Senior Data Scientist

Helcim; Calgary; Hybrid; CAD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health Spending Account (HSA) starting

Hybrid work schedule Mon/Wed/Fri in‑f‑

Maternity/top-up benefits

Paid vacation and company-wide break

Annual training budget

Job summary

Helcim Inc. seeks a Senior Data Scientist to own end-to-end data products and ML models, driving innovation and practical analytics. You will design autonomous data solutions, mentor teammates, and partner with the Data Platform group to implement robust MLOps practices.

The role targets high-impact outcomes in payments, fraud, credit, and marketing. You will work in a high-growth environment that values ownership, scalable architectures, and cross-functional collaboration to elevate

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in Data Science or a similar role with hands-on data product experience.
• Strong Python coding and SQL querying skills.
• Experience with GCP and BigQuery; dbt is a plus.
• Experience visualizing data with self-service dashboards (e.g., Metabase).
• Open to AI changes and applying new tools as they emerge.
• Take ownership of long-term model performance and fix underperforming models.
• Bonus: experience in finance, fraud modeling, or go-to-market analytics.

Responsibilities

• Own full lifecycle of ML models and data products from ideation to deployment.
• Ship data products in 2-4 week cycles and collaborate with Data Platform team on deployment and monitoring.
• Build models to support payments, fraud, credit, and marketing for both merchants and internal ops.
• Mentor peers and raise technical standards across the team.
• Partner with Data Platform on MLOps strategy to reduce technical debt.

Skills

Python

SQL

GCP/BigQuery

dbt

BI dashboards

Generative AI awareness

Ownership

Mentoring

Tools

Metabase

Job description

We're looking for a puzzle-solving data detective who sees the freedom to build and experiment in high-impact areas for the awesome opportunity and responsibility it is.

Join Helcim in the sweet spot of our growth. We have matured into a high-growth scale-up, retaining the agility and ambition of a startup while providing the stability, infrastructure, and resources of an established company. As a Senior Data Scientist, you will step into an environment primed for advanced data solutions.

You won’t just be inheriting legacy systems. Instead, you will:

• Take ownership of developing data products
• Design autonomous agents
• Lead by example and mentor colleagues,
• Set the standard for how data science is done

…all in the name of elevating our analytics and operations across the organization.

On this team, you own the full lifecycle of our ML models and data products: from initial ideation and complex modeling to collaborating with our Data Platform team on deployment and monitoring. What we ship doesn't sit on a shelf. We solve complex problems around payments, fraud, credit, and marketing to deliver impact on two fronts:

• Supporting Independent Businesses: Every model you push out helps thousands of businesses across Canada and the USA thrive, directly supporting local economies and the people who run them.
• Improving Internal Operations: You will build models and systems that reduce manual bottlenecks. Your work directly improves the effectiveness and lives of the people in the office with you, helping us scale our operations smoothly.

We operate with mature development processes, deploying in rapid 2-4 week cycles. We work hard to balance this speed with quality, remaining deeply accountable because we know how many people rely on the systems we build.

What You Bring (Technical Requirements)

• Industry Experience: 8+ years of experience in Data Science or a similar role, with a heavy emphasis on hands-on experience building technical data products for end-users.
• Advanced Coding & Querying: Strong ability to write clean, maintainable Python code and optimize complex SQL queries for reliable performance.
• Cloud & Modern Data Stack: Experience with GCP and BigQuery (or equivalent AWS/Azure experience). Familiarity with dbt is a strong plus.
• Data Visualization: Comfortable organizing and visualizing data through self-service dashboards (e.g., Metabase or similar BI tools) to communicate insights effectively.
• AI Adaptability: You don't need to be an expert in Generative AI, but you must be open-minded and flexible. You understand how AI is changing the landscape of data work and are ready to adapt and leverage new tools as they emerge.
• Proactive Ownership: You take true ownership of long-term model performance by actively flagging underperforming models, presenting evidence, and taking the lead on fixing them to ensure consistent business value.
• Bonus Points: Experience in the financial industry, business credit, fraud modeling, or go-to-market/marketing analytics.

The Role: What You’ll Own

• Keep Helcim adapting and scaling fast by shipping production-grade data products in rapid 2-4 week cycles. You will have the autonomy to take your ideas from research to delivery, with the expectation that you act like an owner by designing sustainable solutions that integrate seamlessly into our broader technical ecosystem rather than building in isolation.
• Protect Helcim from financial losses and shield our merchants from fines by developing robust fraud and credit risk models. You will partner closely with operational risk teams to understand the day-to-day threats they see, dive deep into the data to spot emerging patterns, and collaborate with the Atlas dev team to push those protective features into production.
• Operationalize our data by bridging the gap between complex models and the business stakeholders who need them. You will integrate closely with different departments to gain deep domain understanding and deliver actionable solutions that drive team success.
• Elevate our collective capabilities and mature the data science function by acting as a force multiplier for the team. We believe that true seniority is measured not just by the models you build, but by the people you elevate. You will mentor peers, champion best practices, and shape the technical standards of our practice, fostering a culture of excellence that helps the entire team tackle increasingly complex challenges with confidence.
• Scale our capabilities faster and reduce technical debt by partnering with the Data Platform team on our MLOps strategy. You will help build the underlying structure that enables rapid iteration, ensuring we can maintain high-quality models without getting bogged down in extensive manual retraining.

Helcim: The Big Picture

Helcim was founded with a mission at heart: to be the world’s most loved payment system. From the very start, we knew that we wanted to be different from every payment processor out there. We want the merchants we serve to feel supported and see us as a trusted partner rather than simply just another “cost of doing business.” We are relentless in our pursuit to provide a radically transparent and honest payments solution that flat out saves business owners money, all while treating them like human beings. At Helcim, we build a team of engaged, caring and intelligent people. In return we provide an environment where you can be excited to come to work each day and tackle these challenges with an amazing team. Learn more in our culture book; The Way of the Helcim.

The Helcim Culture: How We Work

• We Are Builders: We don't wait for solutions; we create them.
• The Harder Path: We choose what’s difficult because it’s more rewarding.
• Creating Trust: We earn it every day by being our best selves.
• Company of Many: We’re a collective force. Great teams do great things.

The Perks: Why You’ll Love It Here

• Ownership: Every single team member gets Stock Options. You own a piece of what you build!
• Health First: Comprehensive benefits + a Health Spending Account (HSA) starting on Day 1.
• Flexibility: Hybrid life! We’re in-office Mon/Wed/Fri and remote Tue/Thu.
• Family Support: Top‑ups for maternity leave and "bonding breaks."
• Rest & Recharge: Paid vacation + a full company break in December.
• Growth: $500 annual training budget to keep your skills sharp.

Salary range

Not checking every box? Please apply anyway! We know that candidates have different experiences that may make them a great fit for this position and for Helcim. We believe that diversity and having an inclusive culture is not only the right thing, but key to our long-term success. Diversity brings more experience, view-points, knowledge and insight about our future. We also want to provide an accessible interview process, so if there’s any accommodations that would make your experience more comfortable, please let us know.