Scientist Jobs in Sunnyvale, CA
Scientist jobs in Sunnyvale, California are concentrated in the city's biotech and semiconductor corridors, particularly around the Lawrence Expressway business district, Moffett Park, and the Caltrain-adjacent office clusters, with strong demand in pharmaceutical research, materials science, and computational biology. Employers hiring right now include Amazon, Walmart, and Target. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
Find Scientist JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 745+ Scientist jobs











Pay is based on several factors which vary based on position. These include labor markets and in some instances may include education, work experience and certifications. In addition to your pay, Target cares about and invests in you as a team member, so that you can take care of yourself and your family. Target offers eligible team members and their dependents comprehensive health benefits and programs, which may include medical, vision, dental, life insurance and more, to help you and your family take care of your whole selves. Other benefits for eligible team members include 401(k), employee discount, short term disability, long term disability, paid sick leave, paid national holidays, and paid vacation. Find competitive benefits from financial and education to well-being and beyond at https://corporate.target.com/careers/benefits.
JOIN TARGET AS SR DATA SCIENTIST – GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN AND LOGISTICS
About us:
Working at Target means helping all families discover the joy of everyday life. We bring that vision to life through our values and culture. Learn more about Target here.
A role with Target Data Sciences means the chance to help develop and manage state of the art predictive and prescriptive algorithms that use data to automate and optimize decisions at scale. The Target Data Science – Global Supply Chain and Logistics team leverages operations research, simulation, and machine learning to help Target makes intelligent, end-to-end supply chain business decisions. This involves writing high-performant, scalable code as well as designing analytical solutions to extract insights and to prescribe best courses of action.
You’ll work in an environment that provides the freedom and agility of a startup - with the security and vast resources of a large established company with continuous learning opportunities provided.
In this role at Target as a Sr Data Scientist – Global Supply Chain and Logistics, you will:
- Work closely with fellow data scientists to review and iterate on optimization and machine learning algorithms and develop state of the art mathematical models
- Collaborate with engineers to design and deploy algorithms in production at scale. Our models run many times a day for millions of combinations of stock keeping units and distribution networks
- Work with business partners to learn about the retail business and processes in play
- Ideate and resolve tradeoffs between model granularity and features as well as performance, reliability, and usability of our codebase. Improve engineering standards, tooling, and processes
What we're looking for:
- Strong knowledge of supply chain optimization – inventory, transportation, sourcing, distribution, fulfillment, planning, etc.
- Strong computer science fundamentals and love rock-solid, well-structured, and efficient code: data structures, algorithms, programming languages, and information retrieval
- Strong technical and communication skills to deliver with quality and evangelize technical solutions to business, product and engineering partners
- Ability to write understandable, testable code with an eye towards maintainability
- You constantly think about the end-user for solutions you develop, and prioritize business impact over technical sophistication
- Ability to deal with ambiguity, and prioritize progress over perfection
- You have an eye for detail, and relentless curiosity for supply chain problems
- You have a knack for answering open questions with data
- You understand that simplicity is hard but key to achieving maintainability and to being able to continually deliver value to the business
Core responsibilities of this job are described within this job description. Job duties may change at any time due to business needs.
About you:
- PhD or MS in Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, or related quantitative fields
- 3+ years of experience leading large-scale implementations of optimization, simulation, machine learning and deep learning modeling at scale
- Demonstrated experience writing highly performant code and deploying algorithms in a production environment. Proficient in predictive and prescriptive algorithms
- Proficient in one or more programming languages: Python, R, Kotlin, or Java
- Expert at formulating and implementing mathematical models ranging from mixed-integer programming, stochastic dynamic programming and reinforcement learning
- Experience in implementing advanced statistical techniques like regression, clustering, PCA, time series forecasting, etc.
- Proficient in application/software architecture (definition, process modeling, etc.)
- Experience writing production datasets in SQL/Hive or building internal/production data tools for research or experimentation in a scripting language like Python
- Able to produce reasonable documents and narratives suggesting actionable insights
- Excellent communication skills with an ability to clearly tell data driven stories through appropriate visualizations, graphs, and narratives
- Self-driven and results oriented; able to meet tight timelines
- Collaborative team player with ability to partner effectively across time zones
This position will operate as a Hybrid/Flex for Your Day work arrangement based on Target’s needs. A Hybrid/Flex for Your Day work arrangement means the team member’s core role will need to be performed both onsite at the Target HQ Sunnyvale location the role is assigned to, and virtually, depending upon what your role, team and tasks require for that day. Work duties cannot be performed outside of the country of the primary work location, unless otherwise prescribed by Target.
Target will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the San Francisco and City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinances.Benefits Eligibility
Please paste this url into your preferred browser to learn about benefits eligibility for this role: https://tgt.biz/BenefitsForYou_DAmericans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
In compliance with state and federal laws, Target will make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please reach out to candidate.accommodations@HRHelp.Target.com. Non-accommodation-related requests, such as application follow-ups or technical issues, will not be addressed through this channel.
Application deadline is : 09/17/2026See All 745+ Scientist Jobs in Sunnyvale
Find roles in Sunnyvale that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Scientist JobsScientist Job Market in Sunnyvale
Who's Hiring
- Amazon186

- Walmart116

- Target70

- Uber47

- Bosch47

Top Industries Hiring
- Medical Devices
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
Scientist Jobs in Sunnyvale: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a scientist job in Sunnyvale?
The most direct path is targeting Sunnyvale's dense life sciences and semiconductor clusters, where pharmaceutical companies, medical device firms, and chip manufacturers maintain large research teams. Roles concentrate around Moffett Park and the Lawrence Expressway corridor. Candidates with hands-on lab experience in chemistry, biology, or materials science stand out, as do those familiar with FDA-regulated research environments or semiconductor fabrication processes common to the area.
Which companies hire scientists in Sunnyvale?
Employers hiring scientists in Sunnyvale right now include Amazon, Walmart, and Target, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Sunnyvale's hiring base ranges from large pharmaceutical and semiconductor corporations to mid-size biotech startups and contract research organizations, reflecting the city's long-standing role as a research and development hub in Silicon Valley.
Are there remote scientist jobs in Sunnyvale?
Yes, though availability depends heavily on the role. Bench scientists, analytical chemists, and lab-based researchers typically work on-site, while computational biologists, bioinformaticians, and data scientists in a research context have more remote options. About 55% of scientist openings tied to Sunnyvale are remote or hybrid as of August 2026. The most remote-friendly positions in Sunnyvale tend to be those in data analysis, regulatory affairs, and computational research.
How can I get a scientist job in Sunnyvale with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry point is pursuing a research associate or junior scientist role at one of Sunnyvale's contract research organizations or early-stage biotech startups, which tend to hire candidates with a bachelor's degree and internship experience. University co-op programs and internships with larger Sunnyvale pharmaceutical or semiconductor firms also convert at a solid rate. Familiarity with Good Laboratory Practice standards and common instrumentation gives entry-level candidates a concrete edge in local interviews.
Which industries hire the most scientists in Sunnyvale?
The sectors hiring the most scientists in Sunnyvale are Medical Devices and Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Sunnyvale's position at the intersection of Silicon Valley's hardware legacy and its expanding life sciences presence means both semiconductor materials research and biotech drug discovery generate consistent scientist demand throughout the year.
Related Jobs in California
See All 745+ Scientist Jobs in Sunnyvale
Find roles in Sunnyvale that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Scientist Jobs