Avant

Associate, Data Science, Credit Risk

Avant$95K — $130K *
Finance & Insurance
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Master's or PhD in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Statistics, Operations Research, or related STEM fields
  • 2-3 years of data science experience in financial services or fintech
  • Strong knowledge of machine learning algorithms and practices
  • Proficiency in Python and production-level code development
  • Advanced SQL skills for large dataset analysis
  • Effective communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities

Responsibilities

  • Collaborate with stakeholders to identify data-driven business opportunities
  • Design and develop predictive models to enhance customer experience and optimize strategies
  • Analyze company and third-party data to drive product development
  • Ensure data quality and integrity for modeling tasks
  • Perform feature engineering and develop machine learning models
  • Conduct ad-hoc analyses and present findings to senior management
  • Work cross-functionally to implement and monitor models for customer lifecycle

Benefits

  • Great Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance options
  • 401(k) matching
  • Flexible Time Off
  • Flexible Work Environment (Mon/Tues/Thurs in-person)
  • Generous Paid Parental Leave and support programs
  • Lunch Allowance and in-office snacks
  • Summer Fridays
  • Fun in-office and virtual social events
Full Job Description
What you'll do at Avant:

  • Work with stakeholders throughout the company to identify opportunities for leveraging company data and third-party vendor data to drive business solutions using different modeling techniques
  • Design and build predictive models to enhance customer experience, reduce risk, improve revenue generation, optimize direct mail targeting, and drive key outcomes throughout the customer lifecycle
  • Design and build robust credit risk models, including application scorecards, behavioral models, loss forecasting, and risk-based pricing, to optimize underwriting decisions and drive overall portfolio performance.
  • Mine and analyze data from company databases to drive optimization and improvement of product development, marketing techniques and business strategies
  • Clean, process and validate data to ensure its quality and integrity for modeling and analysis
  • Conduct feature engineering, select appropriate features and develop robust models using various machine learning techniques
  • Perform ad-hoc analysis and present results in a clear manner to senior management. Provide timely and justified recommendations in response to ad-hoc analysis requested by internal groups
  • Proactively collaborate with Data Engineering, ML Operations, Software Development, Credit Risk, Marketing, Legal & Compliance, and other internal groups to implement and monitor models across the customer lifecycle
  • Develop and enhance processes and tools to monitor model performance and input and output data accuracy


Why you're a fit at Avant:

  • Master's or PhD degree in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Statistics, Operations Research or a related STEM fields
  • 2-3 years of professional experience in machine learning or data science within the consumer credit/lending or fintech industry
  • Strong expertise in machine learning theories and practices (Generalized Linear Model, Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, Deep Learning, etc.)
  • Familiarity with Object-Oriented Design (OOD) concept and functional programming with 2+ years experience writing production-level code
  • Proficiency in Python with experience in the end-to-end development of machine learning models. Strong domain expertise and technical knowledge of credit risk modeling
  • Advanced in SQL for querying and analyzing large datasets
  • Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present complex concepts and findings clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences, and effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams
  • Strong analytical, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, with a keen attention to detail and data integrity
  • Preferred: Experience with ML and data analytics platforms/technologies such as Databricks, AWS (including AI/ML tools) and Looker


If you are a highly motivated and detail-oriented individual with a passion for data and product management, we encourage you to apply for this position.

This role is based on our downtown Chicago Office, located in the Merchandise Mart. We highly value collaboration and our hybrid schedule (M, T, Th in-office) enables flexibility to balance work and individual priorities.

Compensation Range:

The base salary range for this job is USD $95,000 - USD $130,000 / Year

Employees new to Avant typically come in below the midpoint of the pay range. The compensation range is based on the level outlined in the job posting, and compensation decisions are dependent on each applicant's experience, skills and abilities.

[If an outstanding applicant's experience and skill level is above or below the qualifications outlined in the job posting, we reserve the right to make an offer at a different level than the one listed in this job posting, which may have a different compensation range.]

This role is eligible for additional incentives, including an annual bonus. These rewards are allocated based on level, impact and performance in the role.

Our benefits include:
  • Choice of great Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance Plan options
  • 401(k) match
  • Flexible Time Off
  • Flexible Work Environment - (i.e. Mon/Tues/Thurs in-person)
  • Generous Paid Parental Leave, Adoption Assistance and Post-parental leave ramp-up program
  • Lunch Allowance (Fooda) and In-office Snacks
  • Summer Fridays
  • Fun In-Office and Virtual Social Events
  • And who doesn't love the swag


Check out our Avant Blog!

About Avant

Avant, LLC, formerly AvantCredit, is a private Chicago, Illinois-based company in the financial technology industry. The company was established in 2012 by serial entrepreneur Albert "Al" Goldstein, John Sun, and Paul Zhang. Initially structured as a mid-prime lender, the company issued its first personal unsecured loan in early 2013 using its proprietary technology to determine an individual's creditworthiness. Avant's technology applies algorithms, machine-learning protocols, and analytical tools in addition to the standard consumer data pulled to determine a customized rate, amount and length at which money can be borrowed. The company began providing access to loans in just 16 states in 2013. Avant currently issues loans in 46 states, and in October 2013, the company expanded beyond US borders to Canada and the United Kingdom. From 2012 to 2015 the company saw substantial growth with over $1 billion in loans originated through Avant's website and $1.4 billion in contributions by investors, including August Capital, Tiger Global and Victory Park Capital.
Learn more about Avant
Industry
Founded
2012

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