Director, Data Science

Key Skills

Apache Hadoop, C Programming, C++, Data science techniques, Java Programming, Machine learning techniques, MapReduce, Python Programming, PyTorch, R Programming, Scala Programming, SQL, TensorFlow

Job Description

Locations: Plano, TX or Purchase, NY

This is a role for a director of Data Science responsible to deliver data science and analytics capabilities for consumer metrics in the areas of Demand Accelerator underneath the global commercial data science.

This role will be accountable for cDNA within PepsiCo. This includes data feature engineering to prepare data at scale for predictive and optimization models, ensuring that ML models and other data science artifacts conform to predefined standards, productionization and deployable models in PepsiCo’s analytical platforms. This role will also ensure sharing and application of best practices for design using standard tools while supporting advancing the state of the art in data science.

This role will have responsibility of managing existing models (propensity scores, model audience selection, managing existing markets) ensuring on-time and on-budget delivery of solutions and products, satisfying product requirements while adhering to Data+Analytics and other PepsiCo architecture and technology standards, as applicable.

This role will collaborate closely with D+A Data Management Organization, Digital Products and Services Business Engagement and Product leads and global and sector stakeholders as needed regarding execution of product development workstreams and strategic alignment across programs to ensure maximum reusability of analytical assets created by the Data Science and application of best practices in delivering data science products.

• Lead a team of Data Scientists in the application of modern data science and machine learning principles to address a wide range of business problems across various functional groups within PepsiCo
• Define project roadmaps and manage project flow to ensure timely delivery of impactful products
• Provide critical thought leadership to enhance organizational capabilities by utilizing big and small data; work with business leaders and strategic partners to identify and execute on opportunities for enhancement
• Act as the technical representative for PepsiCo’s Data Science organization
• Lead delivery of key consumer data priorities within time and budget, particularly around feature engineering, deploying and sustaining ML / AI models
• Ensure on time and on budget delivery which satisfies product requirements, while adhering to D+A standards.
• Manage work intake, prioritization and release timing, balancing demand, and available resources. Ensure tactical product releases are aligned with the strategic vision and business needs
• Accountable for work intake supporting implementation, deployment and initial support of data science components in strategic project investments, and resulting business value
• Accountable for application of common ML scaling and refactoring approaches to ensure that products that are built by Data Scientists can scale to meet the requirements of sectors, service level agreements of execution and expected user experience
• Partners with Strategy and Transformation Data+Analytics and Digital Product & Services leads, global functional business leads and users, and Sector Leads to ensure that data science products meet business strategies, support S&T direction, and drive business value
• Lead a team of employee and contract resources to meet product delivery needs, ensuring that strategic direction and knowledge are kept in PepsiCo for future work
• Set priorities for the team to ensure task completion
• Hold team accountable for milestone deliverables
• Continue the build-up of the team including roles for workstream leaderships and machine learning/optimization engineers
• Manage partnership with talent sourcing vendors
• Partner with technology vendors as needed
• Drive the use and application of D+A standards including frameworks, analytical toolkits, data science workbenches and MLOps tool chains and to also focus on 'the art of the possible' demonstrations to the business
• Actively participate in collaboration across S&T’s digital hubs across Dallas, Barcelona and other S&T locations (e.g. Hyderabad-India, Mexico)

Qualifications/Requirements

• Master’s Degree in Data Science or equivalent, Ph.D. Preferred
• 10 years of relevant work experience, 6 years with a Ph.D.
• At least 4 years of software development and machine learning experience in a business environment
• Experience leading technical teams
• Expert in mathematical models underlying data science methods
• Demonstrated ability to effectively and concisely communicate with both business and technical audiences
• 3-5+ years of experience leading/building advanced analytics and big data solutions
• 2-3+ years managing large virtual teams - experience managing large global teams preferred
• Knowledge of the data science art (feature engineering, modeling, AI capabilities, optimizers) and related technologies (cloud computing, open source analytical capabilities)
• Demonstrated ability to drive innovative solutions using data science, feature engineering and machine learning
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate with all levels of the organization
• Demonstrated flexibility to manage resources to plan, including effectively handling spikes in demand
• Solves highly complex problems across teams
• Strong people management skills with the ability to develop teams and cultivate talent, including teams composed of various experience levels
• Experience with consumer datasets and marketing data preferred