Target
retail
PrincipalAppliedDataScientist-SearchandBrowse(NLP,VectorSearch,LLMs)
Neural analysis suggests this role is
optimal for Lead candidates.
“Principal Applied Data Scientist - Search and Browse (NLP, Vector Search, LLMs) at Target. Skills: NLP, Vector Search, LLMs, Search. Define long-term technical vision. Lead architecture strategy”
What You'll Achieve.
measurable customer and business impact; measurable business impact
Industry & Context.
technical ML problem-solving skills
What They're Looking For.
Must Have
MS in Computer Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Physics or related quantitative discipline, 8+ years of industry experience building and scaling ML systems for Search, Recommendation, Personalization, Ads, or AI platforms, Python programming, technical ML problem-solving skills, experience operating large-scale online systems with strict latency, scalability, reliability, and infrastructure cost requirements, understanding of retrieval/ranking system tradeoffs, experimentation strategy, operational excellence
Nice to Have
PhD, experience with semantic retrieval, vector search, RAG systems, conversational search, agentic AI systems, Deep expertise in retrieval/ranking architectures, recommendation systems, semantic search, NLP/LLMs, experimentation, ML infrastructure (VertexAI), Proven experience defining architecture and long-term strategy for large-scale production AI systems, track record driving measurable business impact through ML innovation, Experience leading cross-functional initiatives spanning multiple teams or organizations, Ability to influence executive stakeholders and drive organizational technical direction
What You'll Do.
Define long-term technical vision
Lead architecture strategy
Drive innovation across transformers
Architect search and retrieval systems
Define future evolution
Influence organization-wide strategy
Lead ambiguous initiatives
Establish scalable ML architecture patterns
Drive foundational investments
Balance customer experience
Mentor Lead scientists
Represent organization in executive reviews
How You'll Work.
Team & Collaboration
work with product; work with Engineering; work with Applied Science; work with Infrastructure; work with executive stakeholders; cross-functional initiatives
Communication Scope
Exceptional communication
Process & Methodology
multi-quarter initiatives
Full Job Description
The pay range is $168,000.00 - $356,000.00 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 competitive benefits from financial and education to well-being and beyond at [https://corporate.target.com/careers/benefits](https://corporate.target.com/careers/benefits). **JOIN TARGET AS A PRINCIPAL DATA SCIENTIST – SEARCH AND BROWSE** **About Us:** 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](https://corporate.target.com/about). A role with Applied Data Sciences team at Target means the chance to help develop and manage state of the art predictive algorithms that use data at scale to automate and optimize decisions at scale. Whether you join our Search, RecSys, Supply Chain Optimization 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 Optimization, Network Security 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, and to elevate Target’s culture and apply retail domain knowledge. **About our Search and Browse team:** The
Applying for this Principal Applied Data Scientist - Search and Browse (NLP, Vector Search, LLMs) role?
Most applicants get filtered before a human reads their resume. See if yours makes the cut.
How to Apply on Workday
- Workday has a multi-step form — save your progress after every section.
- "Apply With LinkedIn" can fail or lose data; manual entry is more reliable.
- Watch for the "Submit for Review" final step — hitting "Save" alone does not submit.
- Job requisition numbers are useful when following up with HR by email.
ANONYMOUS · UNFILTERED
What do employees actually say about Target?
Real rants from real employees. Read before you apply.