Foster a learning atmosphere where team members actively research retail industry, macro-economic, and consumer trends that impact Gap Inc.'s position in the marketplace
Proactively identify business opportunities and risks based on data and industry trends, surfacing call-outs to brand and GTS leaders with recommended courses of action
Optimization Capability Leadership
Lead the design, development, and deployment of optimization models across core retail functions — including assortment planning, inventory allocation, replenishment, pricing, and supply chain — translating complex operational constraints into tractable, production-ready solutions
Guide the team in selecting and applying appropriate optimization approaches (linear programming, mixed-integer programming, heuristic and metaheuristic methods, stochastic optimization) based on problem structure, data availability, and business constraints
Establish best practices for optimization model evaluation, scenario analysis, and sensitivity testing to ensure solutions are robust, interpretable, and actionable by business decision-makers
Partner with Merchandising, Inventory Planning, Sourcing, and Pricing teams to translate business objectives and operational trade-offs into well-defined optimization problem statements
Drive adoption of optimization outputs by designing clear interfaces between model recommendations and human decision workflows, ensuring that business users can interrogate, override, and trust the solutions
People Leadership & Team Development
Provide coaching and guidance on both technical and communication skills, helping direct reports effectively influence stakeholders including peers, business partners, and cross-functional leaders
Communicate effectively across technical and non-technical teams, presenting complex DS insights in a clear and concise manner appropriate to the audience
Anticipate potential obstacles or stakeholder resistance and adjust team approach accordingly to ensure deliverables are met on time and to standard
Hold the team accountable for hitting deliverables with a sense of urgency and efficiency, while maintaining a culture of psychological safety and continuous learning
Role model strategic partnership within GTS and across the brands, creating strong cross-functional relationships and promoting a one-team approach to problem solving
Analytical Rigor & Technical Standards
Guide the team in developing data-driven solutions for complex business problems, proactively removing obstacles for the team to achieve milestone deadlines
Ensure the team administers rigorous testing methodologies — including A/B tests, holdout groups, and causal measurement approaches — to produce accurate, unbiased, and business-aligned insights
Guide the team through large-scale data projects using the right technical tools and languages, ensuring outputs align with business goals and engineering standards
Effectively prioritize multiple concurrent projects to align with business priorities, timelines, and budgetary constraints
Cultivate a learning environment where team members share and adapt research, modeling techniques, and analytical methods to drive measurable improvements
Act as a role model for trusted, strategic partnership — guiding the team to establish credibility across the company as go-to experts in DS and optimization
Who You Are
7+ years of experience in Data Science, Analytics, or a closely related quantitative field, with at least 2 years in a people leadership role managing a team of Data Scientists or Analysts
Demonstrated expertise in optimization methods and their applied use in retail or consumer goods contexts — including experience with operations research techniques, constraint-based modeling, and decision-support systems
Strong proficiency in Python and SQL; hands-on experience with optimization libraries (e.g., PuLP, OR-Tools, Gurobi, CPLEX, SciPy) and ML frameworks; familiarity with cloud-based data and compute platforms (e.g., GCP, Databricks, Snowflake)
Proven track record of delivering production-grade DS or optimization solutions in a retail, e-commerce, or supply chain environment — from problem framing through deployment and adoption
Strong ability to communicate complex quantitative findings to non-technical business audiences; demonstrated skill in structuring executive-ready presentations and influencing senior stakeholders
Experience managing multiple workstreams simultaneously with clear prioritization, milestone tracking, and stakeholder communication
Fluency in causal inference and experimentation (A/B testing, DiD, Synthetic Control) with the ability to design measurement frameworks that isolate the impact of DS model recommendations
Familiarity with retail business processes — particularly Merchandising, Inventory Planning, Allocation, Pricing, or Sourcing — and an understanding of how DS and optimization capabilities create commercial value in each domain
Embodies Gap Inc. Values-Based Leadership Behaviors: Centers on the Customer, Creates with Curiosity, Collaborates with Candor, and Champions Excellence
Strong people manager: demonstrated ability to coach, develop, and retain top DS talent; comfortable giving direct feedback and navigating performance conversations with care and clarity
