decision scientist - Market Planning and Business Systems

Starbucks Coffee Company•Seattle, WA

2d•$109,300 - $178,300•Onsite

About The Position

As an analytical partner in Development Strategy and Analytics, the Decision Scientist helps shape Starbucks’ Coffeehouse portfolio by providing data-driven analysis to guide how the company identifies, invests in, evolves, and optimizes current and future Coffeehouse locations. The role works with business and technical partners to clarify tradeoffs, identify opportunities, develop and validate predictive models, communicate findings, and recommend actions that support Coffeehouses and long-term value. The position accesses, prepares, and analyzes complex datasets from multiple sources, including Databricks, AWS, Azure, SQL, Python, and Alteryx. It identifies data anomalies, gaps, and quality issues, and collaborates with partners to resolve them. The Decision Scientist turns analysis into clear visualizations and actionable recommendations for technical and nontechnical audiences, and helps integrate analytical work into business processes and decision frameworks. The role is onsite four days a week. Starbucks offers partners and eligible family members a range of health, insurance, leave, retirement, stock, education, and other benefits.

Requirements

BA/BS degree or equivalent experience.
At least 1 year of experience performing data analysis and profiling using SQL and Python or R.
At least 1 year of experience with data visualization tools and techniques, such as Tableau, Power BI, Shiny, or D3.
Outstanding collaboration skills with colleagues at an operational level.
Ability to present complex technical material to nontechnical audiences in an approachable way.
Ability to independently use software and packages to create data visualizations and dashboards intended to influence strategic and operational decisions.
Ability to interpret data analysis or visualization results and communicate implications and recommendations, with light review from senior practitioners.
Adherence to standards and best practices, including version control, coding standards, documentation, storytelling with data, business data-sensitivity policies, analytics best practices, and engineering best practices.
Sound understanding of Starbucks’ business and general business acumen, including familiarity with drivers in the relevant functional or domain area.
Ability to connect work products to business applications, sometimes with guidance.
Ability to apply human-centered design principles, considering audiences and the business processes that will use the work.
Ability to meet deadlines with light supervision and proactively communicate potential delays.
Minimum understanding of decision sciences and how to evangelize this capability.

Nice To Haves

Concentration in Statistics, Math, Computer Science, Engineering, Economics, or Quantitative Social Science.
Experience working with geospatial data or geographic information systems (GIS) for predictive modeling.
Experience supporting multi-unit retail or quick-service restaurant operations.

Responsibilities

Access, prepare, and analyze complex data from multiple sources to evaluate Coffeehouse locations.
Identify data anomalies, gaps, and quality issues, and partner cross-functionally to resolve them.
Visualize data using Tableau and other industry tools.
Synthesize analytical findings into clear, actionable insights that explain tradeoffs and opportunities.
Present recommendations to nontechnical audiences in an approachable, concise way connected to business outcomes.
Identify emerging patterns and performance drivers across the Development lifecycle and bring forward recommendations for long-term planning and capital deployment.
Collaborate with Coffeehouse Development, Finance, Operations, Data Science, and Data Engineering teams to ensure analytical work is rigorous, relevant, and integrated into business processes and decision frameworks.
Work with data science teams to refine assumptions, validate model outputs, and ensure analytical tools accurately represent Coffeehouse dynamics and investment scenarios.
Create data visualizations and dashboards to inform strategic and operational decision-making.
Interpret analysis and visualization results and communicate implications and recommendations.
Contribute to requirements definition and translate requirements into analysis and communication.
Meet deadlines and communicate proactively about potential delays.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
Basic and supplemental life insurance and other voluntary insurance benefits.
Short-term and long-term disability.
Paid parental leave and family expansion reimbursement.
Paid vacation from date of hire and accrued sick time.
Eight paid holidays and two personal days per year.
401(k) retirement plan with employer match for eligible partners.
Discounted company stock program (S.I.P.) and Starbucks equity program (Bean Stock).
Incentivized emergency savings and financial well-being tools.
100% upfront tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s online program via the Starbucks College Achievement Plan.
Student loan management resources and access to other educational opportunities.
Backup care and DACA reimbursement.