(USA) Principal, Data Scientist

Walmart; San Bruno (CA); On-site; USD 143,000 - 286,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k)

Stock purchase plan

PTO and family leave

Job summary

Walmart seeks a Principal Data Scientist in San Bruno, CA, to shape competitive insights and growth opportunities. You will work with executive leadership to develop scalable data products and advanced analytics across large datasets.

You will lead and mentor a team, implement AI/LLM-powered workflows, and translate findings into enterprise decisions. This role blends strategy, analytics, and AI innovation in a high-impact setting.

Qualifications

• Masters in Data Science, CS, Statistics, or related field with 4+ years of work experience, or PhD with 2+ years.
• Strong proficiency in Python and SQL.
• Hands-on experience building and scaling AI/LLM-powered agents with governance and guardrails.

Responsibilities

• Analyze large and complex datasets to identify trends, patterns and insights for performance vs. competition.
• Research and implement advanced statistical models and cutting-edge ML on structured and unstructured data for decision support.
• Build scalable AI- and LLM-powered data products delivering impact at enterprise scale.
• Communicate findings to technical and non-technical stakeholders via reports, visuals, and presentations.
• Guide and mentor junior data scientist team members.

Skills

Python

SQL

Data engineering

AI/LLM

Mentoring

Education

Masters in Data Science/CS/Statistics or related field

PhD with 2+ years experience

Bachelor’s degree in CS with 4+ years

Tools

Python

SQL

Job description

Position Summary...

Role summary:

The Principal Data Scientist, Market Intelligence, is a high-impact role at the intersection of strategy, advanced analytics, and AI innovation. As a key member of our Market & Competitive Intelligence team, you will shape how Walmart understands the competitive landscape, uncovers growth opportunities, and translates data into enterprise-level decisions. With direct exposure to executive leadership, you will pioneer scalable data products that influence critical business decisions while solving some of retail's most challenging and impactful problems.

About the team:

The Market and Competitive Intelligence team drives impactful work at the intersection of strategy, advanced analytics, and AI innovation. This team shapes Walmart’s understanding of the competitive landscape, identifies growth opportunities, and translates data into enterprise-level decisions. With direct engagement with executive leadership, the team pioneers scalable data products that influence critical business outcomes. Analyze large and complex datasets to identify trends, patterns, and insights to measure performance against competition and inform business growth opportunities

What you'll do...

• Analyze large and complex datasets to identify trends, patterns and insights to measure performance against competition and inform
• Research, create and implement advanced statistical models and cutting-edge machine learning algorithms on fast-moving structured and unstructured data to support decision making
• Build scalable, AI- and LLM-powered data products that deliver meaningful impact for our business partners and customers at unmatched scale
• Communicate findings and insights to both technical and non-technical stakeholders through clear and concise reports, visualizations and presentations to gain alignment and drive business actions
• Guide and mentor junior data scientist team members

What you'll bring...

• Masters in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, or related analytical discipline and 4+ years of post-graduate relevant work experience or Ph.D with 2+ years of post-graduate relevant work experience
• Strong proficiency in Python and SQL
• Strong data engineering foundation, including modular and maintainable code, pipeline architecture, and performance optimization
• You have hands‑on experience building and scaling AI/LLM‑powered agents for workflow automation and information extraction, with expertise in evaluating and governing outputs through guardrails, accuracy validation, and human‑in‑the‑loop review

At Walmart, 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. For information about PTO, see https://one.walmart.com/notices . 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.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to a specific plan or program terms.

For information about benefits and eligibility, see One.Walmart (https://one.walmart.com/) .

The annual salary range for this position is $143,000.00 - $286,000.00 Additional compensation includes annual or quarterly performance bonuses. Additional compensation for certain positions may also include :

• Stock

Minimum Qualifications...

Outlined below are the required minimum qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no minimum qualifications.

Option 1: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and 4 years' experience in software engineering or related field. Option 2: 6 years’ experience in software engineering or related field. Option 3: Master's degree in Computer Science and 2 years' experience in software engineering or related field.

3 years' experience in data engineering, database engineering, business intelligence, or business analytics.

Preferred Qualifications...

Outlined below are the optional preferred qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no preferred qualifications.

Data science, machine learning, optimization models, PhD 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, Using open source frameworks (for example, scikit learn, tensorflow, torch), We value candidates with a 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. The ideal candidate would have knowledge of accessibility best practices and join us as we continue to create accessible products and services following Walmart’s accessibility standards and guidelines for supporting an inclusive culture.

Primary Location...

850 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066-3031, United States of America

Walmart and its subsidiaries are committed to maintaining a drug‑free workplace and has 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.

Walmart, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer- By Choice. We believe we are best equipped to help our associates, customers, and the communities we serve live better when we really know them. That means understanding, respecting, and valuing diversity- unique styles, experiences, identities, abilities, ideas and opinions- while being inclusive of all people.