Sr. Data Scientist - Network Modeling & Optimization

This role is hybrid, requiring up to three days per week on site at the Best Buy corporate office in Richfield, Minnesota.

About the role

The Sr. Data Scientist – Network Modeling & Optimization is a senior technical contributor responsible for leading complex analytical and modeling projects, supported by a small dedicated team of Data Scientists. The primary responsibility is updating, running, and improving existing Supply Chain network models to support business planning and one-off decisions, both tactical and strategic. The role is hands-on and involves assisting and advising in the development of new models and readiness for production.

The Network Modeling & Optimization team within Supply Chain Analytics develops analytical capabilities to help Best Buy evaluate its supply chain network across cost, capacity, customer service, product flow, inventory placement, and operational feasibility.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain analytical inputs and optimization models representing facilities, transportation lanes, demand, product flows, costs, capacities, service requirements, and business rules.
• Evaluate strategic and tactical scenarios involving facility location, network assignments, capacity, sourcing, inventory placement, transportation, and product flow.
• Validate model behavior, diagnose infeasibilities and data-quality issues, and clearly communicate assumptions, limitations, tradeoffs, and recommendations to business and technical stakeholders.
• Translate ambiguous supply chain questions into structured analytical problems by defining objectives, available decisions, constraints, assumptions, data requirements, and expected outputs.
• Translate complex physical processes into simplified functions that preserve essential real-world characteristics but are simple enough to become inputs for mathematical models.
• Support complex network modeling and optimization projects from business-problem definition through model development, validation, interpretation, and recommendation.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to Data Scientists and analysts while establishing reusable modeling practices, documentation standards, and quality controls.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, Supply Chain Analytics, or a related quantitative field—or equivalent experience.
• 4+ years of relevant experience in data science, operations research, optimization, supply chain analytics, forecasting, simulation, or a related analytical field.
• 4+ years of leading complex analytical projects and translating ambiguous business questions into structured modeling approaches.
• 4+ years of hands-on experience using data analytics (e.g., SQL, Python, R) and machine learning and/or optimization tools (e.g., Python, R, Gurobi, Vertex AI).
• Strong knowledge of optimization, operations research, statistical modeling, forecasting, simulation, machine learning, or another advanced analytical discipline.
• Ability to explain technical concepts, model results, and business recommendations clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Supply Chain Analytics, or a related quantitative field.
• Experience with supply chain network design, transportation, distribution, fulfillment, inventory, logistics, or capacity planning.
• Experience developing optimization models using methods such as linear programming, mixed-integer programming, network flow, facility location, or assignment modeling.
• Experience defining model inputs, decision variables, constraints, objective functions, scenarios, and outputs—and diagnosing model infeasibilities.
• Familiarity with AIMMS or comparable optimization platforms, libraries, or solvers. Direct AIMMS experience is preferred but not required.
• Experience providing technical leadership, mentoring Data Scientists or analysts, and communicating recommendations to business leaders.

Benefits

Best Buy offers a range of benefits to support overall well-being and provide support during key life moments:

• Competitive pay
• Great employee discount
• Financial savings and retirement resources
• Support for physical and mental well-being
• Leaves of absence (LOA) with potential pay sources based on eligibility, including intermittent or reduced-schedule leave for certain medical or family care needs
• Paid time off (vacation or PTO) for full-time and part-time employees, based on work location, employment status, and years of service
• Incentive pay for certain roles to drive performance and offer recognition for achieving financial and strategic results