"Senior Data Scientist, Wharton Graduate Division"

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning.

The Senior Data Scientist - Algorithmic Systems is a key member of the Data Science team supporting the full-time, Executive, and Global Wharton MBA programs. Reporting to the Director of Data Science, this role is instrumental in advancing analytics-driven solutions that enhance the student experience and improve office productivity.

This position will lead the enhancement, maintenance, and expansion of Wharton's Course Match registration system-Wharton's MBA registration system that allocates course schedule. As a technically advanced implementation of modern mechanism design, Course Match is central to the MBA academic experience and requires continued refinement and innovation. The Senior Data Scientist will contribute directly to its algorithm and infrastructure integration, with responsibilities spanning optimization tuning, heuristic development (e.g., Tabu Search), performance diagnostics, and production-level feature development. The role demands expertise in mixed-integer programming (MIP), fluency in Python, and the ability to deliver clean, modular, and maintainable production code.

The position also plays a strategic role in evaluating and integrating a new optimization engine into Course Match, collaborating with internal stakeholders such as the MBA Program Office, Wharton Computing, and the University Registrar, and engaging with external vendors to ensure system robustness, scalability, and alignment with institutional practices, policies, and priorities.

Beyond Course Match, the Senior Data Scientist will contribute to a broader portfolio of academic affairs and data science initiatives, including AI integration, predictive modeling, statistical analysis, machine learning, and analytics infrastructure development. A major focus will be building reusable, scalable, and automated Python-based solutions that enable long-term innovation within the MBA Program Office and Wharton Computing.

The ideal candidate brings a strong background in algorithmic systems and applied data science, with a demonstrated ability to manage complex technical projects from ideation through deployment. They will be adept at translating technical insights for diverse audiences, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and providing mentorship and thought leadership to colleagues. Outstanding communication skills and a highly collaborative mindset are essential.

This role is a two-year appointment, with the potential for continuation.

Duties:

• Lead development and ownership of Course Match
• Serve as the primary developer and systems owner for Course Match registration system, including algorithm and infrastructure integration.
• Algorithmic and performance refinement: Design and implement enhancements to Course Match's algorithmic infrastructure, including optimization tuning, performance analysis, heuristic development (e.g., Tabu Search), mixed-integer programming (MIP), and system diagnostics.
• Internal and external collaboration and system integration: Partner with internal stakeholders and external vendors to support the integration of a new optimization engine. Participate in vendor evaluation, architecture planning, and system design discussions to ensure successful deployment and infrastructure integration.
• Data science project contributions beyond Course Match: Contribute to high-impact academic affairs and data science initiatives beyond Course Match, including AI integration, process automation, and machine learning. Build robust Python-based solutions that promote reusability, automation, and scalability.
• Infrastructure development and automation: Develop and maintain analytics infrastructure and automation pipelines to support data workflows across the MBA Program Office and Wharton Computing. Apply best practices in software development, testing, and version control.

Qualifications:

• Master's degree and 1-2 years of experience in a quantitative field such as Engineering, Data Science, Computer Science, Operations Research, Mathematics, or a related discipline is required; however, a Master's degree and at least 5 years of relevant experience is strongly preferred.
• Strong programming proficiency in Python is required, including experience developing modular, well-documented, and production-grade code. Familiarity with version control systems (e.g., Git) and test-driven development is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in algorithmic systems or large-scale computational frameworks, with hands-on experience in one or more of the following: heuristic search methods (e.g., Tabu Search), combinatorial optimization, mixed-integer programming (MIP), or algorithmic market design.
• Experience working within multi-component software environments and integrating external libraries, APIs, or platforms. Familiarity with systems integration and data engineering practices is preferred.
• Experience supporting or participating in vendor evaluations or third-party system integrations is strongly preferred. Ability to engage with external vendors on technical system design, performance review, and implementation.
• Applied experience with core data science methods, including statistical modeling, predictive analytics, and machine learning. Proficiency with tools such as R, SQL, and Power BI is a plus.