Sr. Data Scientist - Remote (APAC Region)

EMPOWER OVERVIEW
Empower is a high-growth financial technology company on a mission to expand access to fair credit to give anyone in the world the opportunity to improve their financial security and mobility. We dream up and launch one-of-a-kind features that help our members get money instantly whenever they need it, save for the future, and rewrite their financial story. Our members see Empower Cash Advance as a life-saver, Empower Automatic Savings as a game-changer, and the new Empower Thrive line of credit as a lifeline to low-cost borrowing and the only practical path to building good credit.
Empower is backed by Sequoia Capital, Blisce, and Icon Ventures. Are we the next great place to grow your impact and accelerate your career? We think so:
Inc. ranked Empower #56 in the 2023 Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the US (#55 in 2022). Forbes put Empower on its 2023 list of America's Best Startup Employers. Fast Company recognized the new Empower Thrive line of credit in their 2022 list of the Next Big Things in Tech.
THE EMPOWER WAYGreat Expectations: We come up with bold, audacious goals for ourselves and go all out for impactOwner Mindset: We give every employee latitude to act independently, make smart choices, and move the business forwardSpirited Debate: We love skeptics and seek counter opinions to challenge our personal assumptions and expand our viewCustomer Obsession: We listen to understand, empathize, and create a memorable, rewarding experience for our communityInclusive Collaboration: We believe diverse teams make the best decisions, and we strive to give diverse voices a seat at the tableNo Jerks Allowed: We value our relationships and take the time to build trust and connection and communicate respectfully  WHAT EMPOWER OFFERSCompetitive salaryGenerous equity packageFull healthcare and dental benefitsTechnology  expense reimbursementWork  from anywhere
JOB DESCRIPTION
We’re looking for a talented data scientist to lead our launch in Southeast Asia — starting with the Philippines. In this role, you’ll be responsible for the entire model development process from conception with stakeholders, creation of model pipelines, technical development, deployment. You’ll collaborate with a small, experienced team of credit analysts, product managers, engineers, designers, and marketers in a “startup within a startup” environment. You’ll own our model development roadmap and execution for the new business, expanding access to fair credit in one of the world’s fastest-growing regions. And you’ll be supported by Empower’s deep expertise and experience from the US and Mexico.
The ideal candidate is passionate about using data and models to drive business growth and help customers improve their financial situations.  This individual will own creating and improving credit risk models 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.

Key Responsibilities

• Grow user base, increase retention and lower loss rate through machine learning and analytics for Empower’s new Southeast Asia business
• 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

Candidate Qualifications

• Based in an Asia Pacific time zone
• BS degree in engineering, computer science, finance or mathematics
• 4+ 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 (Python preferred) 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
• Strong and structured approach to problem solving and ability to use of frameworks to communicate complex topics in an effective manner

Preferred Qualifications

• MS or PhD preferred
• At least 2+ year at a bank or FinTech working in data science or credit analytics is a plus
• Experience in cloud computing (AWS, Azure, etc.) is a plus
• Working with markets in developing countries is a plus

At Empower, we hire for people that push themselves to understand others and seek out ways to challenge their personal assumptions. Our hope is that by fostering such an environment, we strengthen our business and relationships by putting people first. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workspace where everyone (regardless of age, education, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or any personal characteristics) feels like they belong. Even if your experience doesn’t exactly match up to our job description, you should feel empowered to apply regardless!