Overview

We are seeking a candidate who thrives on solving complex problems, is passionate about creating impactful change, and brings a strong foundation in operations research and data science. This is a professional track role offering the opportunity to lead innovative projects and contribute to the success of our business through advanced analytics and optimization.

As a Lead Data Scientist, you will drive impactful project work as part of Chick-fil-A’s supply chain data & analytics team. You will lead projects that involve designing, developing, and implementing solutions for complex supply chain, logistics, or business challenges. You will leverage pre-defined analytics infrastructure and patterns but will also innovate to solve unique, complex problems. Your ability to understand and quickly learn new subject matter will be key to your success.

In this role, you will have the latitude to make technical decisions and lead the development of solutions while collaborating with stakeholders to drive actionable insights and measurable business outcomes.

This is a professional track role.

Our Flexible Future model offers a healthy mix of working in person and virtually, strengthening key elements of the Chick-fil-A culture by fostering collaboration and community. 

Responsibilities

• Acts as an individual contributor on project engagements, ensuring data science best practices are implemented in all work
• Owns and is accountable for model and code quality, including thorough documentation for project deliverables
• Designs and implements optimization models using linear or non-linear programming to solve complex supply chain challenges
• Develops and applies operations research models for optimization, simulation, and decision support in supply chain, logistics, and other business areas
• Collaborates with stakeholders to understand business needs, translating them into analytical frameworks and integrating solutions into supply chain processes
• Analyzes large datasets to identify opportunities for operational improvements and supply chain efficiencies
• Communicates complex optimization concepts and results effectively to technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Works with data engineering teams to ensure models and solutions are scalable and integrate seamlessly with existing systems
• Stays abreast of the latest developments in data science, optimization, and related methodologies, ensuring the team leverages cutting-edge practices

Minimum Qualifications

• 3-5 years of relevant experience
• Bachelor's Degree 

• Strong analytical and research skills with a focus on operations research, optimization, or decision science

• Hands-on experience with optimization techniques (e.g., linear programming, mixed-integer programming) and simulation modeling

• Solid understanding of statistics, probability, and applied mathematics

• Proficiency in Python (including optimization libraries such as PuLP or Pyomo) and SQL; familiarity with R is a plus

• Strong systems thinking and process design skills with an eye for detail

• Excellent problem-solving abilities and the ability to work independently or as part of a collaborative team

• Demonstrated ability to learn quickly and adapt to new challenges

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, Data Science, or a related field with a 3.5 GPA

• Has experience using AWS and/or Databricks for modeling

• Has experience using Github or similar version control system for managing code

• Has experience in optimization using open source packages, Gurobi, or similar software

• Has some experience in simulation using Anylogic or similar software

Minimum Years of Experience

Travel Requirements

Required Level of Education

Preferred Level of Education

Major/Concentration

Minimum GPA (4.0 Scale)