Senior Data Scientist

Job Title: Senior Data Scientist 

Location: Hybrid (Westlake Village Corporate HQ) or Remote in any of the following states: IL, CA, WA, MO, AZ, TX, FL, OR, IN, MD, CO, VA)

Reports To: Senior Manager, Data Science & Analytics 

About the Role & Team: 

At the Guitar Center, our Data Team is evolving. With a unified data platform now in place, our Analytics function is shifting from reporting to intelligence. We are beginning to embed machine learning and AI-driven products that power experiences for both internal and external customers. 

We are seeking a Senior Data Scientist to establish our Data Science practice within our Snowflake-native architecture. This is a high-visibility role: you will define best practices, partner with business leaders, and deliver solutions that impact millions of musicians across the country. 

What You’ll Do: 

• Partner with business stakeholders (Merchandising, Marketing, Stores, eCommerce) to identify high-impact opportunities where data science can drive value, for example, anomaly detection, pricing optimization, personalization, and forecasting. 

• Define and implement standards and protocols for Data Science workflows to ensure quality, scalability, and reproducibility. 

• Translate business questions into product development frameworks that you’ll own end-to-end: discover & design → develop & deploy → measure & iterate. 

• Build and deploy models within our Snowflake environment. Lead feature engineering, model training, validation, deployment, and ongoing monitoring; write efficient, production-grade code; manage version control and CI/CD pipelines through GitLab. 

• Deliver model outputs as consumable data products or endpoints and drive adoption across the business. 

• Monitor and report on model performance and business impact: track KPIs, retrain models as needed, refine features, and communicate insights to senior leadership. 

• Document and promote data science best practices across the organization, shaping how we build, deploy, and maintain predictive capabilities. 

Qualifications:

To Join Our Band, You’ll Need: 

Professional Experience & Skills 

• 7 years of applied data science or machine learning experience in a business environment. 

• Expert-level proficiency in Python (pandas, scikit-learn, etc.) and SQL, with a proven record of delivering impactful data science products. 

• Hands-on experience or strong readiness to adopt warehouse-native ML platforms (Snowflake Snowpark strongly preferred). 

• Proven ability to take models from prototype to production: version control, CI/CD, experimentation, monitoring, and lifecycle management. 

• Product-centric mindset: you understand that data science is not just about building models but delivering decision-making products that drive measurable impact. 

• High ownership, autonomy, and initiative: as the first dedicated Data Science hire in this function, you’ll thrive in an evolving, fast-changing environment. 

Preferred Experience 

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related field (Ph.D. a plus). 

• Excellent business acumen: able to partner with non-technical stakeholders, translate business objectives into modeling opportunities, and communicate actionable insights. 

• Exceptional communication skills: capable of clearly articulating technical and business implications to senior leadership. 

• Prior experience in retail, omnichannel, e-commerce, or personalization/pricing optimization contexts. 

• Experience with dashboarding tools (Looker/Omni) and activation platforms (CDP/Salesforce) is a plus. 

• Product-centric mindset: you understand that data science is not just “build the model” but “deliver a decision-making product”, including discovery, user flow, adoption, impact. 

• High ownership, autonomy and initiative: you will be the first dedicated DS hire in this function and must thrive in an evolving, not-yet-defined environment. 

Pay Rate: $190,000 - $210,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications.   
This position is not eligible for participation in the Guitar Center Company bonus program.   
Actual compensation may vary based on experience, education, and other factors. Pay ranges are provided in accordance with state laws and may differ by location.   

About Guitar Center   

At Guitar Center, we live and breathe creativity, collaboration, and the power of music. Our mission is to inspire and equip musicians and music lovers to find their sound and share it with the world. Whether in our stores, contact centers, distribution hubs, or corporate offices, our team is united in one goal: to fill the world with more music.   

Join Us   

• Become part of the world’s largest multichannel musical instrument retailer.   

• Work within a collaborative, high-impact finance organization that drives innovation and transformation.   

• Grow your career in an environment that values creativity, integrity, and passion.   

Guitar Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based on valid job-related criteria and are made without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws.   

If you require reasonable accommodation to apply for or perform this job, please contact recruiting@guitarcenter.com.    

Salary : $190,000 - $210,000