Sr Data Scientist - Mar Tech (Applied ML, Recommender Systems, Reinforcement Learning) - Target Stores : Job Details

The pay range is $95,000.00 - $171,000.00.

Pay is based on several factors which vary based on position. These include labor markets and in some instances may include education, work experience, and certifications. In addition to your pay, Target cares about and invests in you as a team member, so that you can take care of yourself and your family. Target offers eligible team members and their dependents comprehensive health benefits and programs, which may include medical, vision, dental, life insurance, and more, to help you and your family take care of your whole selves. Other benefits for eligible team members include 401(k), employee discount, short-term disability, long-term disability, paid sick leave, paid national holidays, and paid vacation. Find more benefits at

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. Whether you join our Data Sciences 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, Demand 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 to elevate Target's culture, and apply retail domain knowledge.

The MarTech Data Science teams are building the foundational, guest-centric Science products that power Target's Guest Messaging Platform. As a Sr Data Scientist on this team, you will have the opportunity to develop AI models and integrate them into our messaging platform to orchestrate customized, timely, and relevant messages for our guests. We promote innovative thinking within the ambiguous environment of this emerging capability and utilizing cutting-edge machine learning algorithms and GenAI techniques to improve our Guest Messaging Platform at Target!

As a Sr Data Scientist, you will influence by interacting within the Data Sciences team and with Product teams, perform within the scale and scope of your role by implementing solutions, and contribute to Data Sciences' and Target's culture by modeling the culture. Through your understanding of the foundations and working principles of machine learning algorithms, linear algebra, probability theory, statistics, and optimization theory, you will perform data exploration and analysis (look at distributions, find anomalies, create simple visualizations, etc.) and implement algorithmic solutions given specifications, while adhering to best practices in model development. We will look to you to understand and actively follow foundational programming principles (best practices, know about unit tests, code organization, basics of CI/CD, etc.) and create a well-maintainable & tested codebase with relevant documentation. You will get the opportunity to develop in one or more approved programming languages (Python, Scala, R), and learn and adhere to best practices in data analysis and data understanding.

As you follow agile processes, you will implement prototypes for individual components of software or data science solutions and understand and leverage basic data structures and algorithms in implementing solutions. You will evaluate multiple specified techniques for a defined problem and determine the most appropriate option from a performance perspective.

Leverage your high-level understanding of the business domain to gain knowledge of Target's strategic priorities and their impact, as well as details of the specific business sub-problem you are focused on. You will collaborate with peers on their product and provide technical support, document and present work to peers, participate in code reviews, and gain broader understanding of different components within the application. The exciting part of retail? It's always changing!

Core responsibilities of this job are described within this job description. Job duties may change at any time due to business needs.

• 4-year degree in Quantitative disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) or equivalent experience
• PhD/MS in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Physics, Data Sciences or relevant industry experience
• 3+ years of demonstrated experience developing ML models and algorithms into production with a focus on Optimization, Recommender Systems, and/or Reinforcement Learning at scale
• Proficiency in at least one programming language with a willingness to learn others (Python, R, Scala, Kotlin, Java)
• Extensive experience working in Big Data systems (Hadoop, Hive, PySpark)
• Working knowledge of cloud AI/ML platforms
• Passion for solving real-world problems using data science approaches
• Strong analytical skills and creative problem-solving abilities
• Excellent communication skills, ability to tell data-driven stories with visualizations and narratives
• Ability to produce clear documentation and actionable insights
• Self-driven, results-oriented, and able to meet tight deadlines
• Effective collaboration across geographies and time zones

This position will operate as a Hybrid/Flex for Your Day work arrangement based on Target's needs, requiring work both onsite at the MN headquarters and remotely, depending on role and tasks. Work outside the country of primary work location is not permitted unless specified. Learn more about Minnesota here.

Benefits Eligibility: Please visit for details.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Target will make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. Contact [email protected] for assistance. Application deadline: 05/29/2025.