Data Scientist - Development Program 2026

84.51°

Data Scientist – Development Program

Location Option(s): Cincinnati, OH & Chicago, IL

This program is in-office, with no remote options.

Cohort Start Date(s): January 26, 2026 & June 15, 2026

These are strict start dates; you must be able to start working full-time on one of the above dates.

Applicants for employment in the US must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United Stated and with the Kroger Family of Companies (i.e. H1-B visa, F-1 visa (OPT), TN visa or any other non-immigrant status).

SUMMARY :

As data scientists, we are a connected community of practice that enables the business teams with which we collaborate to understand the Kroger customer and act on their behalf. We bring an integrated, 360° view of our customer, allowing us to anticipate their needs, enable better business decisions, and make peoples’ lives easier. As a result, we grow loyalty to Kroger and CPG brands.

84.51° is divided into two models made up of cross-functional teams: the Kroger model and the Commercial model. These models are named for their core stakeholders and priorities, and data scientists play a critical part in the success of these cross-functional teams. Depending on the team, you may work primarily with Consultants, Data Engineers, Software Engineers, Product and Design, and of course a team of other Data Scientists.

After completion of the 12-week Development Program, you will be assigned to a specific Business Team supporting a variety of Kroger’s operations such as Price and Promotion, Supply Chain, Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM), among many others.

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM :

Data Scientists in the Development Program have cohorts starting in January and June with positions available in both our downtown Cincinnati, OH Headquarters and our Chicago, IL office, located in the Old Post Office.

As a Data Scientist in the Data Science Development Program, you will participate in a rigorous 12-week program which incorporates hands on technical/commercial training, and real-time project work with our data science teams. Our goal is to help you build business acumen in the grocery retail industry while getting hands on experience with our data science toolkit and tech stack.

Weeks 1 – 6:

An intensive training curriculum that dives deep into our business as well as Data Scientist-specific training. Courses are internally developed and led by experienced 84.51° data scientists and include topics such as Databricks, Python, PySpark, Git/GitHub, and Power BI.

Weeks 7 – 12:

Own and complete live projects across the business with support from a Data Scientist project-lead to further develop your data science skillset, after which you will be assigned to your role on a team of data scientists aligned to a core area of our business based on your strengths, development opportunities, and interests.

WHAT DATA SCIENCE MEANS TO US:

All Data Scientists will join a community of learners, problem solvers, and collaborators. We hire Data Scientists with a variety of skillsets to align with the diverse body of analytical work across the business. A candidate’s data science aptitudes will vary based on background and prior experience, bringing a unique set of skills to the table.

Data Scientists at 84.51° are not “one size fits all.” There are common skills all Data Scientists possess which we teach and reenforce in the Development Program such as Python/PySpark, but we also value skills that run the gamut from storytelling to data munging to machine learning & artificial intelligence. Our definition of Data Science is robust, and you may have broad responsibilities ranging from building data pipelines, surfacing actionable insights for clients through applied analytics, and machine learning model creation and deployment. Some Data Science roles may incorporate all these skillsets while others may be more focused on insight generation or data curation instead of machine learning and statistical analysis. We value candidates for our Development Program who have a desire to build a breadth of experience across the 84.51° and Kroger businesses. As you develop your strengths over time, and hone your interests, various career paths become available to grow your career at 84.51°.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE WE VALUE :

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from a four-year accredited university in Economics, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Market Research, Business Analytics, Information Systems, Data Science, or another heavily quantitative program. We also consider applicants from other degree fields given prior internship or project experience related to data science and analytics


• Must be graduating by the time the program starts - or looking for an early career change to our industry (0-3 years of experience)


• An interest in, and experience writing, efficient and scalable code (Python, R, SQL, Spark, etc.). Our primary languages are PySpark and Python, though we value any coding experience you have background in when applying


• Familiarity with version control and/or process improvement and automation (GitHub)


• Experience with data visualization, storytelling, and communicating with diverse business audiences


• Familiarity with theory and application of multiple machine learning techniques (logistic regression, clustering, etc.) and statistical measurement capabilities (Test/Control Methodologies)


• Strong business and commercial acumen with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences and link analysis to business impact


• Natural curiosity that welcomes and embraces change and willingness to try new things and to fail


• Ability to work in teams with cross-functional partners such as consultants, engineering, and product owners


• Exposure or experience with generative AI technologies, with the interest & ability to leverage these tools to enhance data-driven insights and develop innovative solutions


• We encourage you to apply even if you do not possess all of the above skills or experiences

#LI-DNI

Pay Transparency and Benefits

• The stated salary range represents the entire span applicable across all geographic markets from lowest to highest. Actual salary offers are structured and will be determined by multiple factors including but not limited to function, office location and education level, in alignment with market data and cost of labor.


• Below is a list of some of the benefits we offer our associates:
  
  
  
  • Health: Medical: with competitive plan designs and support for self-care, wellness and mental health. Dental: with in-network and out-of-network benefit. Vision: with in-network and out-of-network benefit.
  
  
  • Wealth: 401(k) with Roth option and matching contribution. Health Savings Account with matching contribution (requires participation in qualifying medical plan). AD&D and supplemental insurance options to help ensure additional protection for you.
  
  
  • Happiness: Hybrid work environment. Paid time off with flexibility to meet your life needs, including 5 weeks of vacation time, 7 health and wellness days, 3 floating holidays, as well as 6 company-paid holidays per year. Paid leave for maternity, paternity and family care instances.
  
  

Pay Range for Development Program

$84,000 - $97,000 USD