Head of Data Science at Lulalend

OVERALL PURPOSE

Lulalend is South Africa’s first and only online and automated business-lending platform aimed at providing small and medium businesses with quick access to funding to help them grow! We use data, technology and design to efficiently deliver capital to a market underserved by banks.

Reporting into our CTO, this role will oversee the full lifecycle of our data-driven solutions, leveraging data on our users to deliver innovative predictive models that guide our business, with a core focus on the development of new and existing data and machine learning models for purposes of credit assessment, marketing and management.

With a thriving Data Science team in place, we’re looking for a hands-on Lead Data Scientist who can step into the role and steer our team to even greater heights, continuing to build on an organisation-wide approach and passion for driving data.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Working closely with our CTO to determine and drive the Data Science vision and roadmap
• Maintain and consistently improve our overall risk assessment algorithms which comprises of credit bureaus, internal models and affordability analytics
• Development of data driven analytics and processes to assist all areas of the business
• Work with Engineering and Product teams to report on process and support access to data for all areas of the business
• Ensure our data and analysis is reliable and that process is followed to ensure timeous and high-quality deliverables
• Work with Data Engineering to determine metric accuracy
• Grow, lead and mentor a highly skilled team of Data Scientists and Data Engineers, evaluating team performance and driving objectives
• Act as the evangelist for all our data science initiatives, driving forward a data-driven culture, sharing knowledge and expertise across the various teams
• Form part of the senior leadership team with a focus on creating end-to-end data solutions to get our business to its next phase of growth

THE COMPETENCIES WE’RE AFTER

• Quality and excellence focused
• Curiosity
• Big picture thinker
• Ability to lead a team
• High level of EQ
• Customer centric
• Team collaborator
• Hands-on mentality
• Focused on process improvement
• Problem-solver
• Business acumen and intuition

THE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• Degree in a quantitative field (Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering, Statistics or equivalent). Masters an added bonus
• 10+ years experience working within data and analytics, with a minimum of 5 years experience in the field of data science, machine learning and AI
• 2+ years experience as a Lead/Expert Data Scientist
• Deep knowledge and experience in machine learning techniques and evaluating data science algorithms for quantifying customer experience and value
• Extensive experience in data modeling, particularly in the field of credit
• Strong project management skills and the ability to work across teams on cross-functional projects
• Experience leading and mentoring Data Scientists
• Experience advising and educating stakeholders in Data Science best practice
• Experience working with Product and Development teams with a strong grasp of product management and programming
• Experience working in an agile environment within a tech driven company, extra points for fintech experience
• Strong communication and presentation skills