Staff Data Scientist (Remote)

Icon Ventures; Vail (AZ); Remote; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Icon Ventures is seeking a Staff Data Scientist to drive business growth through machine learning at Empower. The role involves developing credit risk models and collaborating with various teams to influence strategies. Candidates should have a strong background in data mining, machine learning, and Python programming, with a passion for using data to make a real impact.

Benefits

Competitive salary and generous equity

100% coverage for medical, dental, vision, and life insurance

Work-from-home reimbursement

Opportunities for ongoing development

Qualifications

• 6+ years industry experience in data mining and machine learning.
• Deep understanding of statistics and various machine learning techniques.
• Strong programming skills in Python and intermediate SQL knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Own the machine learning model development process.
• Build ML models to grow user base and improve retention.
• Collaborate with engineering to implement models in production.

Skills

Data mining

Machine learning

Predictive modeling

Statistical analysis

Problem solving

Communication

Programming in Python

SQL

Education

BS degree in engineering, computer science, finance or mathematics

Tools

scikit-learn

LightGBM

XGBoost

SparkML

Tensorflow

Keras

PyTorch

Job description

EMPOWER OVERVIEW

Empower is shaking up an outdated financial system by providing real opportunity for our customers: the opportunity to get the cash they need, to access fair credit, and to change their financial story. Today, we’re helping millions of people find financial security through machine learning models that evaluate creditworthiness using a more inclusive lens and mobile-first products: Cash Advance, Thrive line of credit, and Petal credit cards. Tomorrow? Creating even more financial paths for our customers (and their wallets) to succeed.

This year, Empower ranked #65 on Inc. 5000’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies list — our third year in a row cracking the top 100 — and was named by Forbes as one of the 25 Next Billion-Dollar Startups for 2024. Empower was also featured by Forbes on America’s Best Startup Employers list in 2023, and our Thrive line of credit product was named by Fast Company as one of 2022’s Next Big Things in Tech.

Empower is backed by Sequoia Capital, Blisce, and Icon Ventures. Ready to grow your impact and accelerate your career? Take a look at our open roles — we can’t wait to meet you.

The Opportunity: Staff Data Scientist

Our data scientists are responsible for the entire machine learning model development process from conception with stakeholders, creation of model pipelines, technical development, deployment, and partnership with the credit, product, and finance teams to make business decisions.

The ideal candidate is passionate about using data and models to drive business growth and help customers improve their financial situations. For this role, we’re looking for a seasoned data scientist to work within our talented DS team for Empower Cash Advance and Thrive Line of Credit products. This individual will own creating and improving credit risk models, building ML based paycheck detection algorithms to help the business decrease loss rates and increase approval rates. The right person for this role is someone who shines while solving complex problems and is comfortable with a wide variety of technical tools.

Empower is a remote-first company. We drive connectivity through regular company offsites. Travel for company offsites is expected at a minimum 2 times a year.

How You'll Make an Impact

• Grow user base and increase retention through machine learning and analytics

• Build machine learning models with large scale data sets to address business priorities

• Design and influence strategies on underwriting, marketing, fraud and customer experience

• Work closely with our engineering team as you implement models in production

• Collaborate effectively with operations and product to ensure the work fits into the broader strategy and business context

• Develop data standards and analytics pipelines to facilitate current and future analysis

Why You're a Great Fit

• BS degree in engineering, computer science, finance or mathematics

• 6+ years industry experience in data mining, machine learning, statistical analysis, and/or predictive modeling

• Deep understanding of statistics and machine learning techniques, including regression, classification, clustering and optimization Experience building predictive models from scratch

• Strong programming skills in Python with intermediate to advanced knowledge of SQL

• Demonstrable experience with ML packages: scikit-learn, LightGBM, XGBoost, SparkML, etc.

• Knowledge in deep learning and experience with DL toolkits (Tensorflow, Keras, PyTorch) is preferred though not required

• Comfort working with a variety of cross functional partners in tech, product, credit, and business

• Exceptionally strong problem solving and communication with the ability to both get in the weeds and communicate to an executive audience

Don't meet every qualification? If you're excited about this challenge and driven to innovate, we still want to hear from you!

What You'll Get at Empower

• Meaningful Ownership: Competitive salary and generous equity in a profitable, fast growing company.

• Complete Support: 100% coverage for medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, plus a generous WFH reimbursement.

• High-Impact Teams: The chance to thrive in a small, focused team where your contributions directly shape outcomes for our business and customers.

• Remote First: A virtual first environment built on trust and outcomes.

• Team Connection: Twice-yearly company onsites where we come together to connect, learn, and build for the future (our last few have been in San Diego, Vail, and Flagstaff)!

• Growth Path: Ongoing opportunities for development in a dynamic, supportive, and creative environment.

The Empower Way

The Empower Way is one where bold ambition meets an owner mindset, where open dialogue and spirited debate are encouraged, and where everyone works together to put our customers first. We believe diverse voices lead to the best ideas, and we foster an environment where every individual is valued, heard, and supported as part of one unified team working to change lives and build a more inclusive future.

If that sounds like you, join us and be part of a team that's helping millions of people reshape their financial futures.