Principal Data Scientist

About the role

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship, now or in the future. Candidates must be a US Citizen or Green Card Holder. This position is remote in the Greater Boston Area only OR hybrid 3 days per week in our either our Cincinnati, OH or Atlanta, GA office.

Responsibilities

• Define the technical vision and strategy for new data-driven product initiatives with a focus on end-to-end payment optimization, aligning them with business goals.
• Develop scalable and reusable capabilities to power real-time machine learning models (classification, ranking and optimization), enable rapid experimentation at scale, and support continuous monitoring of ML products.
• Oversee and participate hands-on in the conceptualization, development, production deployment, operation, validation, and maintenance of ML models and model update systems.
• Establish and ensure adherence to best practices for ML modeling.
• Stay abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies in ML and payment optimization, driving adoption of modern tools, frameworks, and infrastructure.
• Foster a culture of innovation, experimentation and collaboration.
• Mentor an elite team of data scientists.
• Partner with product, engineering, data, and compliance teams to integrate ML into products.
• Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Collaborate with other Data Science leaders to establish an operating model for machine learning R&D that optimizes end-to-end delivery of business value.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, or related field (PhD preferred)
• 7+ years in ML research or engineering ; 5+ years building large-scale, real-time ML systems in production, including significant experience hands-on
• Expertise in machine learning, statistical modeling, and data analysis, strong experience across the ML lifecycle and experimentation processes
• Proficiency in Python (Pandas, NumPy, scikit-learn), strong SQL and database experience (NoSQL and/or graph database experience is a plus)
• Demonstrated ability to lead solution design and execution, translating complex business requirements into actionable technology solutions
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively across technical and business audiences at all levels, including executive leadership

Qualifications

• Experience in payments, fintech, or financial services
• Knowledge of payment systems (authorization lifecycle, tokenization, fraud/risk, real-time payments)
• Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP, Snowflake, Databricks, Vertex AI)
• Agile development experience
• Experience in large companies, mature ML teams, and/or highly regulated industries

Skills

• Strong system and product thinking
• Ability to balance strategic leadership with hands-on technical contribution
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to influence and collaborate effectively across technical and business audiences at all levels, including executive leadership

Benefits

Worldpay is dedicated to offering individuals rewarding career opportunities and competitive compensation. For this full-time position, the good faith estimated annual salary range upon hire is $165,300.00-$249,675.00. This range reflects what we reasonably expect to offer based on the role's responsibilities, level, and geographic location. The actual starting salary will be determined by a candidate's experience, job-related skills, and relevant education or training. Please note that changes in work location may impact the final offered salary.

Pay

The good faith estimated annual salary range upon hire is $165,300.00-$249,675.00.

Schedule

The position is remote in the Greater Boston Area only OR hybrid 3 days per week in our either our Cincinnati, OH or Atlanta, GA office.