Lead Data Scientist - Recommendations (applied ML, Reinforcement Learning, Contextual Bandit Design)
Core
Lead the design, development, evaluation, and deployment of machine learning systems powering Target's digital recommendations and personalization experiences for millions of guests.
Role type
Lead Data Scientist (Recommendation Systems, Reinforcement Learning, Contextual Bandits)
Builds
Scalable recommendation, retrieval, ranking, and personalization solutions for Target's digital experiences
Domain
Retail / Applied Machine Learning
Deliverable
production ML models
Required skills
Reinforcement learning, Contextual bandit design, Deep learning, Optimization, Experimental design, Large-scale data processing, Python, SQL, PyTorch or JAX, Spark
Preferred skills
Generative AI tools, Thought leadership, Technical mentorship
Responsibilities
Translate ambiguous business challenges into scalable algorithmic solutions; Drive projects from problem definition through production deployment; Establish best practices for model development and evaluation; Mentor and develop other data scientists; Influence technical direction across product, engineering, and data science teams
Seniority
Senior, hands-on IC with leadership responsibilities