Principal Data Scientist

D.R. Horton•Arlington, TX

About The Position

D.R. Horton is seeking a Principal Data Scientist to serve as a senior technical authority for advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI. The role helps define how these capabilities are applied to complex business problems, leads high-impact modeling work, establishes scientific and engineering standards, mentors practitioners, and advances promising methods from exploration to scalable production solutions. The position combines deep technical expertise with business judgment and helps shape both individual solutions and the broader data science capability. Success means that high-value decisions are supported by rigorous, monitored production models and that other practitioners follow established standards. The Principal Data Scientist works directly with business operators and Forward Deployed Engineers to understand real-world constraints and integrate models into workflows. The role also represents the function in cross-functional activities and identifies and pilots opportunities for data, AI, and digital capabilities to create practical business value. Overnight travel is required.

Requirements

Advanced degree in a quantitative field or equivalent demonstrated experience.
10+ years of experience in data science, machine learning, operations research, statistics, or advanced analytics.
Expert Python and SQL skills, with deep experience in statistical modeling, machine learning, forecasting, optimization, and experimentation.
Working knowledge of LLMs, evaluation design, and document AI.
Experience deploying and monitoring models in production and working with engineering teams on scalable implementations.
Demonstrated technical leadership and ability to explain complex methods to business leaders.
Ability to work independently, take ownership, communicate clearly, and deliver results in an evolving environment.
Ability to build trusted relationships across the organization while balancing enterprise standards with business needs and operating realities.
Ability to apply common-sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written and oral form or via DRH applications.
Ability to sit for the majority of an 8-hour workday; use hands and fingers to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk and hear. Close and peripheral vision are required.

Nice To Haves

Experience with optimization, simulation, geospatial analytics, pricing, demand forecasting, sequential decision-making, computer vision, or LLM-based solutions.
Experience in homebuilding, real estate, construction, mortgage, title, land development, sales, purchasing, finance, customer care, or another distributed operating business.
Experience working in a large enterprise with complex enterprise environments.
Experience founding, incubating, or building new products, capabilities, or businesses from the ground up.

Responsibilities

Lead the design and development of complex forecasting, optimization, machine learning, causal, and experimentation solutions.
Translate high-value business decisions into rigorous analytical formulations, assumptions, constraints, evaluation methods, and measurable outcomes.
Set modeling standards for validation, reproducibility, explainability, monitoring, bias and risk assessment, and technical documentation.
Work directly with business operators and Forward Deployed Engineers to understand real-world constraints and integrate models into workflows.
Mentor data scientists and review modeling approaches, code, experiments, and production readiness.
Build trusted relationships across the organization while balancing enterprise standards with business needs and operating realities.
Represent the function in cross-functional discovery, architecture, governance, operational-readiness, and continuous-improvement activities as appropriate.
Stay current on relevant data, AI, digital, software, and industry practices and apply new capabilities when they create practical business value.
Identify, shape, and pilot opportunities where data, AI, and digital capabilities can create business value, with an owner's mindset and a bias toward building, testing, and learning quickly.
Conduct all business in a professional and ethical manner.
Travel overnight as required.