Senior Machine Learning Engineer (Fraud)

Affirm; Canada; Hybrid; CAD 153,000 - 213,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage for you & dependents

Monthly tech/spending stipends

Flexible time off

Job summary

Affirm is seeking a Senior Machine Learning Engineer (Fraud) for a remote Canada position. You will build real-time/ batch fraud models, scale feature pipelines, and work with cross-functional teams to deploy robust ML systems. The role emphasizes ownership, low-latency delivery, and strong collaboration.

The team focuses on predicting fraud while balancing customer experience and conversion, using state-of-the-art techniques and monitoring. Remote-first with Canada-wide eligibility.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of ML model research, training, tuning, and deployment at scale; PhD can count for up to 2 years.
• Proven record delivering high-impact ML models in low-latency live environments.
• Strong Python skills with production-quality coding.
• Experience with tabular classification models (LightGBM/XGBoost/CatBoost) or similar.
• Experience with PyTorch.
• Experience with distributed processing (Spark); Ray/Dask.
• ML lifecycle tooling (Kubeflow, Airflow, MLflow) or equivalent.
• Proficiency with AI-powered development tools to accelerate iteration.
• Ability to design multi-component solutions with well-tested, extensible code.
• Comfort navigating large codebases and providing code reviews.
• Strong communication skills for a global engineering team.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of new fraud prediction models using tabular, graph, and behavioral data.
• Build and scale feature pipelines and training datasets with data and platform teams.
• Prototype modeling ideas, run offline experiments, and productionize top approaches with risk controls.
• Productionize models into batch and real-time decision systems, improving reliability and latency.
• Instrument and monitor model and data health; define retraining/backtesting workflows.
• Identify and implement foundational improvements to how the team builds models.
• Collaborate across Engineering, Fraud Analytics, Product, and ML Platform to define requirements and communicate results.

Skills

ML at scale

Python

Low latency ML

Ownership & teamwork

Communication

Technical leadership

Tools

LightGBM

XGBoost

CatBoost

PyTorch

Spark

Ray

Dask

Kubeflow

Airflow

MLflow

Cursor

Job description

Senior Machine Learning Engineer (Fraud)

Remote Canada

At Affim, we exist for the moments that matter—giving people a clear, predictable way to pay over time, with no hidden fees, no surprises, and no tradeoffs on what matters most.

On the ML Fraud team, you’ll build and improve machine learning systems that make real-time transaction decisions, protecting consumers and merchants while balancing fraud loss, customer experience, and conversion. You’ll work closely with experienced ML engineers, platform partners, and cross-functional stakeholders to take models from idea to prototype to production, and to keep them healthy with strong measurement and monitoring as fraud patterns evolve.

What you’ll do

• You will lead development of new fraud prediction models using a mix of approaches for tabular, graph, and behavioral data
• You will build and scale feature pipelines and training datasets from proprietary and third-party signals, partnering with data and platform teams when needed.
• You will prototype new modeling ideas and features, run offline experiments, and drive the best-performing approaches into production with appropriate risk controls.
• You productionize models: integrate into batch and/or real-time decision systems, and improve reliability, latency, and operational robustness.
• You will instrument and monitor model and data health, and help define retraining/backtesting workflows as fraud patterns evolve.
• Identify and implement foundational improvements to how the team builds models.
• You will collaborate across Engineering, Fraud Analytics, Product, and ML Platform to define requirements, evaluate tradeoffs, and communicate results clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

What we look for

• You have 6+ years experience researching, training, tuning and launching ML models at scale. Relevant PhD can count for up to 2 years of experience.
• Track record of delivering high impact machine learning models in a low latency live setting
• Strong Python skills and experience writing production-quality code.
• Experience building and evaluating models for tabular classification problems (preferably gradient-boosted decision trees like LightGBM/XGBoost/CatBoost, or similar).
• Experience with a deep learning framework (PyTorch preferred).
• Experience working with distributed data processing or parallel compute frameworks (Spark preferred; Ray/Dask or similar).
• Experience with ML lifecycle tooling for training orchestration, experimentation, and model monitoring (e.g., Kubeflow, Airflow, MLflow, or equivalent internal platforms).
• Proficient in using AI-powered developer tools (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor, or similar) to accelerate iteration, debugging, and code quality as part of day-to-day development workflows.
• You have mastered taking a simple problem or business scenario into a solution that interacts with multiple software components, and executing on it by writing clear, easily understood, well tested and extensible code.
• You are comfortable navigating a large code base, debugging others' code, and providing feedback to other engineers through code reviews.
• Your experience demonstrates that you take ownership of your growth, proactively seeking feedback from your team, your manager, and your stakeholders.
• You have strong verbal and written communication skills that support effective collaboration with our global engineering team.

Pay Grade - N

Equity Grade - 6

Employees new to affirm typically come in at the start of the pay range. affirm focuses on providing a simple and transparent pay structure which is based on a variety of factors, including location, experience and job-related skills.

Base pay is part of a total compensation package that may include monthly stipends for health, wellness and tech spending, and benefits (including 100% subsidized medical coverage, dental and vision for you and your dependents). In addition, the employees may be eligible for equity rewards offered by affirm holdings, inc. (parent company).

CAN base pay range per year: $153,000 - $213,000

Location - Remote Canada

This remote role is open only to candidates residing in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, or Saskatchewan.

Remote-first with flexibility built inAffirm is proud to be a remote-first company. Most roles can be done from almost anywhere within the country of employment. Some positions may occasionally require in-person work at an affirm office, and a few are office-based due to the nature of the work. All new hires will be invited to attend an in-person onboarding experience.

Benefits designed for youOur benefits reflect our commitment to care, transparency, and flexibility. Here are a few highlights:

• Health coverage at no cost: We cover 100% of premiums for employees and their dependents.
• Spending stipends: Monthly stipends support your tech setup, and the ability to choose health and wellness options that are right for you.
• Time off to recharge: Flexible time off and generous holiday calendars help you rest when you need to.
• Own a piece of what you build: Our employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) lets you buy affirm stock at a discount.

We’re committed to providing an inclusive interview process, including accommodations for candidates with disabilities. If you need support, we’re happy to help.

For positions based in San Francisco or Los Angeles: affirm considers qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, as required by law.