knowledge to credibly review technical designs and evaluate trade-offs.
• Experience implementing Agile development methodologies and principles.
• Experience working with business stakeholders and senior leaders in advising on and delivering data, analytics, and other technology solutions to drive business value.
• Experience and understanding of a variety of data processes, including but not limited to data governance, data integration, and measurement of data quality.
• Experience building a data and analytics organizational strategy and managing multifunctional teams.
• Experience working with large data sets from multiple sources and implementing visualization capabilities leveraging mainstream commercial software platforms.
• Experience exploring and deploying advanced capabilities, including cognitive technology, ML/AI, automation, and digital user engagement techniques.
• A proven track record of developing actionable and profitable strategies that also drive business growth.

Salary:$190,000.00 to$240,000.00 per year

Bonus Eligibility:Yes

Thepay rangeprovided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Final compensation may vary based on factors including but not limited to knowledge, skills and abilities as well as geographic location. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at top of range.

Nestlé offers performance-based incentives and a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 401k with company match, healthcare coverage and a broad range of other benefits. Incentives and/or benefit packages may vary depending on the position. Learn more at https://www.nestlejobs.com/nestle-in-the-us-benefits

It is our business imperative to remain a very inclusive workplace.
To our veterans and separated service members, you're at the forefront of our minds as we recruit top talent to join Nestlé. The skills you've gained while serving our country, such as flexibility, agility, and leadership, are much like the skills that will make you successful in this role. In addition, with our commitment to an inclusive work environment, we recognize the exceptional engagement and innovation displayed by individuals with disabilities. Nestlé seeks such skilled and qualified individuals to share our mission where you’ll join a cohort of others who have chosen to call Nestlé home.

The Nestlé Companies are equal employment opportunity employers. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Prior to the next step in the recruiting process, we welcome you to inform us confidentially if you may require any special accommodations in order to participate fully in our recruitment experience. Contact us at [e-mail] or please dial 711 and provide this number to the operator: 1-800-321-6467.

This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

Arlington, VA, US, 22209 Solon, OH, US, 44139