Principal Data Scientist (m/f/d)

The role

You will lead high-impact AI initiatives and shape the strategic direction of Data Science. You will design, build, and scale AI solutions and provide technical leadership to data scientists.

What you will do

• Shape the strategic direction and vision of Data Science across the organization.
• Lead the design and deployment of predictive and generative AI models.
• Collaborate with product leaders to align ML initiatives with strategic business goals.
• Architect scalable ML infrastructure and automated workflows using cloud-native tools.
• Ensure long-term performance and compliance of production AI models.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to data scientists.
• Serve as a cross-functional technical leader to influence architecture and technical standards.
• Act as a senior technical advisor for complex modeling issues and critical incidents.
• Lead the exploration and strategic application of GenAI.

Required qualifications

• Advanced academic credentials in a quantitative field such as Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or related discipline
• 10+ years of experience in data science, machine learning, or applied AI
• Expert-level programming skills in Python and SQL
• Fluency with leading ML/AI frameworks (e.g., scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch)
• Direct experience with GenAI/LLM technologies, including tools like Hugging Face, LangChain, OpenAI APIs, vector databases, and fine-tuning methods
• Deep knowledge of machine learning algorithms (supervised, unsupervised, deep learning)
• Strong hands-on experience with cloud infrastructure (AWS), containerization (Docker), and orchestration (Jenkins, Airflow)
• Proven capability in MLOps, including CI/CD pipelines, model monitoring, versioning, and automated retraining
• Experience deploying and serving models through APIs (e.g., Flask, FastAPI)
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Demonstrated success mentoring teams, guiding technical strategy, and advocating for best practices
• Experience working in agile product development environments (Scrum/Kanban)

Nice to have

• Experience influencing product roadmaps
• Experience in e-commerce, marketplaces, or high-scale consumer platforms
• Familiarity with automotive data and applications in pricing, inventory optimization, or recommendation systems
• Contributions to open-source AI/ML projects, publications, or presentations at industry conferences
• Experience leveraging AI, Generative AI (GenAI) to enhance engineering productivity, automate repetitive tasks, and optimize workflows

Benefits

• Gym discounts
• Employee and Family Assistance program
• Virtual wellness events
• Conferences & training budget
• Regular internal training programs
• Financial planning with 3% matching Pension
• Competitive salary
• Annual bonus structure

Before you apply

• Use of Artificial Intelligence in hiring to screen, assess, or select applicants

About the company

autotradercanada is a Canadian leader in digital automotive solutions. Its flagship brands help Canadians buy, sell, and finance vehicles.