Data Director, China

Position

Position Overview:

The Data Director at Sephora China will lead the company's data & AI strategy, supporting business objectives across departments through the design and deployment of an advanced data and AI ecosystem — from strategy, data governance to platform and algorithms.

This role encompasses strategic vision, technical leadership, data science enablement, team management, business collaboration, and innovation driving, ensuring data &AI becomes a core enabler for decision-making and business optimization.

Key Responsibilities:

1.      Data Strategy Development & Execution:

Ÿ   Collaborate closely with various departments to deeply understand business needs and generate data & AI application use-cases across marketing, digital, CRM, retail and operations.

Ÿ   Lead the data team in exploring use-cases with stakeholders and establish a vision for the data team aligned with higher-level business objectives.

Ÿ   Define and lead Sephora China’s Data & AI roadmap, prioritizing high-value initiatives that deliver measurable business impact and align with Sephora’s global strategy.

Ÿ   Foster a data-driven and AI-first culture through education, governance, and cross-functional collaboration.

2.      Data Platform Management, Architecture & Governance:

Ÿ   Take charge of the technical vision, direction, and architecture design of the big data platform, including technology selection, evaluation, and solution assessment.

Ÿ   Build and maintain the big data platform and its ecosystem, deploy ETL pipelines and ML products, implementing sound methodologies for omni-channel data extraction, collection, cleansing, consolidation, transformation, processing, and data service provision.

Ÿ   Ensure data security, compliance, and adherence to all relevant legal requirements.

Ÿ   Partner with global data teams to ensure alignment on data governance, architecture, and interoperability.

3.      Data Analytics & Data Science Development:

Ÿ   Deliver actionable insights through deep data analysis — connecting business KPIs, customer behaviors, and operational trends to inform decision-making.

Ÿ   Develop compelling dashboards and visual analytics (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) to track performance, identify growth opportunities, and democratize access to data across teams.

Ÿ   Promote self-service analytics and AI enablement tools to empower business teams and democratize access to insights.

Ÿ   Integrate data insights from business processes and collaborate with business leaders to scale data-driven decision making.

Ÿ   Oversee the design, testing, and industrialization of AI and predictive models — such as personalization, demand forecasting, client retention…

Ÿ   Establish clear performance measurement and monitoring frameworks (accuracy, lift, ROI) to ensure models deliver tangible business value.

Ÿ   Define Sephora China’s data science operating model — including model lifecycle, validation standards, and reusability frameworks across regions.

4.      Team Management & Development:

Ÿ   Build, inspire, and develop a multidisciplinary Data & AI team, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous learning.

Ÿ   Provide clear direction, coaching, and professional growth opportunities to strengthen capabilities and engagement.

Ÿ   Empower the team to translate complex data into actionable insights and scalable AI solutions that drive business impact.

5.      Business Collaboration & Communication:

Ÿ   Cultivate strong relationships with departments across the company to explore business value and insights through the data platform and drive data productization.

Ÿ   Partner with Sephora’s Global Data & AI organization to co-develop scalable solutions, share algorithms, and accelerate regional AI adoption.

Ÿ   Evangelize AI use cases and results, representing Sephora China in global leadership reviews.

Requirements:

Ÿ   Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business, Data Science, Engineering, or related fields; advanced degree preferred.

Ÿ   Minimum 8 years of experience in data, analytics, or AI leadership roles, with proven experience driving business transformation (e.g., growth acceleration, productivity gains, or customer experience improvements) through data and AI and 3 years in people management.

Ÿ   Experience partnering with C-level executives to define and operationalize a data-driven vision.

Ÿ   Strong strategic thinking and business acumen, with the ability to link AI initiatives to financial and operational KPIs.

Ÿ   Deep understanding of retail and e-commerce value levers — from consumer acquisition and retention to supply chain optimization.

Ÿ   Proven success in building and scaling AI-driven data ecosystems — from data platforms to applied AI products — within consumer, retail, or digital industries, delivering measurable business and customer impact, particularly in China's Cloud environment.

Ÿ   Solid understanding of modern data and AI technologies, including data architecture and MLOps best practices (Databricks, Snowflake, Spark, Airflow), as well as familiarity with machine learning and generative AI frameworks (Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, vector databases, and LLM operations).

Ÿ   Excellent communication, interpersonal, and influencing skills for effective collaboration across Asia and globally.

Ÿ   Ability to shape strategies, nurture partnerships, lead deliveries, and realize benefits.

Ÿ   Strong leadership skills with a proven track record of managing high-performing teams.

Ÿ   Strong sense of data security, privacy, and compliance.

Ÿ   Ability to multitask and balance multiple priorities and projects.

Ÿ   Fluent in both English and Chinese.