Director of Data Science

About the Role

The Director of Data Science is responsible for advanced analytics, modeling, and operational insight across the company. This role owns how operational data is derived, analyzed, modeled, governed analytically, and translated into actionable intelligence to improve execution across field operations, and franchisee locations. Reporting to the VP of FP&A, the role serves as the analytical backbone for operations, enabling better labor planning, capacity utilization, service quality, compliance, and consistency across a large, distributed franchise system. The role requires strong business and financial fluency but is not a finance position and does not own accounting, revenue management, or financial systems. The Director partners closely with Operations leadership and a centralized Data Engineering team to ensure engineered data is converted into actionable, scalable, and explainable operational insights that improve unit-level performance and franchise outcomes.

A Day in the Life

Operations-Focused Data Science & Analytics

• Own the operations analytics and data science roadmap, prioritizing execution, efficiency, and consistency over topline growth
• Develop and oversee models and analytical frameworks including:Labor planning, productivity, and staffing optimizationCapacity utilization and appointment / service scheduling analysisService cycle time, throughput, and bottleneck identificationField execution consistency and franchise compliance analyticsLocation-level performance benchmarking and variance analysis
• Apply statistical methods to identify root causes of operational underperformance and quantify improvement opportunities

Operational Decision Support

• Partner with Operations, Field Leadership, and Training teams to:Define operational KPIs and success metricsTranslate analytical findings into clear operational actionsSupport rollout, adoption, and performance tracking of operational initiatives
• Support operational pilots and initiatives with:Baseline measurementTest-and-learn frameworksPost-implementation performance evaluation

FP&A Partnership & Enterprise Alignment

• Serve as the primary analytics partner to FP&A for operational performance, supporting:Labor cost analysis and productivity metricsUnit-level and franchise-level cost driversScenario modeling related to staffing, utilization, and efficiencyEnsure operational analytics align with financial definitions and cost structures, enabling consistent reporting and decision-makingSupport executive and board-level materials with fact-based, operational performance insights

Metric Governance & Semantic Ownership

• Own analytical definitions, business logic, and semantic consistency for operations KPIs, including:Labor efficiency and utilizationService-level adherence and cycle timesCompliance, rework, and quality indicatorsTraining effectiveness and operational readinessPartner with Data Engineering to ensure these definitions are implemented accurately in curated datasets, semantic layers, and BI assets

Partnership with Data Engineering

• Collaborate closely with Data Engineering on:Analytical data requirements and use casesData availability for operational systems (e.g., scheduling, labor, POS, field tools)Data quality validation and exception thresholdsAct as the downstream analytical consumer and validator of engineered data, ensuring it supports operational modeling and decision-making

Executive & Field-Facing Analytics

• Design and oversee executive and operations dashboards that clearly show:Where execution is breaking downWhich locations or franchises require interventionWhether operational initiatives are delivering expected outcomesEnable self-service analytics for Operations and Field teams while maintaining analytical rigor and consistency

Governance, Controls & Public-Company Readiness

• Ensure operational analytics and models are well-documented, reproducible, and SOX-compliant
• Establish standards for analytical validation, documentation, and model governance
• Partner with Finance, Internal Audit, and Operations leadership to ensure analytics are audit-ready and decision-grade

Leadership & Team Development

• Establish best practices for:Analytical rigor and statistical validityClear operational storytelling and insight deliveryModel documentation and peer reviewBuild a culture that prioritizes execution, accountability, and measurable operational improvement

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Economics, Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, or related field
• 10+ years of experience in data science, operations analytics, or applied statistics, with 5+ years in leadership roles
• Deep expertise in:Statistical analysis, forecasting, and optimization techniquesOperational analytics and KPI designSQL for analytical modeling and validationPython, R, or similar analytical languagesBI and visualization platforms (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, Looker)Strong understanding of operational and cost drivers (labor scheduling, throughput, utilization, quality, compliance)Experience in multi-unit, franchise, retail, or field-based operating modelsProven ability to translate analytics into practical operational actions
• PreferredExperience supporting Operations, Supply Chain, or Workforce Management teamsFamiliarity with public-company or SOX-controlled environmentsExperience partnering with FP&A without owning financial processes

*This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship*

European Wax Center is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

This job description is a general description of essential job functions. It is not intended to describe all duties someone in this position may perform. All employees of EWC and operating subsidiaries are expected to perform tasks as assigned by supervisory/management personnel, regardless of job title or routine job