Data Scientist, Production Planning

Ford • Dearborn, MI

4d • $68,300 - $192,900 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Order Fulfillment Technology team is seeking a Data Scientist to design and deliver production-grade solutions that power our global supply-demand matching systems. This is a cross-disciplinary role where you will sit at the intersection of Data Science and Software Engineering. You will go beyond theoretical modeling to build scalable, end-to-end data products that directly influence Ford’s strategic direction. The primary focus of this role is high-accuracy demand forecasting and predictive modeling. You will be expected to translate business problems into analytical formulations. A key part of your success will be your ability to collaborate closely with software engineers and product owners, translating complex ML concepts into actionable solutions.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Data Science, or a related technical field.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience with Python, SQL, and Machine Learning/Optimization techniques.
• Proven ability to collaborate with software engineering teams to move models into production.
• Proven ability to translate real-world business problems into analytical formulations and interpret results for non-analytics partners.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in a quantitative or technical field.
• Expertise in Predictive Analytical Methods (e.g., Neural Networks, Ensemble Methods, Support Vector Machines) with experience in demand forecasting or market trend analysis.
• 2+ years of experience applying advanced statistical methods (e.g., Multivariate Analysis, Regressions, Cluster Analysis) within production-grade software.
• Experience with testing strategies for ML, including bias detection and robustness checks.
• Experience with optimization methods (e.g., linear programming, mixed-integer programming, heuristics) applied to supply chain or resource allocation problems.
• Experience deploying and maintaining production software.
• Experience deploying solutions in a cloud environment (GCP preferred).
• Familiarity with Automotive OEM data, dealer relationships, order fulfillment, or large-scale supply chain logistics.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and validate algorithms (e.g., Time-Series, Causal Inference, Optimization) tailored to demand forecasting and supply-chain efficiency.
• Partner actively within a cross-disciplinary team to deliver analytics software. Contribute to technical specifications, participate in code reviews, and socialize results with non-technical business partners to foster data-driven decision-making.
• Co-own the end-to-end development process, from data sourcing and exploration to deployment.
• Build and maintain robust pipelines for scalable deployment and retraining. You will be responsible for the health of your models in production, including setting up proactive alerting and monitoring for data drift, bias, and accuracy.
• Create visualizations to connect disparate data, find patterns, and tell engaging stories regarding market trends and supply constraints.
• Research and stay updated on the latest developments in data science, machine learning, and analytics tools. Continuously identify and implement avenues for enhancing the efficiency, accuracy, and robustness of the team’s analytical output.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Established and active employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level