Head of Data Science, Socure
Identity & Compliance
$250-300k
Offers Equity • Offers Bonus
Digital ID verification & fraud protection
Be an early applicant
Digital ID verification & fraud protection
501-1000 employees
Be an early applicant
$250-300k
Offers Equity • Offers Bonus
501-1000 employees
Company mission
To verify 100% of good identities in real-time and completely eliminate identity fraud on the internet.
Role
Who you are
- Advanced degree (MS/PhD preferred) in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, or a related field
- 10+ years of experience in data science and machine learning, with a strong track record of delivering production-grade AI systems at scale
- Significant experience in identity verification, KYC/AML, fraud detection, or risk modeling in fintech or adjacent domains
- Proven leadership experience managing and scaling high-performing data science teams
- Deep expertise in modern machine learning techniques, including deep learning, graph neural networks, entity resolution, and large-scale data systems
- Strong understanding of agentic system design, including agent skills, orchestration/harness frameworks, and real-world deployment of autonomous or human-in-the-loop agents
- Strong experience working with heterogeneous data sources, including structured data, text, network/graph data, and third-party identity signals
- Demonstrated ability to drive ambiguous, high-impact problems to production, balancing speed, rigor, and business outcomes
- Hands-on experience with Apache Spark and large-scale distributed data systems
- Proficiency in Python and modern ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch), and familiarity with graph ML frameworks is a plus
- Proven ability to engage with customers and external stakeholders, clearly explaining complex AI systems, trade-offs, and outcomes to both technical and non-technical audiences
- Experience representing organizations in customer-facing discussions, executive briefings, or public speaking engagements is strongly preferred
What the job involves
- We are seeking a highly driven and innovative leader to build and scale the next generation of AI-powered identity and compliance solutions
- This role will lead the Data Science function across core identity and compliance products, including KYC, International KYC, Global Watchlist, Advanced Prefill, and Identity Graph
- In addition to advancing core modeling capabilities, you will spearhead the development of intelligent, agent-driven systems that automate and optimize identity decisioning, investigation, and compliance workflows
- You will define the technical vision and execution strategy for identity at scale, pushing the boundaries of machine learning, graph intelligence, and autonomous systems to solve some of the hardest problems in digital identity and regulatory compliance
- This role requires a leader who sets a high bar for execution, thrives in ambiguity, and consistently translates complex, high-stakes problems into scalable, production-grade systems
- Own and drive the data science vision for Identity & Compliance, delivering measurable improvements in accuracy, coverage, latency, and customer impact across all products in scope
- Lead, build, and develop a high-performing team of data scientists and applied researchers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, speed, and accountability
- Architect and deploy advanced machine learning systems across identity verification, entity resolution, sanctions screening, and compliance risk modeling
- Drive the development of graph-based intelligence, including large-scale graph neural networks (GNNs) and link analysis models to power Identity Graph, fraud detection, and watchlist matching
- Lead the design and implementation of agent-based AI systems, enabling automated decisioning, case triage, investigation workflows, and adaptive compliance strategies
- Advance state-of-the-art modeling approaches, including deep learning, representation learning, graph learning, and multimodal fusion across structured and unstructured data
- Drive innovation in Identity Graph and Prefill systems, improving identity resolution, linking, and enrichment capabilities across global datasets
- Partner closely with Product, Engineering, Risk, and Go-to-Market teams to translate business needs into scalable AI solutions that deliver customer value
- Own the end-to-end model lifecycle, including data strategy, feature engineering, model development, evaluation, deployment, and monitoring
- Ensure alignment with regulatory and compliance requirements, balancing model performance with explainability, auditability, and governance
- Continuously raise the bar on experimentation and execution velocity, enabling rapid iteration while maintaining high standards for reliability and impact
- Own customer communication and stakeholder management, serving as a trusted technical leader in engagements with customers, partners, and internal stakeholders; clearly articulate model behavior, agentic systems, performance trade-offs, and roadmap decisions while building strong, long-term relationships
- Represent Socure externally as a thought leader in identity, compliance, and applied AI
Our take
Socure is an identity platform that aims to improve customer identification for digital transactions. The company is part of a growing market, with rivals in this competitive space including Signifyd, Riskified, AppsFlyer, ClearSale, Kount, SEON, and Fraud Fighters.
The engine delivered by Socure encompasses Know Your Customer (KYC), identity fraud detection, and document verification. With it, companies can scale rapidly by onboarding more good customers and preventing online fraud. Additionally, underbanked consumers who have been excluded from online services by outdated ID verification can gain access to critical benefits and services online.
Socure has rapidly escalated in popularity and reached a valuation well over $1 billion. Though not immune from the economic downturn of late, which resulted in two high-profile rounds of lay-offs, the company has secured considerable additional funds that will strengthen its financial position as it moves to capitalise on the ever-growing importance of identity verification and trust.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
-22% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 8 rounds)
Nov 2021
$450m
SERIES E
Mar 2021
$100m
SERIES D
Total funding: $646.6m
Company benefits
- Health: Comprehensive medical coverage, including vision, dental, and FSA
- Parental Leave: Generous leave allowance for parents-to-be
- 401k: Pre-tax savings for retirement
- Life Insurance: Protect your family in case of emergency
- PTO: Take as much time as you need, when you need it
- 100% Remote: Work from anywhere anytime, whatever suits your lifestyle
- WFH Allowance: Generous reimbursement program to maximize your WFH setup
- Deskpass: Work in an office environment whenever you feel the need
- Mental Health Provider: Connect with clinicians when you need it
- Learning & Development: Self-education allowance & free career coaching
- Employee Assistance Program "EAP": Lifestyle resources available as well as additional mental health resources
- Fertility Provider: Family planning solutions for those interested
- Personal Legal Support: Significant discounts with RocketLawyer
Company HQ
Incline Village, NV
Leadership
Johnny Ayers
(Founder & CEO)Founder & General Partner of Switch Hit Ventures. Having been a Senior Consultant at IBM, they became COO and Board Member of Endeavor Up. Since then, was an Advisor at Pager and later founded Socure in 2012.
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