Principal Data Scientist

About Ingredion:

Join Ingredion, where innovation impacts lives worldwide! Without even realizing it, you’ve experienced our work in your favorite chocolate, your pet’s food, the paper you write on, and your everyday snacks. As a global powerhouse across more than 60 industries, we harness the potential of natural ingredients to transform lives. Whether you’re just starting your career or bringing years of experience, there's a place for you here to make a real difference. Be part of our team that values a wide range of perspectives and is committed to shaping a better world with every product we create.

LOCATION:  Westchester, IL

WORKPLACE TYPE: Hybrid

Our Digital Technology Solutions organization has followed our digital strategy for the last several years and built a solid base for digital transformation through the deployment of several digital platforms that are adding value to the organization. We are now prepared to move forward and align with Ingredion’s Play to Win (P2W) strategy and organize our Digital Technology Solutions organization to achieve this strategy. To accomplish the next stage of our strategy, we have designed an organization model and structure that will closely align with our global functions and will establish improved governance models to ensure we align functional technology investments with business priorities that enable realized value. 

The Principal Data Scientist will be responsible for managing, designing, developing, and deploying scalable and robust artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions for various business problems to enable digital transformation and innovation across various functions. This senior-level role demands a candidate with a strong background in AI/ML design, development and, architecture of AI/ML, technologies, and partnership with technical and non-technical stakeholders. This role will collaborate with cross-functional teams to architect, design and ensure development of impactful solutions that optimize processes, for the identified opportunities. This role will also be responsible for managing the AI/ML operations. This role will lead an external team of AI/ML engineers, architects, consultants, and data scientists under a factory model approach.

This position will work closely with the Digital Partners, Solution Delivery leads, business analysts, consultants, developers, and project managers to understand the business requirements, translate them into AI/ML initiatives, and ensure the delivery of high-quality solutions. This position will recommend the best solutions to meet the business requirements and will also provide technical guidance, best practices, and troubleshooting support to the executing teams. Role will report to Director AI/ML Technology & Architecture.

What you will do:

• Analyze requirements for ML projects supporting Ingredion functional areas (demand planning, experimental ingredient formulations, manufacturing, yield management, and others) and translate them into ML solutions.
• Assist in leading the Ingredion and DTS AI Labs community in peer reviewing member projects, formalizing best practices and standards, and collaborating with Ingredion Data Scientists on  ML problems.
• Review and advise project uses of AI/ML frameworks, tools, and platforms, such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, R, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.
• Document and evolve best practices, standards, and processes for AI/ML development and deployment.
• Design and implement end-to-end AI/ML pipelines, from data ingestion and processing, to model development and deployment, to monitoring and evaluation.
• Design and document solution architectures, including the integration, security, scalability, and performance aspects.
• Test and validate solutions and ensure they meet the quality standards and expectations of the solution architecture and design.
• Collaborate with data engineers, data scientists, business analysts, and stakeholders to understand the business needs, define the AI/ML objectives, and communicate the results and insights.
• Promote and apply best practices and standards for AI/ML engineering, such as code quality, testing, documentation, version control, and CI/CD.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship development teams and junior AI/ML engineers and data scientists.
• Collaborate with stakeholders, product managers, and engineers to define AI/ML requirements and deliverables.
• Monitor and evaluate the performance and impact of AI/ML solutions and provide feedback and recommendations for improvement.
• Research and evaluate the latest AI/ML techniques and algorithms and apply them to solve business problems.
• Stay updated on the latest technologies, trends, and innovations and suggest improvements and enhancements to the solutions. Evaluate new and emerging technologies and trends, conducting feasibility studies and prototyping to assess potential impact and value and foster a culture of innovation and learning within the team.

What you will bring:

• Bachelor's degree or or Master’s degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, or related field.
• 5 to 7 years of experience in AI/ML engineering, or related roles.
• Proficient in one or more of the AI/ML programming languages
• Strong knowledge and experience in AI/ML concepts, such as supervised and unsupervised learning, deep learning, natural language processing, reinforcement learning, etc.
• Hands-on experience in building and deploying AI/ML solutions using various frameworks, tools, and platforms, such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, AWS, Azure, or GCP.
• Experience in working with large and complex datasets, using SQL, NoSQL, or big data technologies, such as Hadoop, Spark, or Hive.
• Experience in managing and optimizing AI/ML pipelines, workflows, and infrastructure
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex AI/ML concepts and solutions to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience in applying DevOps principles and practices to AI/ML engineering, such as code quality, testing, documentation, version control, and CI/CD.
• Experience working in a global environment, with the ability to navigate cultural differences and collaborate effectively with diverse teams across geographies.
• Certification in AI/ML solutions & architecture or related fields is a plus.

Who you are:

• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Handle multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

Why Join Ingredion? 

Discover why Ingredion is the ideal place to advance your career with our exceptional rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive. Create the future with us and enjoy:

• Total Rewards Package – Competitive salary and performance-based pay recognizing your contributions to our success
• Comprehensive Benefits & Wellness Support – Health, long-term savings, and resources for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being
• Flexible Work Arrangements – We value flexibility to support you both professionally and personally
• Career Growth – Learning, training, and development opportunities, including tuition reimbursement
• Employee Recognition Program – A culture of real-time appreciation, with personalized recognition rewards globally
• Employee Discount Program – Provides exclusive discounts on everyday products, services, and travel

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We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. Ingredion seeks to provide a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. We will not tolerate any form of discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, handicap or disability—mental or physical—marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability resulting from military service, or any other classification protected by law (“protected classifications”). We are committed to establishing and maintaining a work environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

Ingredion provides accommodations to job applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process. If a job applicant requires an accommodation during the application process or through the selection process, we will work with the applicant to meet the job applicant's accommodation needs.

Relocation Available:

Pay Range:

This pay range is not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Final base salary will be determined based on several factors which may include but are not limited to responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data and applicable bargaining agreement (if any).

Incentive Compensation:

As a part of the total compensation package, this role may be eligible for the Ingredion Annual Incentive Plan or a role-specific commission/bonus.

Benefits:

Full-time roles are eligible for our comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, dental and vision coverage as well as a 401(k) plan with an competitive company match.