Lead Machine Learning Scientist

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Lead Machine Learning Scientist based in the United States. Join a forward-thinking financial technology team developing advanced machine learning solutions to strengthen fraud detection and support responsible access to credit. In this hands-on leadership role, you will design, develop, deploy, and optimize predictive models that protect customers and improve financial decision-making. You will tackle complex challenges involving synthetic identities, account takeovers, first-party fraud, and emerging fraud patterns. Working across the entire machine learning lifecycle, you will transform large-scale datasets into production-ready models with measurable business impact. You will collaborate closely with Product, Engineering, and Risk Operations to improve fraud prevention, reduce losses, and optimize approval decisions. The role offers significant technical ownership, opportunities to leverage emerging AI technologies, and the autonomy to drive experimentation and innovation. This is a fully remote opportunity for an experienced machine learning professional passionate about solving real-world problems and expanding access to financial services. Accountabilities - Develop advanced fraud detection models: Design, train, validate, and optimize machine learning models to identify synthetic identities, first-party fraud, account takeovers, and new fraud patterns. - Drive data exploration and experimentation: Analyze large and diverse datasets, engineer predictive features, test modeling approaches, and translate research findings into effective production solutions.

- Manage the end-to-end machine learning lifecycle: Lead projects from problem definition and initial research through prototyping, testing, deployment, monitoring, and continuous optimization. - Leverage AI-assisted development: Integrate generative AI and modern AI tools into research, coding, feature engineering, experimentation, testing, and model development while validating outputs for accuracy and reliability. - Optimize fraud and risk decisioning: Monitor model performance, fraud trends, approval rates, and portfolio outcomes to identify improvements that reduce financial losses while supporting responsible business growth. - Collaborate across technical and business teams: Partner with Product, Engineering, and Risk Operations to integrate models into production systems, resolve implementation challenges, and align solutions with business objectives. - Provide technical leadership: Independently address complex modeling challenges, make sound technical decisions, share expertise, mentor fellow scientists, and contribute to stronger machine learning practices. - Measure and communicate impact: Evaluate model effectiveness using relevant performance indicators, communicate findings clearly, and ensure deployed solutions deliver measurable improvements in fraud prevention and customer outcomes. Requirements - Professional experience: At least 7 years of hands-on machine learning experience, with a proven record of personally developing, deploying, and optimizing predictive models in production environments. - Fraud detection expertise: Extensive experience building machine learning solutions for identity fraud, synthetic identities, first-party fraud, and account takeover, ideally within fintech, consumer lending, or financial services. - Programming and data skills: Advanced proficiency in Python and SQL, including feature engineering, data analysis, model development, experimentation, and performance evaluation. - Machine learning frameworks and infrastructure: At least 4 years of experience with machine learning frameworks and cloud technologies, including tools such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, Spark, and cloud-based machine learning infrastructure.