Senior Machine Learning Engineer (Research Scientist) - Fraud

Plaid; New York (NY); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Plaid is seeking a Senior Research Scientist to lead applied research in fraud detection, collaborating with ML Engineers and Data Scientists. The role focuses on graph neural networks, transformers, and multimodal data to strengthen Plaid’s fraud defenses across the network.

You will design rigorous experiments, translate findings into production-ready systems, and communicate results internally and externally to raise the technical bar for fraud ML at Plaid.

Qualifications

• PhD strongly preferred; candidates without a PhD may be considered with equivalent research contributions.
• 2-4+ years of industry or research lab experience with leadership and impact.
• Strong scientific rigor and clear written/verbal communication.
• Proficiency in Python and building high-quality research prototypes for production.

Responsibilities

• Research and prototype state-of-the-art graph ML, sequential modeling, and multimodal approaches for fraud detection.
• Own and execute a research roadmap translating ideas into production solutions with measurable impact.
• Publish and share applied research, collaborating with Data, Product, and Engineering teams.

Skills

Python

Scientific writing

Research leadership

Communication

Education

PhD in ML / CS / Stats

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Job description

We believe that the way people interact with their finances will drastically improve in the next few years. We’re dedicated to empowering this transformation by building the tools and experiences that thousands of developers use to create their own products. Plaid powers the tools millions of people rely on to live a healthier financial life. We work with thousands of companies like Venmo, SoFi, several of the Fortune 500, and many of the largest banks to make it easy for people to connect their financial accounts to the apps and services they want to use. Plaid’s network covers 12,000 financial institutions across the US, Canada, UK and Europe. Founded in 2013, the company is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in New York, Seattle, Washington D.C., Raleigh, London, and Amsterdam.

We are the Fraud Data team within Plaid's Fraud organization. We leverage relationships and activity across Plaid’s network to develop machine learning models that help customers detect and prevent fraud while minimizing friction for legitimate users. Our team owns the full model lifecycle, from data processing and experimentation to feature pipelines, model serving, and monitoring. In this research role, you’ll partner closely with Machine Learning Engineers and Data Scientists to uncover new signals, explore and evaluate innovative modeling approaches, and translate promising research into production-ready solutions that strengthen fraud detection across Plaid’s network.

As a Senior Research Scientist, you will lead applied research to develop next-generation fraud detection models across relational graphs, sequential events, images, and video data. You’ll design rigorous experiments and evaluation methodologies that reflect real-world fraud dynamics, while exploring state-of-the-art approaches such as Graph Neural Networks and Transformer-based foundation models. In close partnership with Machine Learning Engineers, you’ll translate promising research into production-ready solutions and communicate your findings internally and externally to advance the technical bar for fraud machine learning at Plaid.

Responsibilities:

• Research and prototype state-of-the-art approaches across graph machine learning, sequential modeling, and multimodal learning to build next-generation fraud detection capabilities.
• Own and execute a research roadmap that translates innovative ideas and prototypes into production solutions with measurable product and customer impact.
• Publish and share applied research while collaborating with a highly skilled, cross-functional team across Data, Product, and Engineering.
• Leverage Plaid’s network-level financial data to uncover insights and develop solutions that help hundreds of millions of consumers achieve greater financial freedom.

Qualifications:

• PhD in Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, or a closely related field strongly preferred. Candidates without a PhD may be considered with equivalent research experience, such as significant publications, patents, or widely adopted research contributions in relevant fields.
• 2-4+ years of relevant industry or research lab experience, ideally post-PhD, with demonstrated research leadership and a track record of translating innovative research into measurable product or business impact.
• Demonstrated scientific rigor, with strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to clearly communicate complex research findings.
• Strong proficiency in Python and experience building high-quality research prototypes that can inform or transition into production systems.

Nice-to-Have:

• Experience in fraud detection, security, risk, or abuse prevention.
• Experience with large-scale training, graph systems, and sequential modeling.

Our mission at Plaid is to unlock financial freedom for everyone. To support that mission, we seek to build a diverse team of driven individuals who care deeply about making the financial ecosystem more equitable. We recognize that strong qualifications can come from both prior work experiences and lived experiences. We encourage you to apply to a role even if your experience doesn't fully match the job description. We are always looking for team members that will bring something unique to Plaid!

Plaid is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion or religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, military or veteran status, disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Plaid is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance with your application or interviews due to a disability, please let us know at [e-mail].

Please review our Candidate Privacy Notice here.

Additional compensation in the form(s) of equity and/or commission are dependent on the position offered. Plaid provides a comprehensive benefit plan, including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k). Pay is based on factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience and skillset, and location. Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefit plans.