Fanatics

Senior Data Scientist - Commerce Supply Chain Optimization

Fanatics$170K — $210K *
Retail & Consumer Goods
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 6+ years of experience in building and deploying predictive models in operational environments.
  • Strong proficiency in Python and SQL, with experience in Spark for scalable data processing.
  • Deep expertise in time series forecasting using classical and ML-based methods including ARIMA and LSTM.
  • Experience with discrete optimization techniques for pricing, clearance, or network design solutions.
  • Familiar with simulation modeling and trade-off analysis.
  • Ability to conduct feature engineering and exploratory data analysis for model design improvements.
  • Excellent communication skills for explaining complex models to diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

  • Partner cross-functionally with teams to translate complex supply chain problems into analytical models.
  • Clearly communicate modeling trade-offs and results to technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Contribute to team culture through sharing methodologies and supporting junior data scientists' growth.
  • Develop demand forecasting and product performance models for optimal product availability.
  • Create pricing and promotional optimization models to enhance fan experience and maintain financial performance.
  • Support clearance management strategies to minimize inventory surplus effectively.
  • Build scalable pipelines and automation tools for operationalizing models.

Benefits

  • Hybrid work environment with flexibility in schedule.
  • Opportunity for mentoring junior staff and contributing to team development.
  • Engagement in a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
  • Access to a dynamic and fast-paced work environment with a focus on team collaboration.
Full Job Description
As we continue to scale our global platform, the Senior Data Scientist, Supply Chain & Inventory Optimization will play a critical role in maximizing supply chain efficiency and inventory financial performance through ML-driven modeling, pricing optimization, and demand forecasting.
ROLE OVERVIEW

This role sits within a high-impact team responsible for product lifecycle modeling, pricing and promotional optimization, clearance management, demand forecasting, network simulation, and inventory sourcing, allocation, and balancing. The Senior Data Scientist will bring a rigorous, ML-driven mindset across operational modeling, forecasting, pricing, and product strategy - moving fluidly across domains in a collaborative, fast-moving team culture with a strong emphasis on delivering measurable business impact amid frequently shifting requirements. The Senior Data Scientist delivers business and fan impact through BOLD leadership and execution excellence, leveraging data, automation, and AI-enabled insights.
HOW WILL YOU DRIVE IMPACT

Success is measured by the ability to deliver results through BOLD capabilities and measurable outcomes.

Team & Leadership Impact (Build Championship Teams)
  • Partner cross-functionally with engineering, product, and operations teams to frame complex supply chain and inventory problems and translate analytical models into decisions and tools that get adopted.
  • Communicate modeling tradeoffs and results clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences, building trust and shared understanding across teams.
  • Contribute to a collaborative team culture by sharing methodologies, reviewing peers' work, and supporting the growth of junior data scientists.

Fan & Customer Impact (Obsessed with Fans)
  • Build demand forecasting and product performance models that ensure the right products are available to fans at the right time and place.
  • Develop pricing and promotional optimization models that improve the fan value experience while protecting financial performance.
  • Support clearance management strategies that minimize inventory surplus without compromising the fan-facing product assortment.
  • Deliver decision-support tools and stakeholder-facing reporting that translate complex models into actionable insights for operations and product teams.

Innovation & Problem Solving (Limitless Entrepreneurial Spirit)
  • Design, test, and deploy time series models for demand forecasting, product lifecycle tracking, and performance analytics using both classical (ARIMA, exponential smoothing) and ML-based approaches (XGBoost, LSTM, DeepAR).
  • Build and refine pricing, clearance, and network optimization models using discrete optimization techniques - including MIP, constraint solvers, and genetic algorithms - alongside simulation and heuristic methods.
  • Apply exploratory data analysis and statistical methods to uncover performance drivers, engineer predictive features, and inform model design decisions.
  • Develop scalable pipelines and automation tools using Python, Spark, and cloud infrastructure to operationalize models at scale.

Ownership & Execution (Determined & Relentless Mindset)
  • Own the full model development lifecycle - from problem framing and data engineering through training, evaluation, deployment, and monitoring - across supply chain and inventory initiatives.
  • Develop and maintain predictive models spanning forecasting, classification, regression, clustering, and segmentation in a production or operational environment.
  • Deliver consistently against business objectives in a fast-paced environment with frequently shifting priorities and requirements.
  • Take accountability for the measurable business impact of deployed models, tracking outcomes and iterating based on real-world performance.
AI & DIGITAL CAPABILITY

We are building a future-ready organization. This role is expected to:
  • Apply AI and technology to improve efficiency, quality, and outcomes
  • Use data and digital tools to inform decisions and enhance performance
  • Demonstrate curiosity and adaptability in adopting new technologies and ways of working
  • Contribute to a culture of innovation and continuous improvement
CAPABILITIES & EXPERIENCE YOU BRING

Required Qualifications:
  • 6+ years of experience building and deploying predictive models - spanning supervised learning (regression, classification), unsupervised learning (clustering, dimensionality reduction), and time series forecasting - in a production or operational environment.
  • Strong proficiency in Python (Pandas, Scikit-learn, NumPy) and SQL, with hands-on experience using Spark or another distributed computing framework for scalable data processing.
  • Deep expertise in time series forecasting using both classical methods (ARIMA, exponential smoothing) and ML-based approaches (XGBoost, LSTM, DeepAR), including rigorous model evaluation practices.
  • Demonstrated experience applying discrete optimization techniques - including mixed-integer programming, constraint solvers, and genetic algorithms - to real-world business problems such as pricing, clearance, or network design.
  • Familiarity with simulation-based modeling and tradeoff analysis for operational or supply chain decision-making.
  • Experience with feature engineering and EDA-driven insight development to inform model design and uncover business performance drivers.
  • Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly explain modeling tradeoffs and results to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Nice to Have:
  • Experience with data visualization and BI tools such as Superset or Tableau for stakeholder-facing reporting.
  • Prior experience in retail, e-commerce, or supply chain domains.
  • Experience mentoring or guiding junior data scientists.

Education:

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Operations Research, or a related field.

Where you'll work and what's required
  • Location: Redwood City, CA Office
  • Hybrid work environment flexibility, with Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in office; Mondays and Fridays remote.
  • Ability to travel up to 10% of the time for partner meetings, events, and other related activities.


The salary range represents base pay only and does not include short-term or long-term incentive compensation. When determining base pay as part of a final compensation package, we consider several factors such as location, experience, qualifications, and training. For information about our benefits, please visit https://benefitsatfanatics.com/

Salary Range

$170,000-$210,000 USD

At Fanatics, we operate with a BOLD mindset - We Build Championship Teams, we're Obsessed with Fans, we embrace a Limitless Entrepreneurial Spirit, and we approach every challenge with a Determined and Relentless Mindset. If you're ready to contribute to a dynamic, fast-paced environment that thrives on collaboration and growth, we want you to be part of our team.

About Fanatics

Fanatics is a leading retailer of licensed sports merchandise. The company was founded in 1995 and has grown to become the largest online retailer of officially licensed sports merchandise in the world. Fanatics offers a wide range of products, including jerseys, hats, and other apparel, as well as collectibles and memorabilia. The company has partnerships with all major sports leagues and teams, as well as with individual athletes. Fanatics is committed to providing a seamless shopping experience for its customers and has invested heavily in technology and logistics to ensure fast and reliable delivery.
Learn more about Fanatics
Size
5,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1995

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