Director, Data Science

About the Role

Total Wine & More is seeking a Director of Data Science to join our Technology team in our Bethesda, MD office. This role will lead multiple data science team members with a significant portfolio of initiatives to design, develop, and scale advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI solutions that drive meaningful business outcomes. You will operate at the intersection of strategy and execution—translating enterprise and functional priorities into scalable data science roadmaps, guiding technical direction, and ensuring operational excellence. This role requires strong people leadership, deep technical judgment, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders. You will partner closely with Product, Technology, and Business leaders while contributing to the broader Data Science strategy set by senior leadership. You will report to the Sr. Director, Data Science.

You will 

• Spearhead the strategy and execution of enterprise-wide data science, machine learning, and AI initiatives, ensuring alignment with long-term organizational goals and business priorities.
• Lead and manage multiple high-impact analytics programs simultaneously, establishing priorities, allocating resources, and driving successful execution across teams.
• Own the technical direction, architecture, and scalability of advanced analytics, AI, and ML solutions to ensure reliability, governance, and business value.
• Direct the development and implementation of enterprise standards for model development, validation, governance, monitoring, and lifecycle management.
• Partner with senior business and technology leadership to identify strategic opportunities, solve complex business challenges, and influence data-driven decision making.
• Drive innovation by evaluating emerging technologies, advanced analytics capabilities, and AI solutions that improve operational effectiveness and business performance.
• Oversee the end-to-end delivery of analytics and ML solutions, including problem framing, development, deployment, adoption, and ongoing performance optimization.
• Act as a trusted advisor to executive leadership by providing strategic guidance on analytics opportunities, organizational risks, technical priorities, and enterprise transformation initiatives.

You will come with

• Bachelor's Degree Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, or related field required or equivalent years of experience
• Master's Degree Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, or related field preferred
• 7-10 years Experience in data science, predictive analytics, machine learning, or related fields, with a record of delivering production-grade solutions
• 3-6 years Experience leading teams, projects, or functional portfolios and partnering with senior stakeholders on complex initiatives
• Advanced Analytics and Machine Learning Leadership: Strong expertise guiding teams in developing, deploying, and scaling ML and AI solutions that deliver measurable business impact.
• Technical Architecture and Decision-Making: Ability to make informed trade-offs across modeling approaches, data pipelines, tooling, and infrastructure to support scalable solutions.
• People and Team Development: Proven ability to develop managers and senior ICs, coach technical and leadership growth, and foster a culture of accountability and innovation.
• Production ML and MLOps: Experience overseeing CI/CD pipelines, model monitoring, retraining strategies, containerization, and cloud-based deployments.
• Cross-Functional Influence: Demonstrated success influencing product, technology, and business leaders, translating complex technical concepts into actionable insights.
• Operational Excellence and Governance: Experience implementing standards for model quality, fairness, transparency, documentation, and lifecycle management.
• Strategic Thinking with Execution Discipline: Ability to connect long-term analytics strategy to near-term delivery, balancing innovation with reliability and scale.

We Offer 

• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Generous store discounts
• Health care plans (medical, prescription, dental, vision)
• 401(k), HSA, FSA, Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Disability and life insurance coverage
• Paid parental leave
• Pet insurance discounts
• Critical illness and accident insurance
• Discounted home and auto insurance
• College tuition assistance
• Career development, industry education
• Consumer classes
• & More!

Crafted for you

We recognize our team members are our biggest asset, and we value the critical role each play in contributing to the company’s success. It is our commitment to support and provide access to the resources needed to take care of their health and wellbeing. That is why we offer a variety of benefits, tools, and resources to support through our Total Rewards program. To view our full career page, click here: https://careers.totalwine.com/!

Total Wine & More considers several factors when establishing compensation. Compensation may vary based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, market location, job-related knowledge, skills and/or experience. The actual hourly rate will equal or exceed the required minimum wage applicable to the job location. Estimated salaries determined by third parties have not been validated by Total Wine & More.

Total Wine & More is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Total Wine & More makes reasonable accommodations during all aspects of the employment process, including during the interview process. Total Wine & More is a Drug Free Workplace.

The information provided above indicates the general nature and level of work required of the position and is not a comprehensive list of all responsibilities or qualifications. Benefits list is only a highlight of some of the benefits offered to team members; eligibility for certain benefits apply. The anticipated close date of this posting is 120 days from the posted date indicated above.