Desjardins Group

Data Scientist, Model Validation

Desjardins Group$75K — $95K *
Finance & Insurance
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in a related field
  • Minimum of four years relevant experience
  • Fluency in French, with intermediate English proficiency
  • Proficiency in risk management models (Credit and/or Liquidity)
  • Knowledge of mathematical modeling and statistics
  • Programming skills in C++, SQL, Python, MATLAB, VB, SAS
  • Understanding of the banking industry and Basel regulations

Responsibilities

  • Ensure modeling processes utilize available data effectively
  • Validate predictive modeling according to standards and quality criteria
  • Analyze business needs and validate model suitability
  • Oversee programming for data preparation and complex model management
  • Employ advanced statistical, machine learning, and AI methods in testing
  • Draft guidelines and influence methodological choices
  • Train teams on model validation methods and speed improvements
  • Identify opportunities for optimizing rules and systems

Benefits

  • 4 weeks of flexible vacation starting in the first year
  • Defined benefit pension plan for stable retirement income
  • Group insurance including telemedicine services
  • Reimbursement for health and wellness expenses and telework equipment
  • Competitive salary and annual bonus
Full Job Description
As a data scientist, model validation, you help ensure that data is appropriately valued at each stage of the model's life cycle. You help make business decisions, develop solutions and services tailored to business issues and interpret member/client behaviour. In this respect, you check that the validation programs in place are properly applied to ensure that the models comply with all quality criteria used by Desjardins Group. You make recommendations on the development and use of models with a high degree of operational and conceptual complexity, using your analytical skills and comprehensive, in-depth understanding of your line of business and the organization. You serve as a specialist advisor and subject matter specialist and assist the expert advisor in their role as a resource person for senior management and decision-making bodies. You interact with many interested parties who work in a wide range of fields and in model governance. More specifically, you will be required to:
  • Ensure that modelling processes make appropriate use of available data based on characterization, quality and processing as part of strategic initiatives
  • Ensure that predictive modelling is carried out according to the required standards and that Desjardins Group's quality criteria are met through the validation process
  • Analyze the business needs behind the model and confirm the model's suitability through validation
  • Ensure that the programming required to prepare and mine data, and to develop, evaluate, support, roll out and manage highly conceptually complex and innovative models meets the required standards
  • Use advanced and innovative statistical, machine learning and artificial intelligence methods to test the methodologies proposed by the first line of defence
  • Help draft guidelines and methods and shape methodological and technological choices
  • Advise and train teams on quantitative model validation methods and update them to improve delivery speed
  • Identify opportunities to optimize rules and systems, anticipate underlying impacts of changes and help develop data management and modelling support tools
  • Represent teams with various internal interested parties
  • Monitor the industry to understand and anticipate trends in your field of expertise in model validation, with a view to developing and updating practices that are contextually appropriate for the organization.


What we offer*
  • Competitive salary and annual bonus
  • 4 weeks of flexible vacation starting in the first year
  • Defined benefit pension plan that provides predictable, stable income throughout retirement
  • Group insurance including telemedicine
  • Reimbursement of health and wellness expenses and telework equipment

* Benefits apply based on eligibility criteria.

What you bring to the table

  • Bachelor's degree in a related field
  • A minimum of four years of relevant experience,
  • Please note that other combinations of qualifications and relevant experience may be considered
  • Knowledge of French is required
  • Intermediate knowledge of English due to the nature of the duties or work tools or because the position involves interactions with English-speaking partners, members and/or clients
  • Proficiency in risk management models in at least one of the following areas:
    • Credit: Scoring models, shadow ratings, IFRS 9 and regulatory parameters (PD, LGD, EAD, SICR, ECL, for example), including economic capital calculation and stress testing using SAS, Python, MATLAB and RiskFrontier
    • Liquidity: Pre-payment models, LCR, NCCF including economic capital calculation and stress testing using QRM and Python
  • Knowledge of mathematical modelling and statistics
  • Knowledge of programming: C++, SQL, Python, MATLAB, VB, SAS
  • Knowledge of the banking industry
  • Knowledge of Basel regulations
Complexity, Innovation, Interpersonal Savvy

Trade Union (If applicable)

Job Family
Data (FG)

Unposting Date
2026-08-4

About Desjardins Group

Desjardins Group is a Canadian cooperative financial group with headquarters in Montreal, Quebec. It was founded in 1900 and has since grown to become the largest cooperative financial group in Canada, with over 7 million members and clients. The group offers a range of financial services including banking, insurance, wealth management, and investment services. Desjardins Group operates primarily in Quebec and Ontario, but also has a presence in other Canadian provinces as well as in the United States and Europe. The group is committed to social responsibility and sustainability, and has implemented various initiatives to promote these values.
Learn more about Desjardins Group
Size
48,200 employees
Industry

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