Senior Decision Scientist (Lending)

Lovey; Greater London; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Lovey is seeking a Senior Decision Scientist to lead the development of credit decisioning models across SME lending. You will own the end-to-end model lifecycle from framing to deployment and monitoring. The role is hybrid, with 2 days per week in our Central Birmingham office and the rest remote.

You will work with Data and Risk teams to drive lending strategy and decisioning. Strong ML experience in lending, Python and SQL proficiency, and a track record of end-to-end model development are

Qualifications

• Experience in machine learning for credit risk in SME lending.
• Strong consumer lending experience.
• Proficiency in Python and SQL.
• End-to-end model development experience.
• Background in fintech and automated decisioning environments.
• Solid understanding of UK credit risk and regulation.
• Experience with model governance and monitoring frameworks.
• Ability to communicate with both technical and business stakeholders.
• Strong commercial mindset and ownership attitude.

Responsibilities

• Build and deploy ML and statistical models for credit risk, affordability, and pricing.
• Own the full model lifecycle, including data, feature engineering, modelling, validation, deployment and monitoring.
• Develop monitoring frameworks and performance dashboards.
• Drive innovation through new data sources, challenger models and experimentation (A/B testing).
• Translate complex models into clear, actionable business insights.
• Work closely with Data and Risk teams to influence lending strategy and decision-making.

Job description

Senior Decision Scientist (Lending)

Location: UK | Hybrid - 2 days per week in our Central Birmingham office

Salary: Up to £90,000 + Annual Bonus

About Lovey

Join One of the UK's Fastest-Growing Finance Companies

Lovey (formerly Love Finance) is a fast-growing UK SME lender and broker, founded in 2016 by Jack Smith with a simple goal: to make business lending simple and fast.

Since then, we've funded more than £500 million in loans for over 10,000 SMEs across the UK. We've been recognised by organisations including EY, Deloitte, The Sunday Times, Financial Times, UK Growth Index, FeBe and Sifted as one of the UK's fastest-growing companies.

By combining direct lending with brokerage services, Lovey provides businesses with fast, flexible and tailored funding solutions. With an industry-leading 5-star Trustpilot rating, customers can enquire in 60 seconds and, where appropriate, receive funding in as little as 4 hours.

The Role

We’re looking for a Senior Decision Scientist to lead the development of cutting-edge credit decisioning models across SME lending.

You’ll own the end-to-end model lifecycle, from problem framing through to deployment and monitoring, while working at the intersection of data and risk, to shape the future of our lending strategy.

The role offers the flexibility to work remotely for most of the week, with 2 days per week in our Central Birmingham office, working closely with our Data and risk teams. While we’re open to candidates across the UK, we’re looking for someone who values both the flexibility of remote working and the collaboration that comes from spending time together in the office.

What You’ll Do as Senior Decision Scientist

• Build and deploy ML and statistical models for credit risk, affordability, and pricing
• Own the full model lifecycle, including data, feature engineering, modelling, validation, deployment and monitoring
• Develop monitoring frameworks and performance dashboards
• Drive innovation through new data sources, challenger models and experimentation (A/B testing)
• Translate complex models into clear, actionable business insights
• Work closely with Data and Risk teams to influence lending strategy and decision-making

Requirements

• Strong experience in machine learning within lending (SME lending essential)
• Strong consumer lending experience
• Proficiency in Python and SQL
• Proven end-to-end model development experience
• Background in fintech and automated decisioning environments
• Solid understanding of UK credit risk and regulation
• Experience with model governance and monitoring frameworks
• Ability to communicate effectively with both technical and business stakeholders
• Strong commercial mindset and ownership attitude

Why Join Lovey?

• Be part of a high-growth fintech shaping the future of SME lending
• Work on high-impact models used in real underwriting decisions
• Have a direct influence on our lending strategy and decisioning approach