Senior Manager, Data Science - Foundational Models

About the Role

At Stitch Fix, we are at the forefront of innovation, creating cutting-edge solutions that blend fashion, technology, and data science. Our data science team combines machine learning with expert human judgment to generate innovative recommendations and insights that transform the way our clients discover what they love. We believe in a curiosity-driven data science culture where members are empowered to deliver impact through end-to-end model development. The diversity of the problems that we work on and the data-rich environment of our business make it possible, even essential, to bring the tools of multiple disciplines to bear on our hardest problems.  

We are looking for an experienced Foundational Models Team Manager to lead a group of talented machine learning engineers and data scientists. In this role, you will shape the future of fashion technology by driving the development and deployment of our core scoring and ranking algorithms. These industry-leading machine learning models match clients to available inventory, supporting our stylists in designing Fixes and powering online personalization directly to our clients.

Responsibilities

• Champion cutting-edge machine learning and AI techniques to improve holistic client engagement, personalization, and overall growth.
• Represent our core algorithmic capabilities in cross-functional forums, including with our executive leadership team, synthesizing business requirements and translating technical solutions with radical transparency and a solution-oriented mindset.
• Lead and inspire a team building transformative capabilities at the heart of our company’s value proposition, synthesizing and balancing multiple business objectives.
• Foster a culture of ownership for holistic business outcomes within the team, encouraging proactive engagement with cross-functional partners.
• Drive the development and optimization of our prediction and recommendation algorithms, ensuring they provide personalized, relevant, and engaging fashion recommendations for stylists and clients.
• Oversee the end-to-end algorithm development lifecycle—from ideation and experimentation to testing and deployment in a production environment.
• Manage the prioritization and execution of key algorithmic projects while balancing business needs, technical feasibility, and timelines.
• Implement industry best practices for team collaboration, code quality, use of AI, and data management.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest trends and advancements in AI-assisted development, AI-enabled product experiences, machine learning, and fashion technology.

About You

This is what you’ll need to succeed in this role from day 1. 

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in a quantitative field such as Computer Science, Statistics, Physics, Mathematics, or a related field required. Master’s or PhD preferred. 
• 5+ years of experience in design and deployment of machine learning algorithms, ideally in retail applications of deep learning and recommendation systems.
• 2+ years of experience in a direct people management role, with a track record of inspiring and motivating direct reports, and connecting team priorities to business objectives.
• Ability to write and review production-grade code, ideally in Python.
• Applied knowledge of AI-assisted coding best practices and development of agentic product solutions.
• Excels at building trust with your team, stakeholders, and technical partners.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Experience with online A/B testing, experimentation frameworks, and performance metrics.
• Familiar with cloud-based infrastructure and distributed data systems.