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Data Scientist I - Early Careers - Job Opportunity at Wayfair

Boston, United States

Full-time

Entry-level

Posted: August 6, 2025

Hybrid

USD 94,000 - 99,000 per year

Benefits

Comprehensive parental leave supporting work-life integration during critical family transitions

Health savings account offering tax-advantaged healthcare cost management

Flexible spending account providing pre-tax benefits for medical and dependent care expenses

Tuition reimbursement investment in continuous professional development and skill advancement

Competitive 401(k) matching program accelerating retirement savings and financial security

Life insurance coverage providing financial protection and peace of mind for beneficiaries

Full dental insurance ensuring comprehensive oral health coverage

Complete vision insurance supporting eye health and corrective care needs

Generous paid holidays providing structured time off for personal restoration

Employee discount program offering significant savings on home goods and furniture

Comprehensive disability insurance protecting income during short and long-term health challenges

Premium health insurance with medical coverage supporting overall wellness and preventive care

Flexible paid time off policy enabling personal time management and work-life balance

Gym membership and fitness discounts including Peloton and ClassPass promoting physical wellness

Paid volunteer time off encouraging community engagement and social impact participation

Key Responsibilities

Drive strategic operations analytics within a high-impact team that directly influences Wayfair's long-term operational direction and multi-million dollar investment decisions across fulfillment networks

Lead complex analytical initiatives determining optimal locations and timing for new Fulfillment Centers and Home Delivery Operations, requiring sophisticated cost-benefit modeling that impacts company-wide logistics efficiency

Execute forward-looking strategic analysis using 5+ year time horizons to evaluate major operational investments, providing critical insights that shape Wayfair's competitive positioning in the e-commerce logistics landscape

Provide strategic recommendations on deluxe delivery operations expansion, analyzing both immediate financial impact and long-term customer lifetime value implications that directly affect revenue growth

Support development and implementation of automated inbound sortation robotics initiatives, contributing to cutting-edge supply chain innovation that positions Wayfair at the forefront of logistics technology

Design and maintain sophisticated analytical models that transform complex operational data into actionable strategic insights, influencing senior leadership decisions across multiple business units

Build comprehensive sensitivity analyses and robust modeling frameworks that identify and quantify significant business value opportunities worth millions in operational savings

Develop advanced dashboards and analytical tools that enable data-driven decision-making across operations functions, creating scalable solutions for ongoing strategic planning

Navigate fast-paced, highly iterative analytical environment responding to evolving operational strategies while maintaining analytical rigor and delivering consistent high-quality insights

Requirements

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Engineering, Economics, Operations Research, or a related discipline with a strong academic record

Experience

1-3 years of experience in an analytics or data science role, performing quantitative analysis and delivering actionable recommendations from findings

Required Skills

Advanced proficiency in SQL, including knowledge of aggregate functions, joins, etc. Hands-on experience and comfortability with Python for data manipulation, analysis, and modeling Ability to synthesize insights from undefined and open ended problem sets and articulate into clear, top down evidence backed narratives Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience building comprehensive and compelling slide decks and white papers Solution-oriented & curious intellectual mindset and curiosity, with a passion for continuous learning and problem-solving Strategic thinking ability to provide direction and support to the team in setting clear project goals, managing the execution of projects that align with business objectives Experience with or knowledge of supply chain and logistics concepts

Sauge AI Market Intelligence

Industry Trends

The e-commerce logistics sector is experiencing unprecedented growth driven by consumer expectations for faster, more reliable delivery services, creating enormous demand for data scientists who can optimize supply chain operations and reduce last-mile delivery costs. Companies are investing billions in fulfillment network optimization, automated sortation technologies, and predictive analytics to maintain competitive advantage in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Supply chain analytics has become a critical competitive differentiator as companies seek to reduce operational costs while improving customer satisfaction through faster delivery times and enhanced service offerings. The integration of machine learning and advanced analytics into logistics operations is transforming how companies approach inventory management, demand forecasting, and network optimization. The shift toward omnichannel retail and the growth of premium delivery services (white-glove, installation, inspection) is creating new analytical challenges that require sophisticated modeling capabilities to balance cost optimization with customer lifetime value maximization. Data scientists in this space are increasingly expected to think strategically about long-term network planning rather than just tactical optimizations.

Salary Evaluation

The salary range of $94,000-$99,000 is competitive for an entry-level data scientist position in Boston's high-cost market, particularly for candidates with 1-3 years of experience. This compensation reflects the strategic importance of operations analytics at Wayfair and aligns well with Boston's tech salary standards, though it may be slightly below what some pure tech companies offer for similar roles.

Role Significance

The role operates within a small, specialized Operations Analytics team that likely consists of 5-8 professionals, providing significant exposure to senior leadership and cross-functional collaboration with Operations Research, Network Management, and Transportation teams across the organization.

This is a junior-level individual contributor role within the Operations Analytics team, but carries significant strategic weight due to its direct impact on multi-million dollar fulfillment network decisions. Despite being an early-career position, the role involves high-visibility projects that influence senior leadership decisions and company-wide operational strategy.

Key Projects

Large-scale fulfillment center location and capacity planning initiatives involving complex multi-variable optimization models that consider demographic trends, shipping costs, real estate markets, and customer demand patterns across different geographic regions. Development of automated sortation and robotics integration analytics that support Wayfair's investment in cutting-edge logistics technology, requiring collaboration with engineering teams and vendors to model operational efficiency gains and ROI projections. Customer lifetime value modeling for premium delivery services, incorporating complex behavioral analytics to understand how enhanced service offerings impact customer retention, purchase frequency, and overall profitability across different customer segments.

