Staff, Data Scientist

Walmart•Sunnyvale, CA

About The Position

About the Team: Spark Driver Platform operates across all 50 U.S. states, empowering millions of drivers to provide local delivery and making it Walmart's largest local delivery service provider. The Spark Driver Applied AI team is dedicated to enhancing efficiency and profitability by pushing the boundaries of machine learning, data science, and economics. We build highly reliable and scalable production systems that drive the growth of the Spark Driver Platform. Our key focus areas include Capacity Planning, Driver Search, Driver Matching, Driver Offer Pricing, Driver Surge Pricing, Incentive Strategy, ETA Prediction, and GenAI Automation for Driver Support. About the Role: As a Staff Applied Scientist, you will be at the forefront of AI innovation, driving GenAI-powered solutions to enhance driver experience, optimize operational efficiency, and ensure delivery reliability. You will work closely with business, product, and engineering teams to develop deep learning, reinforcement learning, recommendation systems, and large language models (LLMs) tailored for driver personalization and automation. Your contributions will have a direct and measurable impact by reducing fraud, minimizing defects, improving efficiency, and strengthening driver engagement. About the Team: Spark Driver Platform operates across all 50 U.S. states, empowering millions of drivers to provide local delivery and making it Walmarts largest local delivery service provider. The Spark Driver Applied AI team is dedicated to enhancing efficiency and profitability by pushing the boundaries of machine learning, data science, and economics. We build highly reliable and scalable production systems that drive the growth of the Spark Driver Platform. Our key focus areas include Capacity Optimization, Driver Search, Driver Matching, Driver Offer Pricing, Driver Surge Pricing, Incentive Strategy, Routing Optimization, ETA Prediction, and Trust Safety. About the Role: As a Staff Applied Scientist, you will be at the forefront of AI innovation, developing machine learning and reinforcement learning models for pricing and incentive. You will be leading a team of Applied Scientist to design, train, evaluate, deploy, and monitor production models. You will collaborate closely with business, product, and engineering teams to ensure AI objectives align with Walmart’s business goals. Your work will directly improve driver experience, operational efficiency, and delivery reliability, driving measurable business impact. About Team: Our team works closely with our US stores and eCommerce business to better serve customers by empowering team members, stores, and merchants with technological innovation. From groceries and entertainment to sporting goods and crafts, Walmart U.S. offers an extensive selection that our customers value, whether they shop online at Walmart.com, through one of our mobile apps, or in-store. Focus areas include customers, stores and employees, in-store service, merchant tools, merchant data science, and search and personalization.

Requirements

Ph.D. or equivalent advanced degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Operations Research, Economics, or a related field.
Extensive experience in machine learning, reinforcement learning, GenAI, and Agentic AI.
5+ Years of experience of deploying ML models in production, preferably in high-scale environments.
Strong programming skills in Python, Java, C, or C++.
Experience with large-scale data systems (Spark/Hive) and cloud computing (GCP/Azure).
Demonstrated ability to drive projects from conception to production in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Excellent communication and leadership skills, with the ability to influence and inspire cross-functional teams.

Nice To Haves

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
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

Lead a team of applied scientists in developing innovative AI-driven solutions.
Research and implement state-of-the-art machine learning techniques, including reinforcement learning and deep learning.
Collaborate cross-functionally with business, product, and engineering stakeholders to ensure AI solutions align with Walmart’s strategic objectives.
Design and optimize machine learning pipelines to ensure scalability, efficiency, and real-time processing capabilities.
Build and deploy end-to-end models, balancing accuracy, computational efficiency, and measurable business impact.
Explore and integrate the latest advancements in AI, ensuring Walmart remains at the forefront of AI-driven delivery solutions.

Benefits

Beyond our great compensation package, you can receive incentive awards for your performance.
Other great perks include 401(k) match, stock purchase plan, paid maternity and parental leave, PTO, multiple health plans, and much more.
Health benefits include medical, vision and dental coverage.
Financial benefits include 401(k), stock purchase and company-paid life insurance.
Paid time off benefits include PTO (including sick leave), parental leave, family care leave, bereavement, jury duty, and voting.
Other benefits include short-term and long-term disability, company discounts, Military Leave Pay, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, and more.
You will also receive 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.