Principal Data Scientist in London

hackajob is collaborating with Lendable to connect them with exceptional professionals for this role.

About Lendable: Lendable is on a mission to build the world's best technology to help people get credit and save money. We're building one of the world’s leading fintech companies and are off to a strong start:

• One of the UK’s newest unicorns with a team of just over 700 people
• Among the fastest-growing tech companies in the UK
• Profitable since 2017
• Backed by top investors including Balderton Capital and Goldman Sachs
• Loved by customers with the best reviews in the market (4.9 across 10,000s of reviews on Trustpilot)

So far, we’ve rebuilt the Big Three consumer finance products from scratch: loans, credit cards and car finance. We get money into our customers’ hands in minutes instead of days. We’re growing fast, and there’s a lot more to do: we’re going after the two biggest Western markets (UK and US) where trillions worth of financial products are held by big banks with dated systems and painful processes.

Join us if:

• Take ownership across a broad remit. You are trusted to make decisions that drive a material impact on the direction and success of Lendable from day 1
• Work in small teams of exceptional people, who are relentlessly resourceful to solve problems and find smarter solutions than the status quo
• Build the best technology in-house, using new data sources, machine learning and AI to make machines do the heavy lifting

About The Role: We are looking for the first data scientist to own the data science strategy for non-lending products. You will partner with the managing directors to define what to build from a data science perspective and lead the delivery of the data science projects.

So far, we have successfully re-engineered our 'Big Three' of UK consumer finance: Unsecured Loans, Credit Cards, and Auto Finance into high frequency, low latency automated systems. Now, we are diversifying our ecosystem. Car Insurance is our first venture into non-lending products, presenting a sophisticated new domain for our data strategy.

Join Us If:

• You enjoy working with cross functional fast moving teams
• You are able to think strategically about commercial products and how decisions using data can unlock more value for our customers
• You enjoy being the thought partner to the managing directors who are in charge of launching and growing the new products
• You are excited about getting your hands dirty and getting the work done

You will directly report to the Head of Data Science (Catherine Chen) who is managing the data science team. You will start as an IC and potentially have people management responsibilities in the future.

What You’ll Be Working On:

• Own the data science roadmap to contribute to new product expansion
• Build trust and influence a diverse range of leaders and stakeholders.
• Gather requirements internally and externally to define the success of the data science projects
• Drive exciting data science projects from both strategic level and tactical level.
• Clearly communicate results to stakeholders through verbal and written communication.
• Share ideas with the wider team, learn from and contribute to the body of knowledge.
• Be a great mentor to a team of talented data scientists and the broader analytics community

Key Skills:

• Successful track record of managing data science projects, with cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders
• Confident and effective communication both internally and externally
• Extensive knowledge of the financial services industry, including the products, data, typical ML applications, and related regulations
• Excellent technical skills in Python, SQL, and statistics
• Hands‑on experience across the model lifecycle from scoping and model development to deployment and monitoring

Nice to have:

• Experience of working in insurance, telco or consulting in financial services industry

The interview process:

• Recruiter call
• Hiring Manager Interview
• Technical Interview/ Case study
• Final interviews with Head of Data Science and Chief Risk Officer

Life at Lendable:

• Winning team: the opportunity to scale up one of the world’s most successful fintech companies
• Flexible working: flexible approach tailored to each role. Hybrid roles require three days in-office weekly; fully remote roles include regular opportunities for in-person connection through socials and off‑sites
• Socials & connection: opportunities and events to come together, socialise, and get to know each other beyond the office walls
• Health coverage: support for your physical and mental wellbeing, including private health cover
• Retirement & savings: long‑term financial wellbeing through retirement savings plans
• Employee referral programme: earn a competitive bonus when you refer successful new team members
• Office meals & snacks: enjoy a fully stocked kitchen, plus complimentary lunches prepared by in-house chefs on in-office days at select locations
• Sustainable commuting: cycle‑to‑work and electric vehicle salary sacrifice schemes available in select locations

Note: The availability and details of specific benefits vary by location and role. For more information, please speak to your Talent Partner.