Sr Manager Data Science and AI Platform Enablement

Academy Sports and Outdoors; Katy (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Academy Sports + Outdoors in Katy, TX seeks a Senior Director of Data Science to drive analytics strategy for omnichannel retail. You will lead a team of data scientists, partner with engineering, marketing, and IT to deploy production-grade ML solutions and scalable data platforms.

The role emphasizes governance, responsible AI, and data-domain enablement for customer analytics and personalization. Experience in retail analytics, strong leadership, and ability to influence across a matrixed

Qualifications

• 8+ years in data science, advanced analytics, ML, or related fields.
• 4+ years leading teams or major technical initiatives.
• 3+ years in B2C/retail/e-commerce analytics.
• 3+ years deploying production-grade analytics or ML solutions.

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve data, feature, and modeling standards, MLOps and production-ready analytics/ML solutions.
• Translate customer, marketing, and omnichannel needs into scalable, platform-aligned patterns.
• Governance, quality & responsible AI, embedding fairness, trust and compliance by design.
• Lead Adobe Analytics and Quantum Metrics data capture; own customer data domains and data flows.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder mgmt

MLOps

Customer analytics

Influence across matrixed orgs

Education

Bachelor’s in engineering/Statistics/Data Science/CS

Master’s in Analytics/Data Science (preferred)

Tools

Adobe Analytics

Quantum Metrics

Bridg

Job description

Who We Are At Academy Sports + Outdoors our vision is to be the best sports + outdoors retailer in the country — but what truly sets us apart is our people. We’re a passionate, purpose-driven team that’s as committed to each other as we are to our customers. We’ve spent over 80 years building a culture that puts people first. We believe in creating opportunities for growth, fostering meaningful connections, and supporting every Team Member’s journey. What fuels us? Our belief in the power of fun. Here, you won’t just help customers gear up for their next adventure — you’ll launch one of your own. Whether you're starting out or leveling up, Academy is a place where fun can’t lose!

Education: Bachelor’s in engineering, Statistics, Data Science, or Computer Sciences Master’s degree in Analytics or data science (preferred)

Work Experiences: 8+ years of experience in data science, advanced analytics, applied machine learning, or related fields. Experience in retail or B2C is preferred 4+ years of experience leading teams or major technical initiatives, including people management or matrixed leadership 3+ years of experience in B2C, retail, e-commerce, marketing analytics, or customer-facing analytics domains 3+ years of experience building, deploying, or enabling production-grade analytics or ML solutions

Skills: Strong engineering mindset with experience in: Modular code, Reproducibility & Production-grade analytics or ML systems Experience working with digital analytics, customer data platforms, or experimentation data (e.g., Adobe, web/app analytics, or similar ecosystems) Proven ability to influence across matrixed organizations without direct ownership Experience partnering with data engineering, platform, and governance teams Ability to balance speed to value with long-term scalability Experience enabling MLOps or analytics platforms, preferred Exposure to customer analytics, personalization, marketing, or e-commerce use cases, preferred Experience operating in early-to-mid maturity data organizations, preferred Comfort shaping standards without formal authority, preferred

Responsibilities:

• Platform & AI Standards Enablement Define and evolve reusable data, feature, and modeling patterns, MLOps and model lifecycle standards, and production-ready analytics/ML solutions. Partner with CIO Data Engineering and Platform teams to influence canonical customer data models, shared datasets, feature reuse, and data access/consumption standards.
• Customer Domain Translation & Enablement Translate customer, marketing, and omnichannel needs into scalable technical and platform-aligned patterns. Enable domain-aligned data scientists, analysts, and engineers to adopt standards, reduce reinvention, and accelerate delivery. Influence enterprise priorities through evidence, design proposals, and proof-of-value work.
• Governance, Quality & Responsible AI Represent customer-domain data needs in governance forums. Help evolve governance standards that are practical for personalization, experimentation, and customer analytics. Ensure quality, fairness, trust, and compliance are embedded by design.
• Customer Data Domain Enablement Lead Lead Adobe Analytics and Quantum Metrics data capture, acting as a catalyst for effective use across analytics, personalization, and experimentation. Serve as the data domain owner for all customer-facing data domains, including tag management, Bridg, and clean room capabilities, accountable for data definitions, quality, access, and downstream usability. Partner with IT pods, platform, and engineering teams to define and govern customer data flows securely and at scale through well-documented integrations.

Leadership Attributes

Systems thinker with a pragmatic bias toward delivery. Trusted by both business and technical stakeholders. Comfortable letting teams execute independently while influencing across a matrixed organization. Optimizes for scale and reuse, not personal ownership.

Physical Requirements & Attendance:

Acceptable level of hearing and vision to perform job duties Adhere to company work hours, policies, procedures, and rules governing professional staff behavior Regular attendance in the office is required

Equal Employment Opportunity

Equal Employment Opportunity Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate with regard to employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by law. Academy® Sports + Outdoors is one of the nation’s largest sporting goods and outdoor retailers. It’s no surprise that we not only know how to create experiences for our customers, but for our team members as well. Understanding our people and the things that matter to them the most has been at the core of the Academy® culture for over 80 years. With more than 22,000 team members, we take pride in creating a workplace environment that values hard work, commitment, and growth.