USAA · 5 hours ago
Data Scientist Lead - AI / ML
Phoenix, AZ
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$165K/yr - $315K/yr
6+ years expUSAA is dedicated to empowering its members to achieve financial security through exceptional service and products. The Data Scientist Lead will supervise multiple AI/ML modeling projects, providing technical expertise and mentorship to junior data scientists while collaborating across teams to deliver analytical solutions in the Consumer Lending and Bank Operations domains.
FinanceBankingProperty & Casualty InsuranceVenture CapitalFinancial ServicesInsurance
No H1B
U.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Gathers, interprets, and manipulates complex structured and unstructured data to enable advanced analytical solutions for the business
Leads and conducts advanced analytics leveraging machine learning, simulation, and optimization to deliver business insights and achieve business objectives
Guides team on selecting the appropriate modeling technique and/or technology with consideration to data limitations, application, and business needs
Develops and deploys models within the Model Development Control (MDC) and Model Risk Management (MRM) framework
Composes and peer reviews technical documents for knowledge persistence, risk management, and technical review audiences
Partners with business leaders from across the organization to proactively identify business needs and proposes/recommends analytical and modeling projects to generate business value
Works with business and analytics leaders to prioritize analytics and highly complex modeling problems/research efforts
Leads efforts to build and maintain a robust library of reusable, production-quality algorithms and supporting code, to ensure model development and research efforts are transparent and based on the highest quality data
Assists team with translating business request(s) into specific analytical questions, executing analysis and/or modeling, and communicating outcomes to non-technical business colleagues with a focus on business action and recommendations
Manages project portfolio milestones, risks, and impediments. Anticipates potential issues that could limit project success or implementation and escalates as needed
Establishes and maintains best practices for engaging with Data Engineering and IT to deploy production-ready analytical assets consistent with modeling best practices and model risk management standards
Interacts with internal and external peers and management to maintain expertise and awareness of cutting-edge techniques. Actively seeks opportunities and materials to learn new techniques, technologies, and methodologies
Serves as a mentor to data scientists in modeling, analytics, computer science, business acumen, and other interpersonal skills
Participates in enterprise-level efforts to drive the maintenance and transformation of data science technologies and culture
Ensures risks associated with business activities are effectively identified, measured, monitored, and controlled in accordance with risk and compliance policies and procedures
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in mathematics, computer science, statistics, economics, finance, actuarial sciences, science and engineering, or other similar quantitative discipline; OR 4 years of experience in statistics, mathematics, quantitative analytics, or related experience (in addition to the minimum years of experience required) may be substituted in lieu of degree
8 years of experience in a predictive analytics or data analysis OR Advanced Degree (e.g., Master's, PhD) in mathematics, computer science, statistics, economics, finance, actuarial sciences, science and engineering, or other similar quantitative discipline and 6 years of experience in predictive analytics or data analysis
6 years of experience in training and validating statistical, physical, machine learning, and other advanced analytics models
4 years of experience in one or more dynamic scripted language (such as Python, R, etc.) for performing statistical analyses and/or building and scoring AI/ML models
Expert ability to write code that is easy to follow, well documented, and commented where necessary to explain logic (high code transparency)
Strong experience in querying and preprocessing data from structured and/or unstructured databases using query languages such as SQL, HQL, NoSQL, etc
Strong experience in working with structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data files such as delimited numeric data files, JSON/XML files, and/or text documents, images, etc
Excellent demonstrated skill in performing ad-hoc analytics using descriptive, diagnostic, and inferential statistics
Proven ability to assess and articulate regulatory implications and expectations of distinct modeling efforts
Project management experience that demonstrates the ability to anticipate and appropriately manage project milestones, risks, and impediments. Demonstrated history of appropriately communicating potential issues that could limit project success or implementation
Expert level experience with the concepts and technologies associated with classical supervised modeling for prediction such as linear/logistic models, discriminant analysis, support vector machines, decision trees, forest models, etc
Expert level experience with the concepts and technologies associated with unsupervised modeling such as k-means clustering, hierarchical/agglomerative clustering, neighbors algorithms, DBSCAN, etc
Demonstrated experience in guiding and mentoring junior technical staff in business interactions and model building
Demonstrated ability to communicate ideas with team members and/or business leaders to convey and present very technical information to an audience that may have little or no understanding of technical concepts in data science
A strong track record of communicating results, insights, and technical solutions to Senior Executive Management (or equivalent)
Extensive technical skills, consulting experience, and business savvy to interface with all levels and disciplines within the organization
Preferred
Extensive model building experience (preferably in banking) covering a variety of AI/ML and traditional statistical modeling approaches
Extensive hands-on experience preparing data and code for modeling
Experience with the entire model lifecycle, including conceptualization, development, implementation, validation, and ongoing performance monitoring
Experience working directly with clients, customers, or internal business partners
Experience leading client or customer relationships and expectations, including senior leadership
Benefits
Comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans
401(k)
Pension
Life insurance
Parental benefits
Adoption assistance
Paid time off program with paid holidays plus 16 paid volunteer hours
Various wellness programs
Career path planning and continuing education
Company
USAA
USAA is a financial services company.
10001+ employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Julie McPeak
SVP, General Counsel Insurance
Waqas Durrani
Senior Vice President, General Counsel - Enterprise Shared Services
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