Principal Data Scientist, Generative Recommendations & AI

Location: Spain, Experience: 8+ Years building and deploying machine learning models and llms into high-scale customer experiences Stack: Python, PyTorch/TensorFlow, SQL, Databricks, Snowflake. Our Team At Vista Engineering, we are building an industry-leading Customer Relevance Platform to scale personalization across products, design templates, and marketing messages. We are moving away from "model sprawl" toward a unified architecture centered on fmX , a foundation model that learns shared embeddings for all relevant entities for vistaprint (users, products, marketing message, templates…etc.). Our FY27 mission is focused on delivering an "Context-aware Customer Experience" . To achieve this, we are prioritizing the evolution of Intent-Based Personalization —capturing real-time journey signals to match the customer's immediate goals—and infusing our recommendations into Agentic experiences , equipping AI assistants with the context needed to drive conversational shopping. What You Will Do As the Principal Data Scientist , you will drive the generative and context-aware evolution of our platform. Part of this role involves partnering directly with another Principal Data Scientist to co-lead our research agenda, accelerate our strategic progress, and elevate the overall capabilities of the Data Science team. You will research, design, and evangelize how Vista uses Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) to go beyond traditional retrieval and ranking, creating fully contextualized, ML-driven customer experiences. Generative, Intent-Based & Agentic Recommendations Lead the evolution of our recommendation systems into the Generative AI era, moving our architecture beyond static item retrieval by researching generative recommendation paradigms (e.g., agentic recommendations, contextual narratives). Develop an algorithmic intent layer that translates real-time browsing signals into actionable customer intents that will inform our recommendations. Architect the ML pathways to expose core recommendation actions as tools for AI agents, allowing them to synthesize customer intent, retrieve/rank candidates from fmX, and power seamless conversational shopping experiences. Broad Personalization Strategy & Segmentation Build advanced propensity models and leverage foundational customer traits to drive customer segmentations and personas. Ensure these segmentations are actionable and strategically aligned to the company strategy. ML-Driven Bot Detection Tackle the critical bot traffic challenge by building multi-layered, hybrid machine learning models trained on historical web tracking data. Classify ambiguous sessions that bypass deterministic rules to protect our analytics and personalization integrity. Data Science Leadership & Evangelization Partner closely with our existing Principal Data Scientist to divide and conquer complex research initiatives, accelerating the overall team's output and maturity. Act as the primary AI ambassador across Vista, influencing product, engineering, and business leadership to embrace a model-driven approach. Work closely with platform and experience teams to ensure that ML models integrate seamlessly into the customer experience without degrading Core Web Vitals or caching efficiency. Your Qualifications At VistaPrint, we are striving to hire individuals that add new ideas and perspectives to our teams and enhance our culture. No matter your background or work experience, we strongly encourage you to apply—even if you feel that you don’t meet the exact requirements or have the same qualifications. You might be a great candidate for this or other opportunities. Advanced degree (Ph.D. or Master's) in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, or a closely related quantitative field. 8+ years of experience building and deploying machine learning models into high-scale customer experiences. Deep expertise in Deep Learning, Large Language Models (LLMs), and Reinforcement Learning . Proven track record of building robust propensity models, customer segmentation frameworks, and anomaly/bot detection algorithms on large-scale behavioral data. Expert-level proficiency in Python, PyTorch/TensorFlow, and SQL . Strong architectural understanding of how ML models interact with both backend data pipelines (e.g., streaming features, Databricks, Snowflake) and frontend delivery systems (e.g., UI fragment rendering, caching strategies). Very strong communication and stakeholder management skills. Proven ability to translate complex statistical and algorithmic concepts into clear business value to influence non-technical leadership. Relevant work experience in an Agile environment and in the e-commerce or marketing domain. Why You'll Love Working Here There is a lot to love about working at VistaPrint. We are an award winning Remote-First company. We’re an inclusive community. We’re growing (which means you can too). And to help orient us all in the same direction, we have our Vista Beha