Principal Data Scientist - Business Optimization & Growth
About The Position
Zipline is on a mission to transform how goods move by making autonomous drone delivery the fastest, most reliable, and most delightful logistics system in the world. To deliver on that promise, we need to master the data-rich, highly dynamic environment of last-mile logistics. We're seeking a Principal Data Scientist to lead the development of models, algorithms, and decision frameworks that drive both customer growth and business optimization. This is not a role for someone who just builds dashboards or runs ad hoc analyses - you'll design and deploy optimization engines that directly shape customer experience, marketplace dynamics, and the economics of our business. With 10+ years of professional experience, you're comfortable owning ambiguous, high-stakes problems end-to-end, from problem framing through to production-ready solutions. Your work will ensure Zipline grows fast, scales efficiently, and delivers a magical experience that keeps customers coming back.
Requirements
- 10+ years of professional experience, with significant work as a data scientist, optimization researcher, or applied decision scientist, ideally in last-mile delivery, e-commerce, or marketplace platforms.
- Deep expertise in applied optimization, causal inference, statistical modeling, and machine learning.
- Strong engineering skills in Python and SQL, with experience deploying algorithms into production systems.
- Track record of building and scaling experimentation platforms (A/B testing, marketplace simulations, demand forecasting).
- Business acumen and the ability to translate complex models into simple, actionable decisions for cross-functional stakeholders.
- Reliability, self-sufficiency, conscientiousness, and comfort navigating ambiguous, high-impact problems in a fast-paced environment.
- Must be eligible to work in the US.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with pricing optimization, supply-demand balancing, or customer lifecycle modeling strongly preferred.
Responsibilities
- Marketplace Growth & Engagement: Use statistical and optimization techniques to determine which restaurants/customers to onboard, how to present them digitally, and what mix maximizes engagement and repeat ordering.
- Pricing & Capacity Optimization: Build models that set optimal prices, balance supply and demand, and define customer-facing constraints to maximize revenue while ensuring a great experience.
- Customer Experience Tradeoffs: Design frameworks that quantify the ROI of business decisions (e.g., packaging quality, delivery timeliness, customer support investment) and recommend commercial strategies.
- Marketing Analytics: Run large-scale A/B tests on customer communications, optimize marketing language and digital merchandising, and build models that accelerate customer acquisition and retention.
- Data Leadership: Partner with engineering, operations, and growth teams to embed data science into the core of decision-making across the business.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Principal
Industry
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Education Level
No Education Listed
Number of Employees
1,001-5,000 employees
