Principal Applied Data Scientist - Search and Browse (NLP, Vector Search, LLMs)
Targetfull time · Principal
$168,000 – $356,000
Listed on Target’s own careers site. You apply with them directly — we never stand between you and the employer.
What this role is
A principal-level role leading the technical strategy for Target's search, retrieval, and discovery systems, including semantic search, vector databases, and LLM integration at billion-dollar scale. This suits experienced machine learning leaders with deep expertise in information retrieval and AI systems who can architect production solutions and guide organizational direction.
Our summary, not Target’s wording. The full posting is on their site.
Skills this role names
- Experimentation
- LLMs (Large Language Models)
- Machine Learning
- Natural Language Processing
- Python
- Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
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What they ask for
Required
- PhD or MS in Computer Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Physics or related quantitative discipline
- 8+ years building and scaling ML systems for Search, Recommendation, Personalization, Ads or AI platforms
- Strong experience with semantic retrieval, vector search, RAG systems, conversational search or agentic AI
- Deep expertise in retrieval/ranking architectures, recommendation systems, semantic search and NLP/LLMs
- Python programming and technical ML problem-solving skills
- Demonstrated architecture definition and long-term strategy experience for large-scale production AI systems
- Experience operating large-scale online systems with strict latency, scalability and reliability requirements
- Strong understanding of retrieval/ranking system tradeoffs and experimentation strategy
- Track record driving measurable business impact through ML innovation
- Experience leading cross-functional initiatives spanning multiple teams
- Ability to influence executive stakeholders and drive technical direction