Data Scientist

Location: Fort Wayne, IN
Level: Entry to Mid-Level
Division / Department: Information Technology / Data & Analytics
Reports to: Divisional Manager, Enterprise Data
Travel: Minimal
About the Role:
At Do it Best, we combine a cooperative mission with modern technology to serve thousands of member-owned locations. We’re building out our data science practice and looking for people who want to work at the intersection of advanced analytics, innovation, and business strategy. If you're excited by meaningful problems and motivated by measurable impact, you'll find this role both rewarding and energizing.
As a data scientist, you’ll develop models, run experiments, and uncover patterns that guide strategic and operational decisions. You’ll work closely with analysts, engineers, and business stakeholders to frame problems, test hypotheses, and deliver solutions that create measurable value. In addition to contributing hands-on, you’ll help elevate the team’s technical capabilities by sharing best practices and shaping how we apply data science across the organization.
Key Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with analytics team members and cross-functional partners to design and deliver impactful data-driven solutions.
• Apply statistical and machine learning techniques to solve real-world business problems, forecast outcomes, and guide decision-making.
• Conduct exploratory research to identify emerging opportunities where data science can create a competitive advantage.
• Design, prototype, and deploy AI/ML models to automate processes, improve performance, and drive measurable business impact.
• Translate complex technical findings into accessible insights through visualizations, presentations, and storytelling.
• Write internal research papers and white papers to document methods, share discoveries, and support data-informed strategic planning.
• Stay current with industry trends, tools, and academic research to continually improve our methodologies and capabilities.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative field such as Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Operations Research, or Engineering; or equivalent combination of education and 4+ years of relevant, hands-on experience in data science or advanced analytics roles.
• Strong proficiency in Python for data analysis, modeling, and machine learning.
• Solid foundation in applied statistics, including hypothesis testing, regression, A/B testing, and time series analysis.
• Demonstrated experience designing and executing machine learning workflows, including feature engineering, model development, validation, deployment, and performance monitoring.
• Hands-on experience with experimentation frameworks, including causal inference methods and controlled testing, to support data-driven decision-making.
• Proven ability to gather business requirements and translate them into well-defined analytical or predictive modeling projects.
• Familiarity with other relevant languages and tools used in data science such as SQL, R, Scala/Spark, or Julia is a plus.

Skills and Abilities:

• Strong problem-solving and critical thinking capabilities.
• Clear and concise communication skills, both verbal and written.
• A self-starter who thrives in collaborative environments.
• Familiarity with the software development lifecycle and Agile methodologies.

What We Offer:

• Competitive insurance coverage (medical, dental, vision)
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• Profit sharing and bonus opportunities
• Retirement savings account and planning support
• Tuition and education reimbursement
• Health and wellness reimbursements
• Growth and career development opportunities

About Do it Best:
Based in Fort Wayne, IN, Do it Best is the only US-based, member-owned comprehensive and fully integrated hardware, lumber, and building materials buying cooperative in the home improvement industry. With annual sales of nearly $6 billion, Do it Best serves thousands of member-owned locations across the United States and in more than 60 other countries, and is now part of the Do it Best Group, the world’s largest independent home improvement co-op. For more information, visit doitbestonline.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.