(USA) Senior Manager, Data Science (AI Technical Lead) – Next-Gen Customer Engagement & Returns

Walmart•Bentonville, AR

12d•Onsite

About The Position

The Customer Engagement Services team is building an autonomous, intelligent ecosystem that doesn't just process returns; it predicts, personalizes, and prevents friction. We are moving beyond reactive dashboards to deploy Agentic AI and Causal Machine Learning systems capable of digesting multi-modal data, diagnosing root causes of customer pain points, and triggering real-time, personalized interventions. We are seeking a Senior Manager, Data Science to serve as the Technical Lead and visionary for this initiative. You are a high-impact player-coach who thrives at the bleeding edge of AI but demands rigorous software engineering standards. You won't just build models; you will architect the intelligent systems that redefine how we interact with our customers.

Requirements

Deep expertise in time-series forecasting, anomaly detection, and modern predictive modeling.
Proven ability to apply causal frameworks (e.g., Do-calculus, causal impact, propensity matching) to observational data to isolate exact friction points in the return journey.
Experience leveraging Natural Language Processing and LLMs to extract sentiment and actionable features from unstructured customer engagement data.
Expert-level fluency in Python and SQL.
Strong hands-on architecture experience with PySpark and handling massive, petabyte-scale datasets.
You don't merge code without tests. Extensive experience with Unit/Integration Testing (pytest) and advanced Git management (branching strategies, CI/CD pipeline integration, conflict resolution).
Option 1: Bachelors degree in Statistics, Economics, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Technology or related field and 5 years' experience in an analytics related field.
Option 2: Masters degree in Statistics, Economics, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Technology or related field and 3 years' experience in an analytics related field.
Option 3: 7 years' experience in an analytics or related field.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Docker/Kubernetes for containerized model serving, and familiarity with cloud infrastructure (GCP, or AWS) to optimize compute resources for heavy AI workloads.
A proven track record of upskilling technical teams, setting coding standards, and fostering a culture of continuous innovation.
Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in a quantitative field (Computer Science, Statistics, Operations Research, Economics, etc.).
Data science, machine learning, optimization models, PhD in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Information Technology, Operations Research, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Econometrics,
Successful completion of one or more assessments in Python, Spark, Scala, or R,
Supervisory experience,
Using open source frameworks (for example, scikit learn, tensorflow, torch),
We value candidates with a background in creating inclusive digital experiences, demonstrating knowledge in implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standards, assistive technologies, and integrating digital accessibility seamlessly.
The ideal candidate would have knowledge of accessibility best practices and join us as we continue to create accessible products and services following Walmart’s accessibility standards and guidelines for supporting an inclusive culture.

Responsibilities

Architect Autonomous AI Systems: Design the end-to-end algorithmic framework for our proactive returns intelligence agent. You will fuse Causal Inference, Deep Learning, and Large Language Models (LLMs) to analyze structured transaction data alongside unstructured customer feedback, chat logs, and product reviews.
Lead the Transition from Insight to Action: Spearhead the application of Causal AI to understand the "why" behind return behaviors. You will move the team beyond simple correlation to answer counterfactuals (e.g., "If we offer a 15% discount right now, will it save the sale and the customer relationship?").
Drive Engineering Excellence: Act as the ultimate gatekeeper for the AI codebase. You will mentor a team of brilliant Data Scientists, elevating their engineering maturity from local "notebook scripts" to scalable, modular, and deployable production packages. You will enforce strict version control (Git), conduct rigorous code reviews, and mandate comprehensive unit/integration testing.
Pioneer ML & GenAI Observability: The real world is chaotic. You will design state-of-the-art MLOps and monitoring frameworks to track real-time model performance, data drift, and LLM hallucination rates. You ensure our AI agents adapt dynamically as consumer trends and macroeconomic factors shift.
Strategic Technical Leadership: Translate highly ambiguous business objectives ("Reduce omni-channel friction") into concrete, executable AI roadmaps. You will bridge the gap between complex algorithmic concepts and executive business strategy.
Hands-On Innovation: Roll up your sleeves. You will write high-performance, fault-tolerant Python and PySpark code for the most complex, mission-critical components of our recommendation engines.

Benefits

competitive pay
performance-based bonus awards
medical, vision and dental coverage
401(k)
stock purchase
company-paid life insurance
PTO (including sick leave)
parental leave
family care leave
bereavement
jury duty
voting
short-term and long-term disability
company discounts
Military Leave Pay
adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement
PTO and/or PPTO that can be used for vacation, sick leave, holidays, or other purposes.
Live Better U is a Walmart-paid education benefit program for full-time and part-time associates in Walmart and Sam's Club facilities. Programs range from high school completion to bachelor's degrees, including English Language Learning and short-form certificates. Tuition, books, and fees are completely paid for by Walmart.