Senior Data Scientist, Funding Circle
More information about location
2+ days a week in office
Business finance that backs you and your business to succeed
Be an early applicant
Business finance that backs you and your business to succeed
1001+ employees
Be an early applicant
More information about location
2+ days a week in office
1001+ employees
Company mission
We back small businesses with the finance they need to succeed. At Funding Circle, we understand running a business is hard work so we provide a fast, hassle-free experience for businesses looking for finance - with SME experts based in the UK.
Role
Who you are
- Data curiosity and problem solving skills: The ability and willingness to explore, understand and explain complex datasets and identify opportunities for automation and process improvements
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to address real-world business challenges
- Practical and outcome driven mindset
- Proven machine learning expertise: Demonstrated experience in developing and deploying machine learning models, with a strong understanding of various algorithms, including supervised and unsupervised learning methods
- Additional knowledge of GenAI and LLMs is an advantage
- Software development skills: Strong programming experience, ideally in Python
- Ability and willingness to work alongside machine learning engineers on the production implementation of algorithms and machine learning models
- Experience working on production applications with software developers is an advantage
- The role will require working in close contact with production systems, and quality software engineering practices are essential
- Data manipulation, analysis and feature processing: Proficient in data manipulation and analysis using tools like Pandas, Polars, NumPy, and SQL
- Ability to work with large-scale datasets and extract meaningful insights
- Experience in feature engineering and data preprocessing to optimise input data for machine learning models
- Ability to handle data quality issues and outliers effectively
- Solid understanding of statistical concepts and techniques for modelling
- Collaborative team player: Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively in cross-functional teams, both non-technical (domain experts) and highly technical (software, data and platform engineers)
- Practical mindset with a focus on team outcomes
- Continuous learning and adaptability: Commitment to staying updated on the latest developments in data science and machine learning
- Ability to work in a fast paced, high innovation environment
What the job involves
- We are looking for a Senior Data Scientist to join the ML/AI team
- Our ML/AI team within the Data Organisation is a dynamic group of data scientists and machine learning experts passionate about using data to drive innovation
- As a Senior Data Scientist on this team, you'll be at the forefront of developing and deploying machine learning and GenAI algorithms models
- You'll collaborate with colleagues across the organisation to identify opportunities for automation, improve decision-making, and optimise our products and processes
- This is a challenging and rewarding role where you can make a significant contribution to our mission while continuously learning and expanding your skillset in a supportive and collaborative environment
- Develop and implement machine learning models using traditional ML and GenAI: Design, develop, and deploy robust machine learning models and algorithms to solve complex business problems, with a focus on enhancing various aspects of Funding Circle's operations and decision-making processes. Make use of Generative AI models and services when necessary
- Analyse data to identify opportunities to improve Funding Circle’s products and processes: We collect large quantities of data as part of running our business, work with analysts and product managers to analyse that data and identify opportunities to enhance decision making and increase automation
- Communicate results and engage with stakeholders: Effectively communicate complex technical concepts and findings to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Present insights and recommendations in a clear and concise manner to drive informed decision-making
- Mentorship and knowledge sharing: Actively participate in knowledge sharing within the Machine Learning and AI team and the wider data team, providing mentorship to junior team members and contributing to a collaborative and learning-oriented environment
- Continuous learning: Keep up-to-date with advancements in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Apply cutting-edge techniques and technologies to address business challenges and maintain a competitive edge in the financial technology sector
Salary benchmarks
Our take
Funding Circle launched in 2010 and it was the perfect time in the market. After the financial crisis in 2008, financial institutions were hesitant to lend money. Loans to SMEs were at record lows.
This meant that Funding Circle's innovative platform - connecting investors and businesses directly - had immediate product-market fit and growth. Funding Circle remains incredibly focused on small businesses, and this set it apart from other lending platforms. The business has since expanded to the USA.
The company completed its IPO in September 2018 in a challenging economic environment in Europe and the USA. More recently, however, trading in the group’s core UK market has been helped by its participation in the government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme – the company says it has been responsible for a quarter of CBILS loans by volume since it was accredited to join the scheme in April 2020.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
Few candidates hear
back within 2 weeks
40% female employees
9% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Employee endorsements
Focus on employee wellbeing
"We've moved to a hybrid way of working at FC. We have lots of employee benefits, from lunch budgets (Just Eat), to retail discounts, gym/health..."
Funding (last 2 of 7 rounds)
Jan 2017
$94.7m
SERIES F
Apr 2015
$150m
SERIES E
Total funding: $366.9m
Company benefits
- Annual learning budget
- Private Health insurance covering pre-existing conditions
- 5% Matched Pension
- 25 days holiday (excl. bank holidays)
- Access to Wellhub (formally Gym Pass)
- Dental Insurance
- Just Eat for Business 2 days when in the office
Company values
- Think smart
- Obsess over the customer
- Make it happen
- Be open
- Stand together
- Live the adventure
Company HQ
City of London, London, UK
Articles
Leadership
Samir Desai
(Non Executive Director)Previously a Consultant at BCG and an Investment Executive at Olivant focused on financial services businesses. Awarded a CBE for services to financial services in 2015.
Lisa Jacobs
(CEO)Lisa is CEO of Funding Circle. She is responsible for driving the company’s strategy and overseeing Funding Circle's operations in the UK and US.
Andrew Mullinger
(Co-founder)Founded Funding Circle in 2009 until hiring his replacement in 2016.
James Meekings
(Co-Founder)Co-founded Funding Circle in 2009 and was UK MD up until to 2019. He now spends his time helping, and investing in, early stage companies.
Sam Hodges
(Co-Founder)Sam founded our US business and was US MD up until 2018.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Funding Circle
Poonam Verma (Director of Talent Development, Culture & Belonging)
- It’s in our differences that we find our strengths!
- We celebrate and support the differences that make you, you. So we’re building a culture where difference is valued. We’re proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and affirmative action employer. We truly believe diversity makes us better. We particularly encourage applications from applicants from underrepresented backgrounds. We welcome applicants who may want to work flexibly
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