Lead D&T Data Scientist - Optimization (Minneapolis Preferred, Remote Eligible)

Position Overview

Do you see patterns or opportunities that others don’t see? Do you enjoy asking questions and analyzing data to deepen your knowledge? Do you like to challenge historical assumptions and recommend new ways to drive action based on data-driven insights? Do you like to find the best way to tackle a problem and share the approach with others? To make the food people love, we need to make sure we feed our decision makers the right data and solutions at the right time, every time. As a Lead Data Scientist at General Mills, you will apply your strong expertise in Statistics, Mathematics, Data Science, AI, Machine Learning, data mining, and information retrieval to design, prototype, and build next-generation advanced analytics engine and services. You will collaborate with product owners, business partners, and other Data Scientists in the consumer marketing and media space to define a technical problem statement and hypothesis to test. In addition, you will develop efficient and accurate analytical models that mimic business decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Work closely with data science leadership, machine learning engineering, and business partners/product owners to develop optimization and machine learning models using best-in-class tools and technology.
• Provide data science leadership through strong partnership, actionable insights, strategic and tactical technical roadmap recommendations.
• Construct production-ready, reusable, large-scale or scalable complex optimization, simulation & machine learning models that provide real-time insights aligning with General Mills technology standards.
• Design and development of a modelling framework and architecture for deterministic/combinatorial optimization and advanced machine learning to solve complex problems in areas like supply–demand planning, logistics, trade optimization, pricing, etc.
• Be a storyteller to explain the ‘why and how’ of data-driven recommendations to cross-functional teams.
• Counsel and advise business partners on technical solutions.
• Serve as a senior leader as part of the data science leadership team – contribute to technical strategy, best practices, and team development.
• Coach junior data scientists on key technical and domain topics through solution reviews and mentoring.
• Monitor and improve model performance metrics in terms of accuracy and optimal/near-optimal recommendations, incorporating feedback from business partners.
• Collaborate, ask questions, engage, and solicit feedback from other Data Scientists as part of the team.
• Participate in strategic planning, technical standards definition, and modeling documentation in addition to project-based work.

Required Qualifications

• 6+ years of relevant data science experience with at least 4 years in optimization.
• Bachelor’s Degree in a quantitative field such as operations research, statistics, industrial engineering, etc.
• High proficiency with Python for developing optimization models using various commercial solver suites.
• Hands-on experience building IP/MIP models with strong knowledge of supporting algorithms.
• Comfortable working with large, dynamic Data Frames and writing complex SQL queries.
• Highly adaptable, curious, and capable of working independently on complex and challenging problems.
• Proven track record of partnering with business leaders and influencing key decisions.
• Bias for action and exceptional task prioritization and time management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in a quantitative field (Operations Research, Statistics, Industrial Engineering) or Computer Science with commensurate work experience in supply chain, trade, pricing technologies, or data science.
• Relevant experience in Data Science, preferably with optimization/operations research.
• Experience with Google Cloud Platform or other cloud platforms.
• Experience in building optimization and simulation models using a commercial solver engine like Gurobi on a cloud stack is a plus.

Benefits & Perks

• Compensation: $126700.00 - $211200.00 / Annually
• Total Rewards Package: Competitive package featuring a foundation of health benefits, retirement and financial wellbeing, time off programs, wellbeing support, and perks.
• Incentive Award: Eligibility for an annual incentive program based on individual and organizational performance.