Lead Applied Data Scientist - Search Ranking (applied ML, LLMs, NLP)

The Search and Browse Applied Data Sciences team builds the core relevance engine and Data Science products that power Target’s Digital experience. As a Lead Data Scientist on this product - you’ll work with business partners to provide solutions for business problems in a fast-paced and global environment. You’ll have the opportunity to design quality, flexible and performant Data Science systems and services at scale. You’ll also architect Data Science solutions that capture, process and mine huge datasets in the retail industry. We’ll also promote innovative thinking as well as the opportunity to use cutting-edge machine learning algorithms and NLP techniques to improve our Mobile and Web Search systems!

As a Lead Applied Data Scientist - Search and Browse you’ll:

• Develop and deploy scalable deep learning models to improve the search experience of guests
• Use LLM and agentic technologies to improve ecommerce search experience
• Architect and implement large-scale AI systems using test-driven development practices
• Build NLP technology for query and document analysis, processing, and understanding
• Create data pipelines for feature/label extraction and generation
• Conduct data analysis to identify opportunities and improve models
• Conduct research to advance the state-of-the-art ML, LLM, and NLP technologies
• Contributing to the operations/building of AI pipelines
• Adopting Target’s infrastructural platforms and operationalize tools and systems around them
• Mentor and partner with other engineers to develop software that meets business needs
• Collaborate effectively with product and business partners to define and scope solutions
• Follow agile methodology for software development and technical documentation
• Innovate constantly and keep systems up to date with current technologies

Core responsibilities of this job are described within this job description. Job duties may change at any time due to business needs., This position will operate as a Hybrid/Flex for Your Day work arrangement based on Target’s needs. A Hybrid/Flex for Your Day work arrangement means the team member’s core role will need to be performed both onsite at the Target HQ Sunnyvale, CA or MN location the role is assigned to and virtually, depending upon what your role, team and tasks require for that day. Work duties cannot be performed outside of the country of the primary work location, unless otherwise prescribed by Target. Target will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the San Francisco and City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinances.

Benefits Eligibility Please paste this url into your preferred browser to learn about benefits eligibility for this role: https://tgt.biz/BenefitsForYou_E

• PhD or MS in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Physics or equivalent work or industry experience
• Research or industry experiences in search indexing, information retrieval or ranking
• Demonstrated experience in NLP, LLMs, agentic systems or recommendation systems at scale
• 5+ years of experience in deploying machine learning algorithms into production environments with good ML Ops experience
• Proficient in Python or Java with excellent coding and problem-solving skills
• Exceptional hands-on modeling skills using Python
• Extensive experience implementing and integrating ML models in production in high traffic/scale
• Experience querying large databases with SQL, HQL, or some variation
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills for partnering with global teams
• Self-driven and results-oriented, with strong ownership, sound judgment and the ability to move quickly while maintaining high technical standard
• Collaborative team player with a commitment to continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and building reliable AI systems that create business value

Target offers comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance plans. Plus, get free 24/7 virtual care and mental health support.

Financial well-being

Your financial future is bright with TGT 401(k) offering 5% eligible contribution matching and more discount and reimbursement programs.

Paid time off

Target encourages work-life balance by offering seven paid holidays, paid sick time, paid family leave, and a flexible paid time off plan that doesn’t require time tracking (unless in a location where it is legally required).

Education assistance

Target’s industry-leading education assistance benefit, Dream to Be, offers tuition-free programs to support your growth.

Market-leading pay

Target is a proud pay leader in retail and highly competitive with other large companies, providing equitable and competitive pay for all.

Team Target discount

Team members get a 10% discount at all Target stores and Target.com, along with 20% off wellness products and 20% off adult owned-brand apparel and accessories. Plus, get an additional 5% savings with a Target Circle Card. More about pay & benefits

Eligibility requirements may vary based on position, average hours worked, length of service and program requirements. Benefits are subject to change.

Working at Target means helping all families discover the joy of everyday life. We bring that vision to life through our values and culture. Learn more about Target here.

A role with Target Data Sciences means the chance to help develop and manage state of the art predictive algorithms that use data at scale to automate and optimize decisions at scale. Whether you join our Statistics, Optimization or Machine Learning teams, you’ll be challenged to harness Target’s impressive data breadth to build the algorithms that power solutions our partners in Marketing, Supply Chain, Forecasting, Search and Personalization rely on.

Every Scientist on Target’s Data Sciences team can expect modeling and data science, software/product development of highly performant code for model performance, and to elevate Target’s culture and apply retail domain knowledge.