Lead Graph Data Scientist - Identity Analytics

Job Description

The Lead Graph Data Scientist - Identity Analytics is responsible for development and implementing quantitative solutions that improve USAA's ability to detect and prevent identity theft, account takeover, and first-party/synthetic fraud. These solutions range from machine learning model development to enterprise deployment of graph analytics capabilities that protect USAA and our Members from these threats.

What You'll Do

• Gathers, interprets, and manipulates sophisticated structured and unstructured data to enable sophisticated analytical solutions for the business.
• Led and conducts sophisticated analytics demonstrating machine learning, simulation, and optimization to deliver business insights and achieve business objectives.
• Guides the team selecting the appropriate modeling technique and/or technology with consideration for data limitations, application, and business needs.
• Develops and deploys models within the Model Development Control (MDC) and Model Risk Management (MRM) framework.
• Composes and peer reviews technical documents for knowledge persistence, risk management, and technical review audiences.
• Pairs with business leaders from across the organization to proactively identify business needs and propose/recommend analytical and modeling projects to generate business value.
• Works with business and analytics leaders to prioritize analytics and highly sophisticated modeling problems/research initiatives.
• Leads efforts to build and maintain a robust library of reusable, production-quality algorithms and supporting code to ensure model development and research efforts are transparent and based on highest-quality data.
• Manages project portfolio milestones, risks, and impediments. Anticipates potential issues that could limit project success or implementation and escalates as needed.
• Establishes and maintains standard methodologies for engaging with Data Engineering and IT to deploy production-ready analytical assets consistent with modeling best practices and model risk management standards.
• Interacts with internal and external peers and management to maintain expertise and awareness of leading techniques.
• Serves as a mentor to data scientists in modeling, analytics, computer science, business acumen, and other interpersonal skills.
• Participates in enterprise-level efforts to drive the maintenance and transformation of data science technologies and culture.
• Ensures risks associated with business activities are effectively identified, measured, monitored, and controlled in accordance with risk and compliance policies and procedures.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mathematics, computer science, statistics, economics, finance, actuarial sciences, science and engineering, or other similar quantitative field; OR 4 years of experience in statistics, mathematics, quantitative analytics, or related experience (in addition to the minimum years of experience required) may be substituted in lieu of degree.
• 8 years of experience in predictive analytics or data analysis.
• 6 years of experience in training and validating statistical, physical, machine learning, and other advanced analytics models.
• 4 years of experience in one or more dynamic scripted languages (such as Python, R, etc.) for performing statistical analyses and/or building and scoring AI/ML models.
• Expert ability to write code that is easy to follow, well documented, and commented where necessary to explain logic (high code transparency).
• Strong experience in querying and preprocessing data from structured and/or unstructured databases using query languages such as SQL, NoSQL, etc.
• Strong experience in working with structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data files such as delimited numeric data files, JSON/XML files, and/or text documents, images, etc.
• Excellent demonstrated skill in performing ad-hoc analytics using descriptive, diagnostic, and inferential statistics.
• Proven ability to assess and articulate regulatory implications and expectations of distinct modeling efforts.
• Project management experience that demonstrates the ability to anticipate and appropriately manage project milestones, risks, and impediments.
• Demonstrated history of appropriately communicating potential issues that could limit project success or implementation.
• Expert level experience with the concepts and technologies associated with classical supervised modeling for prediction such as linear/logistic models, discriminant analysis, support vector machines, decision trees, and ensemble methods such as Random Forests, XGBoost, LightGBM, and CatBoost.
• Expert level experience with the concepts and technologies associated with unsupervised modeling such as k-means clustering, hierarchical/agglomerative clustering, nearest-neighbors algorithms, DBSCAN, etc.
• Demonstrated experience in guiding and mentoring junior technical staff in business interactions and model building.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate ideas with team members and/or business leaders to convey and present very technical information to an audience that may have little or no understanding of technical concepts in data science.
• Extensive technical skills, consulting experience, and business savvy to collaborate with all levels and subject areas within the organization.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is: $164,780 - $314,960.

Benefits

At USAA our employees enjoy best-in-class benefits to support their physical, financial, and emotional wellness. These benefits include comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans, 401(k), pension, life insurance, parental benefits, adoption assistance, paid time off program with paid holidays plus 16 paid volunteer hours, and various wellness programs. Additionally, our career path planning and continuing education assists employees with their professional goals.