Head of APAC Data Science

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Empower is shaking up an outdated financial system by providing real opportunity for our customers: the opportunity to get the cash they need, to access fair credit, and to change their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.

Empower is looking for an experienced data scientist to join our fintech startup and lead the Data Science team for our emerging business in APAC. This role presents an exciting opportunity to be an early team member as we build a winning strategy. As part of the Credit and Data Science team, you will develop and iterate on risk models and credit policies that drive underwriting as a competitive advantage for Empower and launch innovative products that solve customer problems. This role will report to Empower’s Head of International Credit.

The ideal candidate is driven by a passion for leveraging data and analytics to fuel business growth and improve customer financial well-being. This individual will lead teams and workstreams that seek to understand consumer needs and behaviors and develop solutions to allow Empower to resiliently offer the right products. This role involves the additional challenge of solving problems for a new geographies for Empower where frameworks will need to be adapted based on the available data and customer needs. The right candidate thrives on tackling complex challenges and is proficient in utilizing a wide range of technical tools to achieve impactful outcomes.

• Build new underwriting models from scratch for Empower’s international businesses owning each part of the model deployment process

• Collaborate closely with Credit and Finance stakeholders to ensure the work drives meaningful business outcomes

• Build out frameworks, infrastructure, and controls to build, retrain, and deploy models with speed and high quality

• Work with Empower’s leadership team to build out strategy and growth plans while managing financial outcomes

• Partner with leaders in product, engineering, marketing, and finance to ensure that our data science solutions fit within the larger picture

• Lead current team and build out a larger team to staff new projects as the businesses grow

You're passionate about using data science to solve meaningful problems. You thrive in collaborative environments and enjoy turning data into solutions that make a difference in people's lives. You’re excited by the challenge of working in new markets, where frameworks must be adapted to fit local data and customer needs.

Your experience likely includes:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Finance, Computer Science, or Mathematics

• 8+ years of industry experience in machine learning, statistical analysis, and/or predictive modeling with deep understanding of statistics and machine learning techniques, including regression, classification, clustering and optimization

• Strong skills Python and SQL; demonstrable experience with ML packages: scikit-learn, LightGBM, XGBoost, SparkML, etc.

• 4+ years working in financial services

• 2+ years leading a team of data scientists

• Preferred: Experience solving credit problems in Latin American or APAC markets

• Eagerness to learn new tools and analytical methods, staying up to date with innovative trends and methodologies in the industry

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

1. Initial Recruiter Call: A conversation to learn about your experience and what you're looking for in your next role.

2. Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper discussion about your background and approach to solving challenges.

3. Skills Panel: Meet with Empower team members to discuss your expertise and problem-solving approach through real-world scenarios.

4. Leadership Conversation: A final conversation with our CEO or CTO to discuss our mission and how you could contribute to it (and how we can help you achieve your career goals along the way).

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

• 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 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.