Founding Data Scientist

Help build something from the ground up.

At Book Depot Inc., we’re investing in predictive modeling to drive smarter decisions across inventory, pricing, and operations. As our
Founding Data Scientist
, you will establish our data science capability from the ground up, taking ownership from problem definition to production deployment.

This is a hands-on, high-impact role for someone who wants real ownership, autonomy, and the opportunity to build scalable solutions that directly influence business performance.

The salary range for this position is $75,000 to $105,000, and this is an in-office role.

Does this inspire you

• Build and own the data science function from day one
• Work on high-impact problems tied to revenue, inventory, and operations
• Partner directly with business leaders and decision-makers
• Shape systems, processes, and future team growth
• See your work move from idea to production and drive measurable results

What you’ll work on

You will lead and deliver high-impact data science initiatives across the business, including:

- Pricing Optimization:
Develop predictive models to optimize product pricing across multiple sales channels, maximizing total revenue over the product lifecycle
- Sales Channel Allocation:
Forecast demand by channel and recommend inventory allocation strategies to maximize sell-through and revenue
- Warehouse Allocation:
Determine optimal inventory distribution across distribution centers to balance demand and operational efficiency
- Procurement Optimization:
Evaluate product purchasing opportunities by predicting sell-through and revenue, and recommend optimal purchase pricing
- Wholesale Customer Recommendations:
Build recommendation models to generate tailored product catalogs for wholesale customers, improving conversion and sell-through
- Operational Optimization:
Optimize inbound production and sort schedules to balance warehouse capacity while maintaining a strong and diverse product catalog

What you will do

• Build and deploy predictive models that improve decision-making across the business
• Translate complex business challenges into practical data science solutions
• Partner with engineering and DevOps to productionize models and build scalable pipelines
• Design experiments and continuously improve model performance using real-world data
• Communicate insights clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Establish best practices for model development, deployment, monitoring, and continuous improvement

What you bring

• 5+ years of experience in data science, machine learning, or a related field, or equivalent hands-on experience
• Proven ability to take models from raw data through to business impact
• Strong Python and SQL skills, with experience using tools such as pandas, scikit-learn, and XGBoost
• Experience working with relational databases, preferably SQL Server
• Understanding of model deployment, pipelines, and production environments
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Strong problem-solving skills and a practical, business-focused mindset

Nice to have

• Experience with cloud environments, particularly Azure
• Master’s degree in Data Science, Machine Learning, Analytics, or a related discipline

How you’ll succeed in this role

• You focus on delivering practical solutions, not just theoretical models
• You are comfortable with ambiguity and enjoy building structure where none exists
• You balance speed, quality, and business impact
• You take ownership and follow through
• You collaborate effectively while maintaining strong individual accountability

Our culture

At Book Depot Inc., we are driven by a simple purpose:
getting more books into more hands.

We are a team that:

• Works collaboratively and supports shared success
• Entrepreneurial and not afraid to take risks
• Embraces continuous improvement and change
• Values practical thinking, strong execution, and accountability
• Invests in learning and growth through initiatives like Book Depot University

Compensation and work environment

• Salary range of $75,000 to $105,000
• In-office role with hands-on collaboration and the opportunity to see the direct impact of your work
• Competitive compensation and benefits package
• Opportunity to help shape the future of data science at Book Depot
• Collaborative, fast-paced environment with high visibility and impact

Ready to build something that matters?

If you are excited about game-changing work, solving real business problems, and building a data science function from the ground up, we would love to hear from you.