Position Summary...
Role summary: Join Walmart as a Principal Data Scientist to lead advanced analytics initiatives that drive strategic business decisions. This role involves developing and deploying machine learning models, performing statistical analysis, and leveraging cloud technologies to solve complex problems. The successful candidate will collaborate cross-functionally to translate business requirements into scalable data solutions, mentor team members, and ensure data quality and model performance. This position demands strong expertise in programming, data visualization, and analytical modeling to deliver impactful insights that support Walmart's operational and strategic goals. About the team: The Measurement, Insights and Data Strategy (MINDS) team supports Sam's Club Connect by delivering data-driven campaign performance measurement and audience insights to enhance marketing effectiveness. This team leads innovation through media experimentation and data strategy, leveraging traceable member journey data and omnichannel fulfillment. MINDS drives growth for supplier brands and Sam's Club by providing actionable analytics and personalized solutions. The team values collaboration and continuous improvement, applying advanced machine learning, statistical analysis, and cloud technologies to solve complex business challenges and optimize media monetization strategies.
What you'll do...
At Sam's Club , we are member obsessed. We work to add value to Sam's Club membership, and we partner with suppliers to bring unique and exciting products to our members. Sam's Club Connect (SCC) , our retail media network, is the nexus of the supplier, marketer, and merchant partnership. SCC is responsible for delivering impactful omnichannel advertising experiences to our members with closed-loop measurement. The Measurement, Insights and Data Strategy (MINDS) team is a data and analytics function supporting Sam's Club Connect. The team provides campaign performance measurement and audience insights for marketing effectiveness and optimization, and leads innovation and monetization initiatives through media experimentation and data strategy. MINDS fuels SCC's winning formula-easy to buy, easy to sell, and easy to operate-to drive accelerated growth for supplier brands and Sam's Club, drawing on the strengths of traceable member journey data, omnichannel fulfillment, and personalization. We are seeking a Principal Data Scientist to join the Media Science and Experimentation team supporting Sam's Club Connect. This is a hands-on, highly technical leadership role focused on defining, building, and scaling reusable data science capabilities across incrementality, media optimization, and emerging advertising experiences. These capabilities will influence supplier investment, product strategy, campaign performance, and SCC revenue growth. The role includes developing and productizing media mix models (MMM) for budget planning, scenario simulation, and in-season optimization; building scalable Search Ghost Ads incrementality measurement ; and leading experimentation and measurement for Sponsored Product Ads (SPA) and emerging ad experiences. You will also apply machine learning, causal inference, and AI-driven capabilities to improve measurement and decision-making at scale. As a technical leader, you will combine hands-on data science with leadership across complex, cross-functional initiatives. You will set scientific direction, guide methodological choices and technical standards, and influence Product, Engineering, Advertising, and business leaders. You will drive solutions from problem definition through production and adoption while mentoring data scientists and translating complex analyses into actionable recommendations. What you'll do · Set the technical direction for scalable measurement and optimization capabilities. Define the scientific roadmap, establish methodological standards, and lead complex initiatives from problem definition through production, adoption, and business impact. · Build Search Ghost Ads incrementality capabilities that provide scalable campaign-level measurement. Develop and validate causal approaches that inform supplier investment, campaign optimization, and ad-serving decisions. · Lead the development of OMNI-Impact Pulse for in-season media optimization by building and productizing MMM-based solutions that support budget planning, scenario analysis, and media mix recommendations. Partner with Product and Engineering on planned Ad Center integration and supplier-facing recommendations. · Design, build, and productize granular Media Mix Models across sponsored media and advertiser segments. Create scalable, robust, and testable modeling solutions that support budget allocation, optimization, and scenario analysis. · Lead experimentation and causal measurement for Sponsored Product Ads and new ad product launches. Design and analyze A/B tests where possible, and apply quasi-experimental and causal inference methodologies when randomized experiments are not feasible. · Extend measurement to emerging ad experiences , including Expert Videos, Seasonal Pages, and other new formats. Develop appropriate measurement approaches and translate results into recommendations that guide product and investment decisions. · Build repeatable incrementality measurement frameworks that quantify the impact of media investments and move beyond simple pre/post analyses to support confident decision-making. · Develop machine learning and advanced analytics solutions , including advertiser segmentation models to support supplier retention and growth and member-level ad response prediction models that optimize ad performance while protecting the member