Director of Data Science - Search

ImpactAs a Director of Data Science, you will be leading the Search Data Science team. Customers rely on our search experience to find exactly what they need, and this role will be pivotal in building cutting-edge machine learning and AI-powered search capabilities that create seamless, intuitive, and personalized experiences.
This is a high-visibility leadership role, aligned with one of the company’s top strategic priorities. As a Director, you will define and drive the vision and strategy for search, and work cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, and Design to deliver world-class search solutions that directly impact business growth.
What You’ll Do:
Set the vision and strategy for the Search Data Science team, aligning with company goals and customer needs.
Lead and grow a high-performing team of data scientists and ML engineers, providing mentorship, technical guidance, and career development.
Partner closely with Product, Engineering, and Design to define search product requirements and translate them into robust data science and machine learning solutions.
Develop and deploy AI-driven search algorithms, including query understanding, ranking models, personalization, semantic search, and LLM-powered search experiences.
Establish best practices for experimentation and measurement of search relevance and customer satisfaction.
Drive innovation while ensuring scalability, reliability, and performance of search systems.
Communicate vision, strategy, and progress to executive leadership and stakeholders.

• Proven expertise in search: At least 5 years of experience working on search, information retrieval, or related domains.
   

• Hands-on LLM experience: Practical experience applying large language models (LLMs) to real-world problems such as semantic search, query rewriting etc.
   

• Leadership experience: Track record of managing and growing high-performing teams of data scientists or ML engineers.
   

• Technical depth: Strong background in machine learning, natural language processing, information retrieval, and modern AI/ML techniques. Ability to engage deeply with the team on technical decisions.
   

• Cross-functional collaboration: Excellent ability to partner with Product, Engineering, and Design to define and deliver customer-focused solutions.
   

• Superb communication skills: Comfortable presenting complex technical ideas to executives, peers, and cross-functional partners in a clear and compelling way.
   

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field preferred.

Work Arrangement

Shipt considers candidates located near a Shipt office or workspace in Birmingham, San Francisco, or Minneapolis to be hybrid, which means that they have the flexibility to work from home (with leader approval) or at a Shipt office in order to facilitate the ability to innovate, collaborate, and spark team connections. In-office expectations will vary by role and leader.  Certain roles may require in-office presence on a full-time basis. Please work with your recruiter to learn more about the classification of this role.

About Shipt

Shipt is a retail tech company that connects people to reliable, high-quality delivery with a personal touch. Shipt connects customers to the things they want from the stores they love, retail businesses to more satisfied customers, and workers to new earning opportunities.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion or religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, military or veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Please inform your recruiting contact upon initial connection if you need a reasonable accommodation. If you need assistance filling out a job application, please complete this form.
For technical interviews, Shipt uses an online coding platform. In the event you may need a reasonable accommodation to use the online coding platform, please connect with your recruiter.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Employees (and eligible family members) are covered by medical, dental, vision and more.  Employees may enroll in our company’s 401k plan. Employees will also be eligible to receive discretionary vacation for exempt team members, paid holidays throughout the calendar year and paid sick leave.  Other compensation includes eligibility for an annual bonus and the potential for restricted stock units based on role.

Pay range:

Metro Areas of Boston, District of Columbia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and New York City: 

$172,000-$344,000

All other locations:

$152,000-$305,000

Please note that the salary range above is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies, and work location.