Lead Data Scientist at Tala

About Tala

Tala is a global technology company building the world’s most accessible financial services. With more than $350 million raised from visionary investors, we are serving millions of customers around the world who have been overlooked by traditional financial institutions – and our plan is to serve millions more, and have been named by the Fortune Impact 20 list, CNBC’s Disruptor 50, and Forbes’ Fintech 50 list for five years running. We are expanding across product offerings, countries and crypto and are looking for people who have an entrepreneurial spirit and are passionate about the mission.

By creating a unique platform that enables lending and other financial services around the globe, people in emerging markets are able to start and expand small businesses, manage day-to-day needs, and pursue their financial goals with confidence. Currently, more than 7 million people across Kenya, the Philippines, Mexico, and India have used Tala products. Due to our global team, we have a remote-first approach, and also have offices in Santa Monica, CA (HQ); Nairobi, Kenya; Mexico City, Mexico; Manila, the Philippines; and Bangalore, India. 

Most Talazens join us because they connect with our mission of enabling financial agency for underbanked people around the world. If you are energized by the impact you can make at Tala, we’d love to hear from you!

We are looking for a Lead Data Scientist interested in solving one of the world's biggest problems: financial inclusion. As a Data Scientist you will lead predictive machine learning and causal inference based initiatives that drive improvements in customer experience, operational efficiency, and recovery. You will own the modeling cycle through design, prototyping, development, deployment, and after-sale monitoring, with keen focus on business outcomes and stakeholder management. As a tech lead you will orchestrate the business’s most complex and impactful machine learning and causal inference solutions that require multi-person teams to build and operate. You will deliver external communications via blog posts, conference proceedings, publications, and talks. 


What you'll do: 

Embed with business stakeholders to identify, test, and implement data science solutions that drive business and customer success. Develop a roadmap in collaboration with stakeholders to organize and prioritize initiatives.
Own full-cycle of machine learning and causal inference products from ideation and training through deployment into our production environment – including real-time inference – and after sales service. Obsess over delivered products, iterating rapidly if necessary.
Become a multiplier for data science team by sharing work, mentoring junior team members, providing technical feedback, scoping work, and developing work into shared team tooling.
Be a thought partner for the business. Leverage data insights and strong communication skills to influence company strategy.




Qualifications: 

6+ years of experience in a data science role or equivalent position.
2+ years in a tech lead position leading the execution of end to end machine learning and causal inference solutions for business stakeholders.
Fluency with Python and packages related to machine learning and causal inference.
Comfort with SQL.
Experience with the full modeling cycle, from scoping and development through deployment, after-sale and monitoring. Demonstrated business value in previous roles. 
Competency with statistics. Knowledge of experimental design and analysis basics.
Strong collaboration and communication skills. Ability to tell stories through data and effective visualization. 
Ability to thrive in at times ambiguous and complex environments.
Desire to champion simple, correct, and hardy systems.
Sophisticated interpersonal, planning, and communication skills. 




Preferred Skills & Experience:

Experience deploying real-time model inference/scoring systems.
Strong desire to become a better software developer. 




We strive to provide Talazens and their loved ones with a holistic benefit experience! We champion your financial, physical, and mental health by offering valuable benefits and resources to help you care for the whole you.

Competitive compensation programs with stock/equity program
Flexible work environments and Hybrid/Remote-first work model
Medical (HMO, PPO, HSA), Dental PPO, Vision, FSA, DC FSA
Employer paid Life w AD&D, Short Term and Long Term Disability 
401k and Roth 401k 
Voluntary benefits like critical illness, accident, life, and pet insurance
Employee Assistance Program
Paid Holidays, Unlimited PTO, Wellness/rest “sloth days”, Paid Parental leave, Birthday Holiday, Life Event Days off, paid sabbatical after 5 years of service, and more
Health and Wellness events and seminars




Salary Range: $185,000- $235,000

Our vision is to build a new financial ecosystem where everyone can participate on equal footing and access the tools they need to be financially healthy. We strongly believe that inclusion fosters innovation and we’re proud to have a diverse global team that represents a multitude of backgrounds, cultures, and experience. We hire talented people regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.