Senior Data Scientist - Credit Eligibility in Leeds

Join our Credit & Underwriting team! We're looking for a Senior Data Scientist who loves building machine learning models and solving ambiguous data problems. This is a fully remote data science role within a growing mission-driven fintech. You'll own the models that shape loan eligibility and pricing across 5 African markets. This is a small team with big responsibility, where your work directly shapes lending strategy for millions of customers. Your models will directly shape how millions of underserved customers access credit for the first time.

The Opportunity

• Mission-driven data science: Build credit scoring and pricing models that expand financial access for customers traditionally excluded from formal lending.
• Global recognition: Join a company named by TIME 100 as one of the world's most influential and by the Financial Times as Africa's fastest-growing for 4 consecutive years (2022–2025).
• Scale challenges: Work with rich repayment datasets across 5 African markets, developing ML models that balance growth with credit risk at scale.
• Environmental impact: We're carbon-negative, having displaced over 2.1 million tonnes of emissions.

What You'll Do

At M-KOPA, you'll build and refine the machine learning and credit risk models that power our lending strategy. You'll sit within a small, high-performing team with end-to-end ownership of credit scoring, loan eligibility, and pricing optimisation — working cross-functionally with engineers, analysts, growth managers, and commercial stakeholders across multiple countries. Join us in combining cutting‑edge data science with purpose-driven work that makes digital and financial inclusion possible across Africa.

Day to day, you'll be:

• Building and refining credit scoring and risk modelling solutions that assess customer creditworthiness, default risk, and loan pricing across multiple markets.
• Developing and testing ML models for loan eligibility and pricing optimisation through A/B testing and statistical analysis.
• Continuously improving eligibility criteria by analysing repayment data, engineering new features, and monitoring credit performance for risk shifts and margin impact.
• Collaborating cross-functionally with engineers, data scientists, and commercial stakeholders to scale models into production.

Technical Environment

• Languages & Libraries: Python, SQL, scikit-learn, pandas, numpy, and relevant ML libraries.
• Techniques: Predictive modelling, classification/regression, feature engineering, model selection, hyperparameter tuning, A/B testing.
• Domain: Credit scoring, underwriting, loan pricing, risk analytics.

Our Team Approach

• Low-ego environment where diversity, innovation, and collaboration drive both commercial growth and social impact.
• High degree of ownership over your domain — you're empowered to make data-driven decisions and prioritise solutions.
• Cross-functional collaboration with engineering, product, and commercial teams across multiple countries.
• Analytical rigour combined with deep market understanding to serve customers excluded from formal financial services.

What You Need

Credit accessibility and affordability are at the core of this role. You'll join a small, high-performing team where every day brings new modelling challenges and analyses that shape our lending strategy. If building models that can transform financial access for millions of African customers excites you, we'd love to hear from you.

Required Experience

• Experience building predictive models, particularly credit scoring, risk models, or similar classification/regression problems.
• Strong ML background with hands‑on experience in model development, validation, deployment, and performance monitoring.
• Proficiency in Python, SQL, and relevant ML libraries (scikit-learn, pandas, numpy, etc.) with experience in feature engineering, model selection, and hyperparameter tuning.
• Experience translating complex model outputs into actionable business strategies and stakeholder communications.
• Ability to work cross‑functionally with product, engineering, and commercial teams.
• Strong data communication skills — written, oral, and visual.

Highly Desirable

• Experience in credit, underwriting, lending analytics, or fintech modelling.

Location & Benefits

• Fully remote Data Scientist role within UTC -1 to UTC +3 time zones.
• Work with diverse teams across UK, Europe, and Africa.
• Professional development programmes and coaching partnerships.
• Family-friendly policies and flexible working arrangements.
• Well‑being support and career growth opportunities.

M-KOPA is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained staff. Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.