Success Factors

Developing deep domain expertise in supply chain and logistics operations while maintaining strong technical skills in advanced analytics, as the combination of analytical rigor with operational understanding is crucial for providing actionable insights that drive real business value. Building strong communication and stakeholder management capabilities to effectively translate complex analytical findings into compelling business narratives that influence senior leadership decisions and drive organizational alignment around strategic initiatives. Cultivating strategic thinking abilities that enable long-term planning perspectives, as the role requires thinking beyond immediate tactical optimizations to consider 5+ year operational strategies and their implications for company growth and competitive positioning. Maintaining adaptability and learning agility in a fast-paced environment where analytical priorities shift based on business needs, requiring the ability to quickly understand new problem domains and develop appropriate analytical approaches.

Market Demand

Very high demand exists for data scientists with supply chain and logistics expertise, as e-commerce companies continue to invest heavily in operational efficiency and customer experience improvements. The combination of analytical skills with domain knowledge in logistics creates significant career opportunities across the retail and e-commerce sectors.

Important Skills

Critical Skills

Advanced SQL and Python proficiency are absolutely essential as they form the foundation for all analytical work, from data extraction and manipulation to complex modeling and automation. These technical skills must be complemented by statistical modeling expertise to handle the sophisticated optimization problems inherent in supply chain analytics. Strategic thinking and business acumen are crucial for translating analytical findings into actionable business recommendations that influence major operational investments. The ability to think beyond immediate technical solutions to consider broader business implications separates high-performing analysts from those who simply execute technical tasks. Communication and presentation skills are vital for success in this role, as the ability to distill complex analytical insights into compelling narratives for senior leadership directly impacts the influence and effectiveness of the analytical work being performed.

Beneficial Skills

Supply chain and logistics domain knowledge, while listed as preferred, becomes increasingly important for career advancement and effectiveness in the role, as understanding operational constraints and opportunities enables more sophisticated and practical analytical recommendations. Experience with optimization techniques and operations research methodologies would significantly enhance effectiveness in this role, given the focus on network optimization, capacity planning, and resource allocation decisions that require sophisticated mathematical modeling approaches. Project management and cross-functional collaboration skills become increasingly valuable as the role involves coordinating with multiple teams and managing complex analytical initiatives that span different organizational functions and timelines.

Unique Aspects

The role offers rare exposure to end-to-end supply chain strategy at a massive scale, providing insights into how analytical decisions impact real-world logistics operations across multiple fulfillment centers, transportation networks, and customer delivery experiences.

Direct involvement in cutting-edge automation and robotics initiatives positions this role at the intersection of traditional operations research and emerging technology implementation, offering unique experience in the digital transformation of logistics operations.

The 5+ year strategic planning horizon requirement distinguishes this role from typical tactical analytics positions, providing valuable experience in long-term strategic thinking and complex scenario modeling that is highly valued across industries.

Exposure to premium service analytics (white-glove delivery, furniture assembly, damage inspection) provides unique expertise in customer experience optimization that goes beyond traditional e-commerce analytics focused solely on speed and cost reduction.

Career Growth

Typical progression to senior individual contributor roles occurs within 2-3 years with strong performance, while management track positions typically become available within 4-5 years. The strategic nature of this role provides accelerated exposure to senior leadership and complex business challenges that can facilitate faster career advancement.

Potential Next Roles

Senior Data Scientist or Lead Data Scientist roles within operations analytics, taking on larger strategic projects and mentoring junior team members while developing expertise in advanced optimization and machine learning techniques applied to supply chain challenges. Analytics Manager or Senior Manager positions overseeing operations analytics teams, requiring development of people management skills alongside continued technical growth and deeper involvement in strategic planning and cross-functional leadership. Strategy and Operations roles leveraging analytical background to drive broader business strategy, potentially leading to Director-level positions in operations, strategy, or business development where analytical insights inform major corporate decisions.

Company Overview

Wayfair

Wayfair is one of the world's largest online home goods retailers, operating a complex global supply chain that serves millions of customers across multiple countries. The company has built a sophisticated logistics network including fulfillment centers, delivery operations, and last-mile services that differentiate it from traditional furniture retailers and pure-play e-commerce competitors.

Wayfair holds a dominant position in the online home goods market, competing with both traditional retailers like Home Depot and pure-play e-commerce platforms. The company's investment in data science and analytics capabilities reflects its commitment to operational excellence and customer experience as key competitive advantages in a market with thin margins and high customer acquisition costs.

Boston serves as Wayfair's global headquarters and primary technology hub, making this role central to the company's strategic operations rather than a satellite position. The Boston location provides access to world-class talent from local universities and proximity to the company's senior leadership team and strategic decision-making processes.

Wayfair emphasizes a data-driven, fast-paced culture that values analytical rigor and strategic thinking, with strong support for professional development and career growth. The hybrid work model with 4 days in office reflects the collaborative nature of strategic analytics work while providing some flexibility for focused analytical tasks.

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Data Scientist I - Early Careers - Job Opportunity at Wayfair

Benefits

Key Responsibilities

Requirements

Education

Experience

Required Skills

Sauge AI Market Intelligence

Industry Trends

Salary Evaluation

Role Significance

Key Projects

Success Factors

Market Demand

Important Skills

Critical Skills

Beneficial Skills

Unique Aspects

Career Growth

Potential Next Roles

Company Overview

Wayfair

Data Sources & Analysis Information

Job Listings Data

Sauge AI Market Intelligence