Lead Data Scientist

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 engines 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 ACCOUNTABILITIES 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 within a product team through strong partnership, actionable insights, strategic and tactical technical roadmap recommendations. Develop, validate, and maintain robust causal measurement strategies to quantify the effectiveness of various marketing channels, including Marketing Mix Models (MMM), Difference in Differences, Regression Discontinuity, and causal ML. Conduct in-depth statistical and econometric analysis to measure marketing effectiveness, forecast the impact of future marketing activities, and recommend optimal budget allocation strategies. Translate complex model insights and findings into clear, actionable recommendations for campaign planning, budget allocation, and marketing strategy to diverse stakeholders, including marketing, finance, and senior leadership. Design, recommend, and execute statistically-proven A/B Testing (“Test & Measurement”) for Marketing campaigns. 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. Responsible for monitoring and improving model performance metrics in terms of accuracy, optimal / near-optimal recommendations, with feedback incorporated from business partners Be a part of the team, collaborate, ask questions, engage, and solicit feedback from other Data Scientists In addition to project-based work, you will be expected to participate in activities such as strategic planning and technical standards definition, modeling documentation MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS 6+ years of professional experience working as a hands-on coding Data Scientist with 4+ years of professional experience working as a hands-on coding Data Scientist building Marketing Mix Models (MMM) and Marketing Attribution Models Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics, Statistics, Data Science, Operations Research, Econometrics, or related quantitative discipline required Expert-level programming in Python and SQL Expertise in causal modeling principles (DAG design, assumptions of key designs, falsification), regression modeling (panel, time series, ridge), Bayesian modeling (e.g., PyMC), marketing mix model frameworks (PyMC, Meridian, Robyn), Ensemble (Gradient Boosting, XGBoost) Comfortable working with large datasets & writing complex SQL queries Proven track record of partnership with marketing and business leaders, influencing key marketing decisions. Highly adaptable, curious, and willing to work independently on complex and challenging problems Bias for action with the ability to deliver outstanding results through task prioritization and time management Experience with cloud-based AI platforms PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Graduate degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Operations Research, Applied Economics, or related quantitative discipline. Professional Data Science experience at a Marketing Analytics agency or Consulting company. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS The preferred location for this role is Minneapolis, MN; however remote work-at-home applications within the United States will be considered. Relocation or international remote working arrangements (outside of the US) will not be considered. Salary Range The salary range for this position is $126700.00 - $211200.00 / Annually. At General Mills we strive for each employee's pay at any point in their career to reflect their experiences performance and skills for their current role. The salary range for this role represents the numerous factors considered in the hiring decisions including, but not limited to, educations, skills, work experience, certifications, etc. As such, pay for the successful candidate(s) could fall anywhere within the stated range. Beyond base salary, General Mills offers a competitive Total Rewards package focusing on your overall well-being. We are proud to offer a foundation of health benefits, retirement and financial wellbeing, time off programs, wellbeing support and perks. Benefits may vary by role, country, region, union status, and other employment status factors. You may also be eligible to participate in an annual incentive program. An incentive award, if any, depends on various factors, including, individual and organizational performance. Reasonable Accommodation Request If you need to request an accommodation during the application or hiring process, please fill out our online accommodations request form by following this link: Accommodations Request.