Director - Data Science and Analytics

Costco Wholesale Corporation•Issaquah, WA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

As a member of the IT Management Team, you are responsible for managing, developing, and leading a team of employees. Your role includes leading the specific functional responsibilities of your team, which involves overseeing team performance and deliverables. However, your role as a leader within our organization requires more than the management of resources and day-to-day operations. As a steward of the company, you are charged with the development and execution of your team’s strategic vision and plan and ensuring that your team’s actions align with the larger goals of the company and the IT Division. Costco Wholesale is experiencing substantial growth and is strategically planning to ensure sustained, profitable expansion across new domestic and global locations. Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are recognized as essential enablers for business growth and for driving cost optimization as the business scales. As the Director of Data Science, this role necessitates formulating the data science strategy in collaboration with key leadership across both the business and IT sectors. You will be responsible for identifying opportunities and delivering critical business priorities through innovative AI solutions, with a strong emphasis on achieving rapid time-to-market and adhering to established best practices for cost-effective scaling. This role champions the necessary experimentation with AI techniques, partnering with product teams to successfully deliver these solutions. As a leader, you are accountable to the successful delivery of solutions by the team, managing the designated budget, and providing mentorship, guidance, and development for a globally diversified team of applied Machine Learning (ML)/Ops engineers and data scientists. As the primary conduit between your employees and upper leadership, your role in communicating and modeling the values and guiding principles of our company culture is of vital importance. All members of IT Management should strive to consciously and consistently foster a culture of engagement, trust, and “open door” communication.

Requirements

15 years of experience in leading AI, Data Science to support critical business needs.
10 years experience building and deploying scalable AI solutions.
5 years of increasing leadership experience in managing and leading teams.
Experience in defining and implementing data and AI strategy.
Proficiency in Python, (or R), Machine Learning / Deep Learning, Data Visualization and data story telling.
Hands on experience and conduct code reviews with the team.
Proactively partner and identify opportunities, set priorities and establish goals.
Regular and reliable workplace attendance at your assigned location.

Nice To Haves

15 years experience with Bachelor's degree, 12 years experience with Masters or 10 years experience with PhD
Experience in retail, marketing, supply chain, e-commerce industries.
Proficient in Google Workspace applications, including Sheets, Docs, Slides, and Gmail.
Successful internal candidates will have spent one year or more on their current team.

Responsibilities

Managing, developing, and leading a team of employees.
Overseeing team performance and deliverables.
Development and execution of the team’s strategic vision and plan.
Ensuring team actions align with larger company and IT Division goals.
Formulating the data science strategy in collaboration with key leadership across business and IT sectors.
Identifying opportunities and delivering critical business priorities through innovative AI solutions.
Achieving rapid time-to-market and adhering to established best practices for cost-effective scaling.
Championing experimentation with AI techniques.
Partnering with product teams to successfully deliver AI solutions.
Accountable for the successful delivery of solutions by the team.
Managing the designated budget.
Providing mentorship, guidance, and development for a globally diversified team of applied Machine Learning (ML)/Ops engineers and data scientists.
Communicating and modeling the values and guiding principles of the company culture.
Fostering a culture of engagement, trust, and “open door” communication.
Using methods/strategies consistent with the Code of Ethics and the Standard of Ethics for Directors.
Leading by example.
Appropriately handling employee concerns and following through to resolution.
Providing and ensuring staff provides an exceptional member experience.
Ensuring proper department coverage (writing schedule and break aids if needed).
Understanding department budget and researching/explaining budget variances.
Coaching and mentoring employees to provide support and guidance.
Having regular open and honest conversations with employees to discuss work performance and career development.
Identifying learning opportunities to strengthen employee knowledge, skill and ability.
Regularly sharing information with employees via meetings and one-on-one conversations.
Successfully navigating difficult conversations with employees, members, and suppliers.
Listening, expressing empathy and adapting to get points across.
Addressing issues immediately to ensure a timely resolution and to avoid escalating the situation.
Consistently demonstrating business knowledge during interactions with senior management.
Demonstrating sound judgment, taking a partner when necessary.
Maintaining self-control in the face of hostility or provocation or in intense, hectic situations.
Encouraging different approaches and ideas to work and to accomplish goals.
Seeking employee input.
Taking the time to get to know or reach out to candidates who show potential that may not come forward on their own.
Taking measures to ensure employee and member information is kept confidential.
Adhering to IS security policy.
Assisting in other areas of the department as necessary.
Assisting in other areas of the company as necessary.