Lead Data Scientist

Enova International; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 106,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Health, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) matching with Roth option

PTO & paid holidays

Sabbatical program

Summer hours

Paid parental leave

DEI groups

Employee recognition program

Charitable matching

Volunteer day

Job summary

Enova International is seeking a Lead Data Scientist to strengthen its Fraud Analytics team. The role focuses on building and improving fraud-detection models and pattern-recognition pipelines across lending products, collaborating with Fraud Operations to reduce false positives and negatives, and strengthening production fraud prevention.

You will lead method development, feature engineering, and production monitoring, while mentoring teammates and coordinating with business priorities.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of analytics experience in fraud analytics, fintech, or lending.
• Hands-on fraud analytics, fraud strategy, or risk modeling.
• Advanced Python and SQL with end-to-end model ownership from design to deployment.

Responsibilities

• Develop, deploy, and monitor models and pattern-recognition algorithms to identify evolving fraud trends across lending products.
• Build Python programs for data analysis and predictive modeling; use SQL to query large datasets.
• Collaborate with Fraud Operations through the full detection loop to refine features and improve detection accuracy.
• Perform ad hoc analysis on large datasets to evaluate fraud trends and propose risk-based strategies.
• Share findings with cross-functional partners; define requirements and support implementation.
• Improve underwriting and verification processes with a fraud-risk perspective.
• Apply AI in production applications to streamline fraud prevention processes.
• Manage team members and coordinate their work with business priorities.

Skills

Python

SQL

AI

Leadership

Fraud analytics

Job description

Enova International is seeking a Lead Data Scientist to support its Fraud Analytics team, with a focus on building and improving fraud detection models and pattern-recognition pipelines across lending products. This role works in an iterative detection loop with Fraud Operations to reduce false positives and false negatives while strengthening production fraud prevention.

Responsibilities

• Develop, deploy, and monitor models and pattern-recognition algorithms to identify emerging and evolving fraud trends across one or more lending products
• Build customized Python programs for data analysis and predictive modeling, and use SQL to query large, complex datasets
• Collaborate with Fraud Operations through the full detection loop by assembling data, surfacing suspicious patterns, and incorporating investigation results to refine features and improve detection accuracy
• Perform ad hoc analysis on large, complex datasets to evaluate new or changing fraud trends and recommend risk, verification, and operational strategies
• Share findings clearly with cross-functional partners, define requirements, and support implementation
• Improve underwriting and verification processes with a fraud-risk perspective
• Apply AI in production applications to streamline fraud prevention processes
• Manage team members and coordinate their work with business priorities

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in analytics, applied machine learning, or quantitative modeling
• Hands-on fraud experience required, including fraud analytics, fraud strategy, or risk modeling, ideally in fintech or lending
• Advanced Python and SQL, with experience owning models end-to-end from design through deployment and monitoring on large-scale transactional data
• Demonstrated ability to translate analysis into business strategy and communicate with senior stakeholders
• Prior leadership experience mentoring teammates, driving team initiatives, and shaping priorities

Technology

• Python
• SQL
• AI

About the Role

In this Lead Data Scientist role, you will serve as the quantitative foundation of Enova’s fraud prevention efforts. You will develop, enhance, and test models and pattern-recognition pipelines that uncover emerging fraud trends across Enova’s lending products. You will also partner directly with Fraud Operations, using their investigation results on false positives and false negatives to sharpen detection characteristics and adjust the approach. The broader Enova Analytics department includes 100 quantitative professionals focused on applying advanced techniques to deliver business value.

Compensation

• The budgeted annual salary range is $106,000 to $140,000.
• Actual annual salary will be determined based on qualifications, skills, experience, and level assessed during the hiring process, and may fall outside of the range shown.
• Additional compensation may include a bonus.
• All full-time employees are eligible to participate in Company benefits.

Benefits

• Hybrid work schedule: in-office work Tuesday through Thursday, with remote flexibility on Mondays and Fridays
• Health, dental, and vision insurance, including mental health benefits
• 401(k) matching plus a Roth option (U.S. Based employees only)
• PTO & paid holidays
• Sabbatical program (for eligible roles)
• Summer hours (for eligible roles)
• Paid parental leave
• DEI groups: B.L.A.C.K. @ Enova, HOLA @ Enova, Women @ Enova, Pride @ Enova, South Asians @ Enova, APEX @ Enova, and Parents @ Enova
• Employee recognition and rewards program
• Charitable matching and a paid volunteer day

Location

Chicago, IL (hybrid)