Lead Data Scientist

Job Description

We are seeking a forward-thinking Lead Data Scientistto drive advanced analytics and AI innovation across our Retail business. This role blends technical depth with strategic leadership, guiding a small team while collaborating across Consumer Dealer Analytics (CDA) to accelerate analytics, insights, and AI adoption. The ideal candidate will be a hands-on modeler, a mentor, and a change agent who thrives in a fast-paced, data-first environment. The Lead Data Scientist will drive advanced analytics and AI innovation across the Retail business, managing a team of two and contributing to CDA-wide AI learning and development. This role blends technical depth with strategic leadership, guiding AI adoption and delivering actionable intelligence.  WHAT YOU'LL DO Key Responsibilities

Strategize with executive leaders and translate insights into business value

Lead end-to-end development of predictive, prescriptive, and perceptive models to support Retail strategy and operations.

Manage and mentor a team of data scientists, fostering growth and technical excellence.

Collaborate with product, engineering, business stakeholders, and external partners to translate complex data insights into actionable strategies.

Serve as a core member of the CDA AI Learning & Development team, helping shape and deliver AI training and enablement across the organization

Identify and implement automation opportunities using AI-assisted tools (e.g., Snowflake Cortex, GitHub Copilot, M365 Copilot)

Champion MLOps practices for scalable, secure, and efficient model deployment.

Stay current on AI / ML trends and tools, continuously evaluating their impact on business outcomes.

WHO YOU ARE Required Skills & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline and 6 years’ experience in a Data Scientist related position. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a master’s degree and 4 years’ experience; a Ph.D. and 1 year of experience; or 10 years’ experience in a related field

Must live within commutable distance to Atlanta GA, Irvine CA, Burlington VT or Draper UT office and work hybrid model 2+ days in office weekly.

Must have 6+ years of experience in data science, with a strong foundation in statistical modeling, machine learning, and AI. (excluding internship and academics)

Must have proven leadership experience managing data science teams and cross-functional initiatives.

Visionary leader who can shape the future of our Decision Science practice.

Strong command of Python and libraries such as pandas, NumPy, scikit-learn, TensorFlow, and PyTorch.

Use of GitHub Copilot and other GenAI tools for AI-assisted coding and productivity.

Strong communication skills with the ability to translate technical insights into business value.

Expertise in SQL, Python, Dataiku, and modern AI tools for code generation, feature engineering, and model optimization.

Experience with Jupyter Notebooks for exploratory analysis and reproducible workflows.

Experience with Vertex AI Notebooks for scalable model development and integration with Google Cloud services.

Expertise with cloud platforms (Snowflake, Azure, AWS) and data governance principles.

Knowledge of ETL pipelines using APIs, FTP transfers, and curated views.

Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship. No OPT, CPT, STEM / OPT or visa sponsorship now or in future.

Expertise in at least two of the following :

Statistics : GLMs, time series, clustering, PCA.

Operations Research : Optimization, simulation, heuristics.

Machine Learning : Supervised / unsupervised models, tuning, deployment.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in retail analytics or consumer behavior modeling.

Exposure to agentic workflows and AI-enhanced productivity tools.

Participation in AI communities of practice or organizational AI strategy initiatives.

Exposure to LangChain and LangGraph for building AI agents and chatbots.

Experience with Power BI, Tableau Pulse, and Lucidchart for visualization, reporting, and process mapping.

Drug Testing

To be employed in this role, you’ll need to clear a pre-employment drug test. Cox Automotive does not currently administer a pre-employment drug test for marijuana for this position. However, we are a drug-free workplace, so the possession, use or being under the influence of drugs illegal under federal or state law during work hours, on company property and / or in company vehicles is prohibited.

Benefits

The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company’s needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.

About Us

Through groundbreaking technology and a commitment to stellar experiences for drivers and dealers alike, Cox Automotive employees are transforming the way the world buys, owns, sells – or simply uses – cars. Cox Automotive employees get to work on iconic consumer brands like Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book and industry-leading dealer-facing companies like vAuto and Manheim, all while enjoying the people-centered atmosphere that is central to our life at Cox. Benefits of working at Cox may include health care insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement planning (401(k)), and paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation / wellness days, and / or PTO). For more details on what benefits you may be offered, visit our benefits page. Cox is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer – All qualified applicants / employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual’s age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law. Cox provides reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with disability, unless such accommodations would cause an undue hardship.