Distinguished, Data Scientist
Walmart · Bellevue, WA
$156,000–$312,000from the description
Jul 10, 2026
Bellevue, WA
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A senior individual-contributor data science role focused on building and deploying large-scale machine learning and generative AI solutions for a retail marketplace platform. The work spans developing statistical and ML models, applying computer vision and multimodal foundation models to content problems, defining KPIs, and establishing MLOps standards. The position also involves mentoring data science teams across multiple locations and advising product and business stakeholders on algorithmic strategy.
Principal level · 14+ years · Seattle-Bellevue-Kent, WA · Full-time
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Roughly 9 people in the Seattle-Bellevue-Kent, WA area plausibly meet what this posting asks for (data scientists). range 2–15
Applicant volume Moderate — A normal amount of company. The rare requirements below are what will separate a shortlisted application from the rest.
Rare in this occupation — lead with these, and say what you built with them.
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $168,363 (middle half $111,131–$214,996). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (8)
The title 'Distinguished Data Scientist' maps to Principal seniority — this is an explicitly top-of-ladder designation at Walmart, with org-wide technical authority, mentoring across US and India, and 14–20+ years of experience required depending on degree level.
The Minimum Qualifications section (Option 1/2/3) lists much lower bars (4–8 years, bachelor's or master's) than the Position Summary's stated requirements (14–20+ years depending on degree). The higher figures from the Position Summary are the operative gates for this Distinguished-level role; the overall years minimum is set to 14 (the Ph.D. path minimum, the lowest stated threshold).
Degree requirement is set to None because all three minimum-qualification options offer an experience-only path (Option 3: 8 years, no degree stated).
Python, Spark, Scala, and R appear only under Preferred Qualifications as assessment completions, so they are marked preferred. scikit-learn, TensorFlow, and PyTorch similarly appear only under Preferred Qualifications.
Machine learning, statistical modeling, Gen AI, MLOps, Computer Vision, and foundation models are drawn from the Position Summary and Position Responsibility sections, which describe the core required work of the role.
The role is in-person at Bellevue, WA; Walmart's stated culture emphasizes campus presence. Remote is set to false.
Compensation range ($156,000–$312,000/year) is very wide, likely reflecting Walmart's global banding across levels; additional stock and performance bonuses are noted.
Ignored 1 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): AI/ML model development.
Read the full posting
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