(USA) Principal, Data Scientist

Walmart Data Ventures; Bentonville (AR); On-site; USD 110,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance bonuses

Medical, vision, dental

401(k)

Job summary

Walmart Data Ventures is seeking a Principal Data Scientist to tackle high-value retail problems using rigorous analytics, ML, and causal inference. You will deploy scalable models, shape strategy, and translate evidence into actionable recommendations for product and engineering leaders.

You will guide measurement frameworks, work with agentic AI teams, and advance data science capabilities across the organization while mentoring peers and driving business impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Economics, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, IT or related field and 5 years’ analytics experience.
• Master’s degree in Statistics, Economics, Analytics, Mathematics, CS, IT or related field and 3 years’ analytics experience.
• 7 years’ experience in an analytics or related field.

Responsibilities

• Frame ambiguous business questions as testable hypotheses with clear metrics and decision criteria.
• Build, validate, deploy, monitor, and improve predictive, causal, and ML solutions.
• Design experiments and causal measurement approaches including A/B tests and uplift modeling.
• Collaborate with agentic AI teams to answer questions on measurement, impact, and causal drivers.
• Mentor team members on coding, modeling, visualization, and analytical storytelling.
• Communicate insights to influence product, engineering, and executive decisions.

Skills

Data science

Statistics

Machine Learning

Experimentation

Causal inference

Python

Production ML

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

Python

Spark

TensorFlow

R

Job description

Position Summary

We are seeking a Principal Data Scientist to solve ambiguous, high-value retail problems through rigorous analytics, ML modeling, experimentation, causal inference, and deployment of scalable solutions. You will work closely with agentic AI teams to build the data science capabilities, measurement frameworks, and causal reasoning skills needed to answer users’ business‑impact questions. You will shape strategy, define success metrics, validate outcomes, deploy decision‑ready models and tools, and translate complex evidence into clear recommendations for product, engineering, and executive partners.

About the team

Walmart Data Ventures powers the data and AI platform supporting the world’s largest retailer’s suppliers. The Walmart Scintilla team transforms extensive data into actionable insights, recommendations, and innovations that enhance customer, merchant, and supplier outcomes. This team leads advancements in generative AI, agentic intelligence, machine learning, measurement, and causal inference to redefine retail experiences, optimize operations, and develop new business models. Joining this team offers the opportunity to lead cutting‑edge AI initiatives that set industry standards and drive significant impact across the retail ecosystem.

Responsibilities

• Frame ambiguous business questions as testable hypotheses with clear metrics and decision criteria.
• Build, validate, deploy, monitor, and improve predictive, causal, and ML solutions.
• Design experiments and causal measurement approaches, including A/B tests, uplift modeling, difference‑in‑differences, and synthetic control.
• Work with agentic AI teams to answer user questions about measurement, impact, and causal drivers.
• Mentor team members on coding, modeling, visualization, and analytical storytelling.
• Communicate insights to influence decisions and drive business value.

What you’ll bring

• Deep expertise in data science, statistics, machine learning, experimentation, measurement, and causal inference.
• Proven ability to turn ambiguous business problems into clear hypotheses, scalable analytical plans, and measurable outcomes.
• Strong Python coding skills, with experience building production‑quality data science solutions.
• Experience deploying, monitoring, and improving models or decision tools in partnership with engineering teams.
• Familiarity with emerging agentic AI architectures, systems, and evaluation patterns.
• Experience using AI‑assisted coding and engineering tools to improve development speed, quality, and iteration.
• Ability to mentor others on coding, modeling, visualization, and analytical communication.
• Strong business judgment and communication skills to influence product, engineering, and executive stakeholders.

Benefits

We offer competitive pay as well as performance‑based bonus awards and other great benefits for a happier mind, body, and wallet. Health benefits include medical, vision and dental coverage. Financial benefits include 401(k), stock purchase and company‑paid life insurance. Paid time off benefits include PTO (including sick leave), parental leave, family care leave, bereavement, jury duty, and voting. Other benefits include short‑term and long‑term disability, company discounts, military leave pay, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, and more. You will also receive PTO and/or PPTO that can be used for vacation, sick leave, holidays, or other purposes. The amount you receive depends on your job classification and length of employment. It will meet or exceed the requirements of paid sick leave laws, where applicable. Live Better U is a Walmart‑paid education benefit program for full‑time and part‑time associates in Walmart and Sam’s Club facilities. Programs range from high school completion to bachelor’s degrees, including English Language Learning and short‑form certificates. Tuition, books, and fees are completely paid for by Walmart.

Compensation

Bentonville, Arkansas US‑09158: Annual salary range $110,000.00–$220,000.00

Hoboken, New Jersey US‑10279: Annual salary range $132,000.00–$264,000.00. Additional compensation includes annual or quarterly performance bonuses. Additional compensation for certain positions may also include stock.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Economics, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Technology or related field and 5 years’ experience in an analytics related field.
• Master’s degree in Statistics, Economics, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Technology or related field and 3 years’ experience in an analytics related field.
• 7 years’ experience in an analytics or related field.

Preferred Qualifications

• Data science, machine learning, optimization models, Ph.D. in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Information Technology, Operations Research, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Econometrics, publications or active peer reviewer in related journals or conference.
• Successful completion of one or more assessments in Python, Spark, Scala, or R.
• Experience using open‑source frameworks (e.g., scikit‑learn, TensorFlow, Torch).
• Background in creating inclusive digital experiences, demonstrating knowledge in implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standards, assistive technologies, and integrating digital accessibility seamlessly.
• Knowledge of accessibility best practices and alignment with Walmart’s accessibility standards and guidelines for supporting an inclusive culture.

Company Statement

Walmart and its subsidiaries are committed to maintaining a drug‑free workplace and have a no‑tolerance policy regarding the use of illegal drugs and alcohol on the job. This policy applies to all employees and aims to create a safe and productive work environment.