Data Scientist (38948)

Site Overview:

Young Innovations is a manufacturer and marketer of high-quality dental equipment with sales in excess of $100 million. With an outstanding reputation for quality, the company has a broad portfolio of market leading products across a variety of categories.

Job Summary: 

The Data Scientist will drive adoption and implementation of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and strategic analytics within our global data Fabric environment. This Data Scientist is ideal for someone with a strong foundation in statistical analysis, machine learning, and natural language processing, particularly in the application and fine-tuning of Large Language Models (LLMs). This professional will bring expertise in correlation analysis, predictive modeling, and the ability to work with large, complex datasets to drive data-driven decision-making across the organization.

The Data Scientist will report to the Director, Strategy, Data and Analytics on a day-to-day basis and will have direct interaction and engagement with the CFO and executive management team. The Data Scientist will be responsible for analyzing large datasets, building predictive models, and communicating actionable insights to stakeholders. This role is located at the headquarters in Algonquin, IL (or Chicago, IL) and is not eligible for relocation assistance.

Job Duties: 

• Integrate large language models (LLMs) - such as OpenAI, BERT, and LLaMA - into business processes and products to power applications like text summarization, classification, personalized recommendations, and conversational interfaces;
• Perform statistical analyses to uncover correlations and causal relationships in both structured and unstructured data, identifying key drivers of business performance and emerging trends;
• Build and optimize predictive models using advanced machine learning techniques to enhance forecasting accuracy, customer segmentation, retention strategies, fraud detection, and other high-impact business functions;
• Develop customer segmentation frameworks by analyzing behavioral, transactional, and demographic data to support personalized marketing and customer engagement initiatives;
• Utilize large-scale datasets (e.g., customer interactions, transaction records) through distributed computing and modern data platforms to drive data-informed decision-making;
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Product, Marketing, Commercial, Customer Service, Finance, and Operations, to define analytical needs and deliver actionable solutions;
• Translate complex findings into actionable insights using dashboards, data visualizations, and reports tailored for both technical and non-technical stakeholders;
• Stay up to date with advancements in AI/ML, natural language processing (NLP), and data analytics; proactively recommend new tools, frameworks, and best practices to enhance capabilities;
• Support enterprise-wide initiatives, including M&A data integration efforts and other strategic analytics projects, as required.

Job Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related field;
• Masters, MBA and PhD a plus;
• 3+ years of professional experience in data science, analytics, or machine learning roles;
• Hands-on experience working with and implementing Large Language Models (LLMs) and NLP techniques;
• Strong proficiency in Python and experience with ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow);
• Strong foundation in statistical analysis and predictive modeling, including correlation analysis, hypothesis testing, regression, classification, and time-series forecasting using tools like Python (SciPy, statsmodels), R, or SAS;
• Experience working with large datasets and data warehouses using SQL and cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure);
• Experience working in a Private Equity environment a plus

Key Traits:

• High energy, positive, collaborative, approachable, team-oriented work style and ability to follow through with a very high level of customer satisfaction.
• Comfortable working in fast-paced environment with a sense of urgency and good judgment in resolving issues
• Demonstrated ability to be a self-starter and think independently, proactive not reactive
• Results or