Staff, Data Scientist (Pricing/Reinforcement Learning)

Bentonville, AR: $110,000 - $220,000/yrSunnyvale, CA: $143,000 - $286,000/yrRegular/ PermanentSalariedLoading map...Bentonville, AR: $110,000 - $220,000/yrSunnyvale, CA: $143,000 - $286,000/yrRegular/ PermanentSalaried Position Summary What You’ll Do Design and deploy prescriptive ML models to address high-impact pricing and markdown needs, ensuring alignment with Walmart's Global Tech strategy and EDLP integrity. Perform elasticity analysis across large data sets and category segments to empower data-driven pricing decisions. Own the E2E Price Recommendation lifecycle, including scoping, feature engineering, causal modeling, experimentation (A/B testing), and ongoing performance optimization. Develop advanced pricing and optimization solutions using: Causal Inference & Elasticity: Identification of treatment effects beyond simple log-log approaches (Double ML, Instrumental Variables, Uplift modeling); Optimization & Reinforcement Learning: Multi-armed bandits, Deep RL (PPO, DQN) for sequential decision-making, and constrained optimization; Deep Learning: Modern architectures for demand sensing and price-response curves; Uncertainty Quantification: Bayesian approaches and conformal prediction to manage the risk of price changes. Build explainable pricing systems: Provide model interpretability and stakeholder-facing narratives on "why" a price recommendation was made (e.g., competitor move vs. inventory health). Apply graph-based modeling to capture cannibalization and halo effects across product hierarchies and spatial locations (GNNs, temporal graphs). Establish strong evaluation and monitoring: Backtesting against historical price changes, drift detection, and calibration of price-response curves. Drive best practices in AgentOps: Build Agentic workflows to enable chat-based price explainability and "what-if" scenario planning for Merchants. Collaborate and Mentor: Partner with Product, Business, and Engineering to set technical direction and mentor the next generation of MLEs. What You’ll Bring 8+ years in Data Science / Applied ML (or PhD + 5 years), with deep hands‑on exposure to pricing, elasticity, or causal modeling. Demonstrated experience delivering production‑grade optimization models with measurable financial outcomes (e.g., Margin lift, Inventory turnover). Strong knowledge of pricing dynamics: Seasonality, competitor indexing, promotional impact, regime changes, and price‑point psychology. Hands‑on experience with deep learning frameworks (PyTorch or TensorFlow) and modern architectures for decision‑focused AI. Practical experience with Explainable AI (XAI) and communicating complex model reasoning to non‑technical business stakeholders. Excellent coding skills in Python; strong grasp of software engineering fundamentals (testing, CI/CD, MLOps). Preferred Qualifications Experience with Causal Inference & Decision Science: Impact estimation, counterfactuals, and policy evaluation. Advanced Graph Learning: Using GNNs to model cross‑item elasticity and substitution patterns. Large‑scale Data/Compute: Experience with Spark, Feature Stores, and distributed training in a cloud environment (GCP/Azure). Building Human‑Centered AI: Dashboards for "driver decomposition" and "why the price changed" analysis. Agentic Frameworks: Experience deploying LLM‑based agents to act as intermediaries between complex models and business users. About Walmart Global Tech Imagine working in an environment where one line of code can make life easier for hundreds of millions of people. That's what we do at Walmart Global Tech. We're a team of software engineers, data scientists, cybersecurity experts and service professionals within the world's leading retailer who make an epic impact and are at the forefront of the next retail disruption. People are why we innovate, and people power our innovations. We are people‑led and tech‑empowered. We train our team in the skillsets of the future and bring in experts like you to help us grow. We have roles for those chasing their first opportunity as well as those looking for the opportunity that will define their career. Here, you can kickstart a great career in tech, gain new skills and experience for virtually every industry, or leverage your expertise to innovate at scale, impact millions and reimagine the future of retail. 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. Benefits you’ll enjoy Discount CardGet 10% offWalmart associates are eligible for a 10% discount card on most regular‑priced items and fresh produce in‑store and on select items at Walmart.com. Eligible after 90 days of employment. Live Better U100% coveredEarn a degree or in‑demand skills certificates with no debt- Walmart covers 100% of tuition and books. Live Better U offers 60+ programs for Associates to pursue their dreams. Walmart AcademyGrow your skillsReady to grow your career? Walmart Academy offers job‑specific retail training and leadership courses to help Associates reach their career goals. Equal Opportunity Employer Equal Opportunity Employer: Walmart, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer - by choice. We believe we are best equipped to help our associates, customers, and the communities we serve live better when we really know them. That means understanding, respecting, and valuing unique styles, experiences, identities, ideas and opinions while being welcoming of all people. Minimum Qualifications Option 1: Bachelors degree in Statistics, Economics, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Technology or related field and 4 years' experience in an analytics related field. Option 2: Masters degree in Statistics, Economics, Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Technology or related field and 2 years' experience in an analytics related field. Option 3: 6 years' experience in an analytics or related field. Preferred Qualifications 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. Primary Location 2501 Se J Street Ste B, Bentonville, AR 72712-7761, United States of America Walmart and its subsidiaries are committed to maintaining a drug‑free workplace and has a no tolerance policy regarding the use of illegal drugs and alcohol on the job. This policy applies to all employees and aims to create a safe and productive work environment. Walmart is committed to maintaining a drug‑free workplace and has a no tolerance policy regarding the use of illegal drugs and alcohol on the job. This policy applies to all employees and aims to create a safe and productive work environment. Health benefits Medical, dental, vision, and wellness programs for you and your family. Wellbeing programs Access mental health resources and assistance programs for life's challenges. Career growth opportunities Training, leadership programs, and clear paths to advance. Learn more Life at WalmartImagine a workplace surrounded by innovation. This isn't just a workplace-it's a destination for leaders eager to make a difference. #J-18808-Ljbffr Walmart