Data Science Manager

Navi; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 4,200,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Navi is seeking a Manager – Data Science to steer strategy, execution, and impact across high-growth businesses. You will lead a team of top-tier data scientists, shaping models and solutions that power lending, collections, UPI and ads.

This role blends sharp analytics with business-first decisions and cross-functional collaboration to deliver measurable value at scale. You will own metrics, ensure reliability and scalability, and drive cross-functional data science initiatives with product and

Qualifications

• Master's or Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Economics, or another quantitative discipline.
• Strong research-oriented mindset and at least 9+ years of experience in data science, advanced analytics, or related fields.
• Business acumen to partner with business, product, and engineering teams.
• Deep expertise in statistics, machine learning, deep learning, and optimisation algorithms.
• Experience in developing, implementing, and monitoring large-scale ML systems.
• Leadership in managing projects and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a high-impact team of data scientists.
• Foster a culture of learning and professional development.
• Guide project execution and support career progression.
• Own performance reviews, compensation, and leave management.
• Provide technical leadership and direction for data science initiatives.
• Define metrics and quality standards; oversee monitoring and alerting systems.
• Drive cross-functional data science initiatives with business, product, and engineering.
• Lead planning processes (quarterly, annual, long-term) and prioritisation.

Skills

Team leadership

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Experimentation

Model evaluation

Python

PySpark

SQL

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Docker

Databricks

Kubernetes

Big data

Education

Master's or Bachelor's degree in Computer Science / Electrical Engineering / Mathematics / Economics or quantitative discipline

Tools

Python

PySpark

pandas

scikit-learn

TensorFlow

PyTorch

SQL

Scala

Docker

Databricks

Kubernetes

Job description

At Navi, our mission is to simplify finance for a billion people, through technology-first products built at scale.

Founded in 2018 by Sachin Bansal and Ankit Agarwal, Navi has grown rapidly across Loans, UPI, Insurance, Mutual Funds and Digital Gold - building products designed around speed, simplicity and customer experience.

Today, millions of customers use Navi for experiences like instant personal loans, fully digital home loan sanctions within minutes, low-cost mutual funds, instant credit lines in minutes and one of India's fastest-growing UPI platforms.

What makes Navi different is the way we build. We move fast, solve real customer problems and give people the ownership to create meaningful impact early in their journey.

Why Explore a Career at Navi?

Where Ownership Creates Real Impact

At Navi, ownership starts early. People here are trusted to solve problems, make decisions and drive outcomes that directly shape the products and experiences used by millions of customers every day.

Where Careers Accelerate

Growth at Navi is driven by impact, not tenure. We strongly believe in promoting from within and creating opportunities for people to take on larger responsibilities as they grow. If you consistently raise the bar, you'll find the space to grow quickly here.

Where Great Talent Builds Together

We take pride in building high talent-density teams where ambitious people learn from one another every day. Working on high-scale business and technology problems creates steep learning curves, fast execution cycles and opportunities to make visible impact throughout your journey.

About the Team

The Data Science team at Navi plays a central role in building intelligent solutions that power our products and drive business impact. We work across key domains such as Lending, Collections, KYC, UPI Growth and Ads recommendation, applying advanced machine learning/deep learning/GenAI techniques to solve high-impact challenges. Our work involves a diverse range of data types—including text, image, and tabular data—and we closely collaborate with cross-functional teams like Product, Business, Engineering, etc. to deliver end-to-end solutions.

About the Role

As a Manager – Data Science, you'll drive the strategy, execution, and impact of data science across Navi’s high-growth businesses. You will lead a team of top-tier data scientists, shaping models and solutions that power critical business functions—from lending and collections to UPI and ads. This role goes beyond technical depth—you’re expected to combine sharp analytical thinking with business-first decision-making, drive cross-functional collaboration, and establish scalable systems that deliver measurable value. If you're excited about using data science to solve real-world problems at scale, this is the opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

What You’ll Own

1. Lead and Develop a High-Impact Team

• Manage, mentor, and grow a team of data scientists
• Foster a culture of learning and professional development
• Guide project execution and support career progression
• Own performance reviews, compensation, and leave management

2. Strategic Vision & Team Performance

• Set clear goals and expectations
• Regularly assess team performance and alignment
• Provide technical leadership and direction

3. Cross-Functional Leadership

• Build strong relationships with business, product, and engineering
• Act as a strategic partner in initiatives
• Drive implementation of data science solutions

4. Model Quality & Monitoring Excellence

• Define metrics and quality standards
• Oversee monitoring, alerting systems
• Ensure reliability, scalability, and impact

5. Drive Cross-Functional Data Science Initiatives

• Lead initiatives on monitoring, cost reduction, and best practices
• Promote strong code management and documentation

6. Planning & Strategic Initiatives

• Lead planning processes (quarterly, annual, long-term)
• Ensure project prioritization aligns with strategy

7. Opportunity Identification & Value Creation

• Identify high-value opportunities with business and product
• Develop innovative solutions that drive outcomes

What Makes You a Great Fit

• Master's or Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Economics, or another quantitative discipline
• Strong research-oriented mindset and at least 9+ years of experience in data science, advanced analytics, or related fields
• Strong business acumen and ability to partner with business, product, and engineering teams
• Deep expertise in statistics, machine learning, deep learning, and optimisation algorithms
• Proven ability to design, execute, and scale A/B experiments to validate and optimize data science solutions across varied business contexts
• Advanced programming skills in Python and PySpark
• Strong track record in data pipelines, feature engineering, and scalable workflows
• Familiarity with tools and libraries like pandas, scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, SQL, Scala, plus production-grade deployment using Docker, Databricks, and Kubernetes
• Experience in developing, implementing, and monitoring large-scale ML systems
• Demonstrated leadership in managing projects and cross-functional teams
• Experience in People management, team development, and enforcing technical best practices

The Navi OS

The Navi OS is our Operating System for how we work every day. Success at Navi is defined by living these core values.

• Start with the Customer
• Master the Details
• Act with Urgency
• Own the Outcome
• Build for a Decade - Not a Day
• Win as One

We hire talented individuals who already show these strengths, because those who share these values thrive at Navi and grow with the organisation.

To read more about the Navi OS, visit navi.com/our-values

Life at Navi

Life at Navi is fast-paced, ambitious and deeply collaborative. Beyond work, teams come together through sports, celebrations, offsites, music jams, team outings and many more shared experiences that make the journey exciting and memorable.

We believe people do their best work when they feel supported, through flexible leave policies, strong health and wellness benefits, free financial, legal and medical consultations, ESOPs and a workplace designed for both productivity and well-being.

Whether it's the sports turf, gym, focus zone or nap rooms, the campus is built to make everyday work more enjoyable.

If you'd like to know more about life at Navi, our culture and employee benefits, head to our careers page: navi.com/careers/life-at-navi

If solving meaningful problems, building at scale and growing alongside ambitious teams excites you,