Senior Data Scientist, AI/ML for Fintech (Remote)

Zip Co; New York, Northern (NY, KY); Hybrid; USD 192,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working culture

Unlimited PTO

Generous parental leave

401k match

Learning stipend

Union Square office

Job summary

Zip is seeking a Staff Data Scientist to own end-to-end ML/AI initiatives for new financial products like cash and rent advances. You will architect scalable models, mentor junior data scientists, and partner with engineering for production deployment.

The role emphasizes experimentation, risk-aware growth, and cross-functional collaboration. You will work in a remote-first environment with an option to work in Manhattan.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree (PhD preferred) in a quantitative field (e.g., Mathematics, Physics, CS)
• 7+ years of experience in Data Science (can include PhD work)
• 4+ years of experience in Data Science in Financial Services
• Self-starter with problem-solving skills and independent drive
• Strong fundamentals in probability, statistics, and applied research
• Experience with cashflow data (Plaid, MX, Finicity)
• Proficiency in Python and SQL; Spark/PySpark a plus
• Experience with Neural Networks, LLMs, GenAI
• Experience with credit and/or fraud risk a plus
• Proven track record managing large-scale projects end-to-end

Responsibilities

• Own the analytical strategy for Zip’s Smoothing initiative and support growth of new financial products
• Define insights, measurement frameworks, and foundations to guide product strategy and risk trade-offs
• Communicate with business stakeholders and collaborate with engineering for production-ready solutions
• Mentor junior data scientists and provide technical direction
• Balance short-term gains with long-term experimentation to maximize business value
• Build and scale ML/AI models leveraging transaction data for new capabilities
• Establish evaluation frameworks and decision criteria for scaling or stopping models
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams across data, product, and risk domains

Skills

Python

SQL

Spark/PySpark

LLMs

GenAI

Credit risk

Fraud risk

Project management

Communication

Data storytelling

Mathematics

Education

PhD preferred in quantitative field

Advanced degree in quantitative field

Tools

Python ecosystem tools

ML frameworks

Job description

Zip is seeking a Staff Data Scientist to own end-to-end ML/AI initiatives for new financial products like cash and rent advances. You will architect scalable models, mentor junior data scientists, and partner with engineering for production deployment.

The role emphasizes experimentation, risk-aware growth, and cross-functional collaboration. You will work in a remote-first environment with an option to work in Manhattan.