experience. · Influence cross-functional strategy and decisions by partnering with Product, Engineering, Advertising, and senior business leaders. Communicate scientific tradeoffs, align stakeholders around priorities, and translate complex findings into actionable recommendations. · Mentor data scientists and elevate technical rigor through reviews, knowledge sharing, and guidance on experimentation, causal inference, modeling, and production practices. · Apply AI-driven capabilities to automate analysis, accelerate insight generation, and improve the scalability and consistency of measurement and optimization workflows. What you'll bring · MS or higher in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Mathematics, Statistics, Operations Research, or a related quantitative field, with 10+ years of industry experience applying machine learning, statistics, and analytics to complex business problems, including hypothesis testing, p-values, confidence intervals, and regression analysis. · Demonstrated ability to set technical direction and lead complex, cross-functional data science initiatives , influence senior stakeholders, and drive solutions from scientific development through production and business adoption. · Hands-on experience designing, implementing, and scaling production-grade modeling systems , including machine learning, advanced statistical models, and AI-driven solutions used in real-world decision-making, with experience across model training pipelines, offline and online evaluation, monitoring, and retraining. · Proven hands-on experience building Media Mix Models (MMM) and applying them for budget planning, optimization, and scenario analysis, including concepts such as saturation curves, diminishing returns, marginal ROAS, priors, and Bayesian or frequentist MMM approaches, with the ability to translate model outputs into actionable business recommendations. · Strong experience with causal inference and quasi-experimental methodologies for incrementality measurement, including A/B testing, power analysis, difference-in-differences, matched controls, synthetic controls, and Bayesian structural time series, with 2+ years of hands-on experimentation and causal ML experience to inform advertising and product decisions. · Solid background in machine learning and statistical modeling , with experience in advertiser segmentation and ad response prediction (e.g., logistic regression, gradient-boosted trees, uplift modeling, and bias-variance tradeoffs), as well as exposure to keyword or bidding optimization problems. · High proficiency in Python and SQL , with preferred experience working in large-scale data environments such as Google BigQuery and Dataproc , including distributed data processing and feature pipeline development. Experience with TensorFlow or similar ML frameworks is preferred. Tableau experience is a plus for visualizing advertising performance. · Familiarity with modern analytics and measurement tooling, including Google Meridian or similar MMM platforms, and GenAI / LLM-based tools for automation, scalable analytics, and insight generation. · Ability to navigate ambiguity, communicate scientific tradeoffs to technical and nontechnical audiences, mentor other data scientists, and build alignment across teams. · AI/ML Engineering experience in building scalable media measurement and targeting solutions is a big plus. · Prior Sponsored Product Ads or retail media domain experience is a plus. The above information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed in the role. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. The full Job Description can be made available as part of the hiring process.
Perks and Benefits Beyond competitive pay, you can receive incentive awards for your performance. Other great perks include 401(k) match, stock purchase plan, paid maternity and parental leave, PTO, multiple health plans, and much more. Who We Are Join Walmart and your work could help over 275 million global customers live better every week. Yes, we are the Fortune #1 company. But you'll quickly find we're a company who wants you to feel comfortable bringing your whole self to work. A career at Walmart is where the world's most complex challenges meet a kinder way of life. Our mission spreads far beyond the walls of our stores. Join us and you'll discover why we are a world leader in belonging, sustainability, and community involvement. From day one, you'll be empowered and equipped to do the best work of your life.
At Sam's Club, 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, parental leave, family care leave, bereavement, jury duty, and voting. 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 .
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Other benefits include short-term and long-term disability, company discounts, Military Leave Pay, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, and more.
Live Better U is a company 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 Regional Pay Zone (RPZ) (based on location).
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Minimum Qualifications...
Outlined below are the required minimum qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no minimum qualifications.
Option 1: Bachelors degree in Statistics, Economics, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Technology or related field and 5 years' experience in an analytics related field. Option 2: Masters degree in Statistics, Economics, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Technology or related field and 3 years' experience in an analytics related field. Option 3: 7 years' experience in an analytics or related field
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.
