Director, Data Science

The Gap • Folsom, CA

1d

About The Position

The Director, Data Science leads a cross-functional Data Science team building and deploying AI and machine learning solutions that deliver measurable business impact across Gap Inc. brands. The role combines domain expertise and people-first leadership to establish high standards for analytical rigor, model quality, and stakeholder partnership, with a particular focus on applying optimization across assortment, inventory, allocation, pricing, and supply chain problems. The Director partners with senior business and technology leaders and is accountable for delivering solutions with urgency, precision, and commercial impact.

The role sets the team’s strategic direction in alignment with organizational priorities and business needs, develops a culture of rigorous measurement and continuous learning, and identifies business opportunities and risks using data and industry trends. It leads the development and deployment of production-ready optimization models, guides the selection and evaluation of appropriate optimization methods, and works with business partners to turn objectives and operational trade-offs into actionable models and workflows.

The Director coaches and develops team members, builds cross-functional relationships, and ensures the team communicates findings effectively to technical and non-technical audiences. The role also maintains analytical and technical standards, including rigorous experimentation and causal measurement, while prioritizing concurrent workstreams within business timelines and budget constraints.

Requirements

• At least 7 years of experience in Data Science, Analytics, or a closely related quantitative field.
• At least 2 years in a people leadership role managing a team of Data Scientists or Analysts.
• Demonstrated expertise applying optimization methods in retail or consumer goods, including operations research techniques, constraint-based modeling, and decision-support systems.
• Strong proficiency in Python and SQL.
• Hands-on experience with optimization libraries such as PuLP, OR-Tools, Gurobi, CPLEX, or SciPy, and with machine learning frameworks.
• Track record of delivering production-grade Data Science or optimization solutions in retail, e-commerce, or supply chain, from problem framing through deployment and adoption.
• Ability to communicate complex quantitative findings to non-technical business audiences, prepare executive-ready presentations, and influence senior stakeholders.
• Experience managing multiple workstreams with clear prioritization, milestone tracking, and stakeholder communication.
• Fluency in causal inference and experimentation, including A/B testing, difference-in-differences, and synthetic control, and ability to design measurement frameworks that isolate the impact of model recommendations.
• Familiarity with retail business processes, particularly Merchandising, Inventory Planning, Allocation, Pricing, or Sourcing, and understanding of how Data Science and optimization create commercial value in these domains.
• Ability to coach, develop, and retain Data Science talent, give direct feedback, and navigate performance conversations with care and clarity.
• Embodies Gap Inc. Values-Based Leadership Behaviors: Centers on the Customer, Creates with Curiosity, Collaborates with Candor, and Champions Excellence.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Data Science team and align projects and deliverables with business goals, organizational strategies, Data Science initiatives, and Gap Inc. strategic priorities.
• Establish a culture of rigorous measurement and deliver impactful, scalable, and maintainable data-driven solutions.
• Encourage research into retail industry, macroeconomic, and consumer trends, and identify business opportunities and risks with recommended actions.
• Lead the design, development, and deployment of optimization models for assortment planning, inventory allocation, replenishment, pricing, and supply chain.
• Guide the selection and application of optimization methods based on problem structure, data availability, and business constraints.
• Establish best practices for optimization model evaluation, scenario analysis, and sensitivity testing.
• Partner with Merchandising, Inventory Planning, Sourcing, and Pricing teams to define optimization problems from business objectives and operational trade-offs.
• Promote adoption of optimization outputs by designing interfaces that let business users understand, interrogate, and override model recommendations.
• Coach direct reports in technical and communication skills and help them influence stakeholders.
• Communicate complex Data Science insights clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Anticipate obstacles and stakeholder resistance, adjusting team approaches to meet deadlines and quality standards.
• Hold the team accountable for deliverables while supporting psychological safety and continuous learning.
• Build cross-functional relationships and promote a one-team approach across GTS and Gap Inc. brands.
• Guide the team in developing data-driven solutions and remove obstacles to meeting milestones.
• Ensure rigorous testing and measurement, including A/B tests, holdout groups, and causal measurement approaches.
• Guide large-scale data projects using appropriate technical tools and languages and ensure outputs meet business and engineering standards.
• Prioritize concurrent projects according to business priorities, timelines, and budget constraints.
• Encourage sharing and adaptation of research, modeling techniques, and analytical methods.
• Build the team’s credibility as trusted experts in Data Science and optimization.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed