Senior Data Scientist

Mercury; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 167,000 - 251,000; Full time

Job summary

Mercury is hiring a Machine Learning-focused Data Scientist to support the Risk team. You will build, validate, and deploy ML models to detect fraud in real time and ensure robust monitoring and data quality across pipelines.

You will collaborate with Risk Strategy and Engineering to define inputs, optimize deployment, and improve observability in a fast-paced fintech environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience analyzing large datasets to solve problems and drive impact.
• 3+ years of ML experience and hands-on modeling.
• Proficiency in SQL to understand and manage imperfect data.
• Proficiency in Python and statistical modeling / ML.
• Experience deploying and monitoring ML models in production.

Responsibilities

• Build, validate, and deploy machine learning models to identify and prevent fraud in real time.
• Support reproducibility and robustness of models through documentation, testing, and monitoring.
• Ensure data quality and reliability across pipelines and tools.
• Collaborate with Risk Strategy and Engineering to optimize deployment and observability.

Skills

Large datasets analysis

ML experience

SQL

Python

Model deployment

Fast-paced environment

Tools

dbt

LLMs

Model governance

Job description

In 1999, NASA lost contact with its Mars Climate Orbiter after a 9-month journey from Earth. It began its planned orbital insertion maneuver but went out of radio contact after passing behind Mars. While we may never know whether it was destroyed in the atmosphere or re-entered heliocentric space, we can draw the lesson that getting the details (in this case, units) right is critical, especially when shooting for the stars.

While Mercury’s cosmic journey may be more metaphorical, we have our own sky-high ambitions and the need to marry those with precise data analysis.

To that end, we are hiring a Machine Learning-focused Data Scientist to support our Risk team. This team is responsible not only for detecting, monitoring, and mitigating both first- and third-party fraud but also ensuring we know and understand our customers while monitoring their behavior for financial crime risk. You’ll play a key role in strengthening our fraud defenses while ensuring that Mercury continues to deliver a smooth and trustworthy banking experience.

This is an opportunity to join Mercury at a pivotal moment in our growth. You’ll be working on some of the most critical challenges facing the business and collaborating across product, engineering, and risk to protect our customers and the financial system at large.

Here are some things you’ll do on the job

• Build, validate, and deploy machine learning models to identify and prevent fraud in real time
• Support the reproducibility and robustness of said models through documentation, testing, and monitoring
• Ensure data quality and reliability across pipelines and tools
• Collaborate with Risk Strategy to ideate on model inputs and applications and with Engineering optimize deployment and observability

You should have

• 5+ years of experience working with and analyzing large datasets to solve problems and drive impact, with 3+ years of ML experience
• Proficiency in SQL and experience using it to understand and manage imperfect data
• Proficiency in Python and experience with statistical modeling and machine learning
• Experience deploying and monitoring machine learning models in production
• Comfort working in a fast-paced environment with evolving priorities

Ideally you also have

• 1+ years of relevant risk experience
• Familiarity with LLMs or other GenAI and how they can be applied to risk or fraud detection li>
• Experience with modern data tools for pipelines and ETL (e.g., dbt) li>
• Experience with model governance as required in finance or other regulated industries li>
• Experience building zero-to-one solutions in ambiguous or greenfield problem spaces li>

*Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC.

Mercury values diversity & belonging and is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All individuals seeking employment at Mercury are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristic. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process for applicants with disabilities or special needs. If you need assistance, or an accommodation, please let your recruiter know once you are contacted about a role.

Total Rewards

The total rewards package at Mercury includes base salary, equity (stock options/RSUs), and benefits.

Our salary and equity ranges are highly competitive within the SaaS and fintech industry and are updated regularly using the most reliable compensation survey data for our industry. New hire offers are made based on a candidate’s experience, expertise, geographic location, and internal pay equity relative to peers.

• US employees (any location): $166,600—$250,900 USD
• Canadian employees (any location): $157,400—$237,100 CAD