Senior Data Scientist - Flex Pay at Upgrade, Inc.

<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>About the Role:</strong></span></p> <p><span style="color: #000000;"><br>We are seeking a highly analytical and results-driven Data Scientist to join our buy now pay later (BNPL) sector called Flex Pay. You will play a key role in building predictive risk models, optimizing offers and pricing, and extracting insights that drive product development, risk mitigation, and customer strategy. This role requires a strong foundation in statistics, machine learning, and programming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="color: #000000;"><em><br>This position is based in our San Francisco office in a hybrid capacity, specifically on Wednesdays and Thursdays.</em></span></p> <p><span style="color: #000000;"><br><strong>What You’ll Do</strong>:&nbsp;<br></span></p> <ul> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Build and maintain credit and fraud policy simulators used to ensure properly functioning systems and identify risk decisioning enhancements.&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Build and deploy statistical models and machine learning algorithms to solve business problems in areas like credit risk, fraud detection, pricing, customer segmentation, and marketing attribution.</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Validate models to identify factors that may affect model performance.</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Analyze large, structured and unstructured datasets using SQL, Python or similar tools.</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Stay up to date with the latest trends and technologies in data science and fintech, actively research new tools and techniques available for model development.</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Collaborate with cross-functional teams including risk, marketing, product, and engineering to define data-driven strategies.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="color: #000000;"><br><strong>What We Look For</strong>:<br></span></p> <ul> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Advanced Degree (MS/PhD) in Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Finance, or a related quantitative discipline.</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">3-5+ years of hands-on experience in a data science or analytics role, preferably in financial services.&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Experience and/or strong interest in machine learning techniques (Random Forest, Gradient Boosted Trees, etc.) strongly preferred.</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Strong proficiency in Python (Pandas, Numpy, Scikit-learn) and SQL.</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Ability to write documentation and present analysis to people with different levels of expertise (e.g., technical staff, business leads, etc.).</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Proactive, driven, and ability to work in a fast paced environment.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="color: #000000;"><br><strong>Nice to Have</strong>:<br></span></p> <ul> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI).</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Experience with AI tools such as Claude</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Experience with data technologies like PySpark.</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Understanding of financial services concepts such as credit scoring, portfolio risk, or customer lifetime value.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="color: #000000;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>What We Offer You</strong>:&nbsp;<br></span></p> <ul> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Competitive salary and stock option plan</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Paid coverage of medical, dental and vision insurance&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Competitive 401(k) and RRSP program&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Flexible PTO</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Opportunities for professional growth and development&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Paid parental leave</span></li> <li style="color: #000000 !important;"><span style="color: #000000;">Health &amp; wellness initiatives</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="color: #3a3b41;"><em><br>The compensation range of this position in San Francisco, CA is USD $100,000-$150,000 annually plus equity and benefits. Within this range, an individual's base pay will be dependent on a variety of factors, including without limitation, job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience.</em></span></p>