Director Operations Research - Last Mile Demand Forecasting and Capacity Management

Target•Minneapolis, MN

8d•$168,000 - $303,000•Hybrid

About The Position

As the Director of Operations Research, you will develop optimization models and algorithms that are crucial for Target's last mile delivery operations. Your work will involve leveraging state-of-the-art mathematical techniques to solve strategic initiatives within Target's Supply Chain. This includes identifying opportunities to reduce variable costs through improved routing optimization, network configuration, and scheduling. You will also contribute to the development, implementation, and maintenance of machine learning components related to forecasting, scheduling, and other initiatives that enhance service, community experience, and costs. Additionally, you will create metrics to quantify improvements to network costs resulting from the application of these optimization models. You will lead the Last Mile Data ML systems, which may be powered by LLMs, classical machine learning, or deep learning models, ensuring they are scalable, reliable, and production-grade applications that deliver clear business value.

Requirements

PhD or MS in Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics or relevant industry experience
7 plus years of experience leading, developing, and mentoring teams of applied data scientists and operations research scientists
5 plus years of experience in building optimization models and algorithms at scale
Highly proficient in Python, Scala or Java programming
Deep understanding of data structures, design principles, and algorithms
Ability to test and measure algorithms and models
Significant demonstrated expertise in optimization theory (deterministic/stochastic), dynamic programming, linear algebra, probability and statistics
Experience in statistical inference, machine learning and deploying machine learning models with large-scale business impact in a commercial setting
Experience working with large event-driven distributed systems and multi-threaded applications
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to clearly tell data-driven stories through appropriate visualizations, graphs, and narratives
Constant learner mentality that stays on the leading edge of supply chain optimization, network planning, operations research, AI, ML, etc.

Responsibilities

Oversee the creation and development of demand forecasting and capacity management by building key components to evaluate demand and manage last mile capacity for speed and cost.
Develop tools to be more efficient and precise, making them directly available to business team users for quick response to guest needs at scale with accuracy.
Design, develop, deploy, and maintain machine learning algorithms for the last mile business, working closely with applied data scientists, operations research scientists, Product, engineering, and last mile operations.
Collaborate with Product and business partners to define product roadmaps that fit within the ecosystem and solve last mile challenges at scale.
Build consensus and communicate with senior-level leadership.
Drive best practices with a focus on emerging technologies and author various project-related documents, vision statements, and roadmaps.
Develop a world-class team by providing development, coaching, motivation, and feedback to team members.
Create an atmosphere of teamwork and collaboration, communicating day-to-day decisions, priorities, and relevant project information.
Manage resource allocation and define/communicate overall vision and goals for the team.
Enhance the way demand forecasting and capacity is conducted at Target.
Impact the business by improving the ability to serve Guests and by directly reducing compute cost through more efficient algorithms.
Coordinate the analysis, troubleshooting, and resolution of issues in software.