Lead Data Scientist, Credit Risk
Chime Financial, Inc
Chicago
About the Role
We are looking for an experienced Credit Risk Data Scientist who is data-driven, has strong analytical and technical skills, and operates with a high degree of ownership. In this role, you will lead the credit strategy that lets Chime lend to people before they have a relationship with us — starting with Instant Loans for new members (top of funnel) and expanding to future unsecured credit products such as credit cards. You'll develop risk policies and strategies to manage credit risk throughout the member lifecycle, and you'll work as a trusted cross-functional partner with product, growth, data engineering, machine learning, and analytics teams, interacting with business stakeholders across many departments.
In this role, you can expect to
- Own credit strategy for new-to-Chime applicants across the member lifecycle, starting with Instant Loans for prospects (top of funnel) and extending to future unsecured products such as credit cards and/or lines of credit
- Develop and evolve channel-specific credit policies (pre-approval / prescreen, direct mail, open application, referrals, and affiliates) that support growth while balancing risk, unit economics, and member experience
- Design and continuously iterate acquisition, loan amount / line assignment, pricing, line management, repayment, and collections strategies
- Leverage credit bureau (e.g., Experian), alternative, and internal Chime data to underwrite applicants with no prior Chime relationship; build credit models and policies hands-on and in partnership with our DSML team
- Lead test-and-learn: design and read out champion/challenger tests and controlled ramps, and quantify trade-offs among approvals, losses, direct deposit conversion, and lifetime value
- Partner with Finance and Strategy to size new channels and forecast approval funnels, vintage losses, and unit economics; set launch criteria, guardrails, and expansion triggers
- Collaborate with data teams to build data infrastructure and early-read monitoring and dashboards (first payment default, delinquency, vintage and roll rates) that help senior management understand credit risk trends and exposures
- Work with cross-functional teams including DSML, Product, Design, Engineering, and Decision Platform to test and implement risk models and strategies in production, including accurate adverse action reasons
- Partner with Compliance, Legal, Fair Lending, Model Risk Management, Fraud, and our bank partners to document, approve, and govern credit policies
- Mentor and work collaboratively with other credit risk data scientists to develop strategies, share knowledge, and raise the team's analytical bar
To thrive in this role, you have
- A Master's degree (required) in Statistics, Economics, Engineering, Math, Finance, Computer Science, or another quantitative discipline; a PhD is a plus
- 7+ years of analytical or data science experience in Financial Services, preferably at a FinTech company
- 4+ years of experience building and managing risk for unsecured credit products such as installment loans, lines of credit, or credit cards; acquisition / underwriting experience strongly preferred
- Hands-on experience with credit bureau data and prescreen, pre-approval, or direct mail credit programs
- Experience with credit furnishing, bankruptcies, delinquency, and write-off policies, and working knowledge of consumer lending regulation (FCRA, ECOA / Reg B, fair lending, adverse action)
- Excellent SQL and Python skills, advanced Microsoft Excel skills, and experience working in Looker or a similar business intelligence tool
- A strong grounding in statistics and machine learning for credit, including scorecards / gradient-boosted models, swap-set analysis, vintage analysis, and experiment design
- Hands-on, detail-oriented leader with exceptional communication skills who can explain a trade-off to executives and defend the math behind it
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, complex environment and meet ambitious deadlines while ensuring flawless completion
- A strong passion for Chime's mission and solving challenging analytical problems for the business
- Nice to have: subprime or near-prime lending, affiliate or marketplace lending, credit card line management, or cash-flow / alternative-data underwriting experience
#LI-Onsite #LI-BE1
Below is the base salary offered for this role and level of experience. Full-time employees may also be eligible for bonus(es), competitive equity, and benefits. For commissioned roles, the base salary listed in this job description does not include incentive/variable pay. The actual base salary offered may be higher, depending on your location, skills, qualifications, and experience.
A little about us
At Chime, we believe that everyone can achieve financial progress. We created Chime—a financial technology company, not a bank*—on the premise that core banking services should be helpful, easy, and free. Through our user-friendly tools and intuitive platforms, we empower our members to take control of their finances and work towards their goals. Whether it's starting a savings account, purchasing a first car or home, launching a business, or pursuing higher education, we're proud to have helped millions unlock their financial potential.
We're a team of problem solvers, dreamers, and builders with one shared obsession: our members. From day one, Chimers have worked tirelessly to out-hustle and out-execute competitors to bring our mission to life. Their grit and determination inspire us to work harder every day to deliver the very best experience possible. We each bring an owner's mindset to our work, refusing to be outdone and holding ourselves accountable to meet and exceed the highest bars for our teams, our company, and our members.
We believe in being bold, dreaming big, and taking risks, while also working together, embracing our diverse perspectives, and giving each other honest feedback. Our culture remains deeply entrepreneurial, encouraging every Chimer to see themselves as stewards of our mission to help everyday Americans unlock their financial progress.
We know that to achieve our mission, we must earn and keep people's trust—so we hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity in everything we do. These aren't just words on a wall—our values are embedded in every aspect of our business, serving as a north star that guides us as we work to help millions achieve their financial potential.
Because if we don't—who will?
*Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC.
What we offer for our full-time, regular employees
- 🏢 Our in-office work policy is designed to keep you connected - with four days a week in the office and Fridays from home for those near one of our offices, plus team and company-wide events depending on location. Whether you’re coming in regularly or are part of our fully remote program, you’ll stay engaged with your work and teammates.
- 💻 Benefits that support your work and life, including backup child, elder, and pet care and subsidized commuter benefits for eligible employees.
- ✨ Comprehensive health, financial, and wellbeing benefits designed to support you at every stage of life.
- 🏝 Generous vacation policy and company-wide paid days off
- 🫂 1% of your time off to support local community organizations of your choice
- 👟 Annual wellness stipend to use towards eligible wellness related expenses
- 👶 Up to 22 weeks of paid parental leave for birthing parents and 12 weeks of paid parental leave for non-birthing parents
- 👪 Access to family planning reimbursement
- 💚 A challenging and fulfilling opportunity to join one of the most experienced teams in FinTech and help millions unlock financial progress
We know that great work can’t be done without a diverse team and inclusive environment. That’s why we specifically look for individuals of varying strengths, skills, backgrounds, and ideas to join our team. We believe this gives us a competitive advantage to better serve our members and helps us all grow as Chimers and individuals.
Chime is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital or family status, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis under provincial, federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances. We will also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of state and local laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Cook County Ordinance, NYC Fair Chance Act, and the LA City Fair Chance Ordinance, and consistent with Canadian provincial and federal laws. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation during any stage of the application process, please contact: [email protected].
To learn more about how Chime collects and uses your personal information during the application process, please see the Chime Applicant Privacy Notice.
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