Applied Research operates as a dynamic, innovative engine within the Decision Support division, building proofs-of-concept that inform strategic directions across Cox Automotive's diverse business units. The team's projects span an exciting breadth-including advanced recommendation engines, predictive analytics for market insights, anomaly and fraud detection frameworks, intelligent data summarization tools, and foundational models that directly influence the performance and reliability of Manheim's digital and physical auction platforms.
Strategic Vision & Portfolio Ownership
• Define and evolve the strategic direction of the Applied Research team, aligning data science innovation with Manheim Digital's long-term business objectives.
• Own the portfolio of applied data science initiatives across diverse domains-auction dynamics, supply chain optimization, digital fraud detection, and more-ensuring prioritization of high-impact, value-generating work.
• Identify emerging opportunities for machine learning and computational statistics to create competitive advantage; proactively shape the problem space before it is handed down.
Organizational Influence & Cross-Functional Leadership
• Serve as the senior data science leader within Decision Support, representing Applied Research across Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Operations leadership.
• Champion data science alignment across business units, fostering deep partnerships and trust with stakeholders to ensure models and insights are adopted, deployed, and impactful.
• Drive strategic conversations with executive leaders around where and how Applied Research can influence revenue growth, operational efficiency, and user experience.
Executional Oversight & Innovation Culture
• Guide the delivery of advanced prototypes and analytical frameworks, ensuring scientific rigor while balancing speed and feasibility in production environments.
• Build a resilient innovation pipeline by seeding exploratory work alongside tactical model delivery-nurturing experimentation without compromising delivery timelines.
• Ensure effective knowledge transfer and continuity from prototype to scalable solutions via partnership with Data Engineering, Product, and Platform teams.
People Leadership & Talent Development
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of high-performing managers and principal scientists, fostering a culture rooted in curiosity, trust, and practical excellence.
• Actively build the next layer of data science leadership, ensuring succession planning, role clarity, and alignment with team values and org goals.
• Promote cross-pollination of ideas and resources across analytical teams at Cox Automotive, creating cohesion within a distributed enterprise.
Operational Excellence & Thought Leadership
• Establish and continuously refine best practices in model development, experimentation, code review, stakeholder engagement, and business value measurement.
• Maintain a deep understanding of evolving technology ecosystems (AWS, Snowflake, ECS, EC2, Lambda) and ensure the team leverages tools that maximize research velocity and insight delivery.
• Represent Applied Research within Cox Automotive's data leadership community, contributing to enterprise-wide strategy, governance, and analytical capability development.
Qualifications / Required Experience & Specialized Knowledge and skills:
- Bachelor's degree in related field with 10+ years of experience. A candidate may also have a Master's Degree with 8+ years of experience or a Ph.D. with 5+ years of experience. A non-degreed candidate will have 14+ years of experience.
- 5+ years in a leadership role
- Proven expertise in cloud platforms and services, including AWS (Lambda, EC2, ECS), and data warehousing solutions like Snowflake.
- Extensive experience with machine learning concepts, algorithms, and frameworks, with a track record of deploying ML models into production environments.
- Demonstrated proficiency in managing machine learning pipeline tools, both managed and custom-built solutions, ensuring scalability and efficiency.
- Strong programming skills in languages such as Python, with experience in developing and optimizing complex data processing workflows.
- Exceptional leadership abilities, with experience in building and mentoring high-performing data science teams.
- Excellent communication skills, capable of articulating complex technical concepts to diverse stakeholders and influencing executive decision-making.
- Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment, prioritize competing demands, and maintain high executional integrity under pressure
- Physical ability and mental acuity to execute the duties of the position within required timeframes
USD 159,400.00 - 265,600.00
Compensation:
Compensation includes a base salary of $159,400.00 - $265,600.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.
Benefits:
The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company's needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.
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What We Do
For well over a century, Cox Enterprises has been shaping the future with daring ideas and values-driven thinking. Since our founding in 1898, our relentless spirit of innovation has driven us to disrupt industries and enhance the quality of life in the communities we serve. Through our major divisions — Cox Communications, Cox Automotive and Cox Farms — our people have countless opportunities to grow and make an impact in the communications and automotive industries, as well as in new ventures in agriculture, cleantech, digital media and more. As a privately-held, family-owned business, we know that people are our most valuable asset. We offer a supportive and inclusive environment with flexible career growth, amazing benefits and work-life balance at the forefront. Our mission, our ways of working and our commitment to people are what make our workplace culture remarkably flexible and resilient. Join us to build a better future and make your mark.
Why Work With Us
At our core, Cox is a technology company that values human relationships. We know people feel most empowered when their work has meaning, when they feel respected and have opportunities to grow. “Career satisfaction” is not enough at Cox — we’re here to help you find balance, live well and achieve your career goals even as they change over time.
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Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Every person has different working styles and preferences — and we aim to empower teams to work where they are most comfortable. Some roles require in-person work, but for those that can be performed remotely, we offer flexibility.
