Data Scientist

About The Company
Toast is a leading technology company dedicated to empowering restaurants and local businesses to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. By providing innovative tools and solutions, Toast helps business owners streamline operations, increase sales, engage customers more effectively, and ensure employee satisfaction. With a focus on building scalable and impactful technology, Toast aims to transform the way the hospitality industry operates, fostering growth and success for its clients. Committed to excellence and continuous innovation, Toast leverages data-driven insights and advanced machine learning systems to deliver personalized experiences and optimize business performance.
About The Role
We are seeking a highly experienced Staff Data Scientist to join our team. In this pivotal role, you will lead the design and development of scalable machine learning systems that directly impact key business outcomes. Your expertise will drive initiatives such as menu recommendation engines, demand forecasting, offer targeting, and guest personalization. As a technical thought partner, you will set best practices, influence the product roadmap, and serve as a mentor to other data scientists. Your work will shape strategic decisions, enhance customer experiences, and improve operational efficiencies at scale. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of statistical modeling, machine learning, and data engineering, along with proven leadership in deploying production ML systems.
Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in data science, with a demonstrable record of delivering impactful production ML systems
• Deep expertise in statistical modeling, machine learning algorithms (e.g., tree-based models, time series, deep learning), and model evaluation techniques
• Extensive experience working with large-scale, real-world product data and translating ambiguous problems into well-defined ML solutions
• Proficiency in Python and SQL, with hands-on experience using ML frameworks such as scikit-learn, PyTorch, and TensorFlow
• Experience with distributed data processing, real-time inference, and ML Ops frameworks
• Strong understanding of software engineering principles, including modular design, version control, testing, and CI/CD pipelines
• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms, preferably AWS, including tools like SageMaker, Athena, Glue, DynamoDB, and Bedrock
• Prior experience mentoring data scientists or serving as a technical lead in data science initiatives
• Experience leading experimentation, A/B testing, causal inference, and real-time decision systems
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Strong business acumen with the ability to align technical solutions with organizational goals
• Preferred: Advanced degree in Computer Science, Statistics, or related STEM field
• Familiarity with MLOps tooling for monitoring, drift detection, retraining, and explainability
• Experience fine-tuning large language models (LLMs) and applying reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF)

Responsibilities

• Lead the full lifecycle of machine learning projects—from problem framing and data exploration to model deployment and monitoring
• Design and implement advanced ML and statistical models to enhance product features, operational efficiency, and customer insights
• Collaborate with engineers, product managers, and business stakeholders to define project scope, success metrics, and integration strategies
• Guide architectural decisions, set modeling standards, and promote best practices for experimentation, validation, and productionization
• Mentor junior data scientists, conduct code and model reviews, and share domain expertise to elevate team capabilities
• Identify opportunities where data science can create business value and lead cross-functional initiatives to realize those opportunities
• Proactively stay updated with the latest advancements in AI and machine learning, integrating innovative solutions into projects
• Ensure compliance with data privacy and security standards throughout the development and deployment process
• Communicate complex technical concepts effectively to stakeholders at all levels

Benefits

• Competitive salary and comprehensive health benefits package
• Flexible work arrangements supporting hybrid and remote work models
• Generous paid time off and holidays to promote work-life balance
• Opportunities for professional development, training, and continuous learning
• Inclusive and diverse workplace culture that values innovation and collaboration
• Access to cutting-edge AI and machine learning tools and platforms
• Employee wellness programs and resources to support overall well-being

Equal Opportunity
Toast is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We believe that a diverse team enhances our ability to innovate and better serve our customers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic. We strive to create an accessible hiring process and provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.