Mid-Level Data Scientist

USAA • San Antonio, NC

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

At USAA, our mission is to empower our members to achieve financial security through highly competitive products, exceptional service and trusted advice. We seek to be the #1 choice for the military community and their families. Embrace a fulfilling career at USAA, where our core values – honesty, integrity, loyalty and service – define how we treat each other and our members. Be part of what truly makes us special and impactful. The Opportunity We are seeking a Data Scientist I who can work on translating channel (Digital & Contact center) business problems into applied machine learning & AI solutions that improve member experience across web, mobile, IVR, MSR, chat and messaging channels. Translates business problems into applied statistical, machine learning, simulation, and optimization solutions to inform actionable business insights and drive business value through automation, revenue generation, and expense and risk reduction. In collaboration with engineering partners, delivers solutions at scale, and enables customer-facing applications. Leverages database, cloud, and programming knowledge to build analytical modeling solutions using statistical and machine learning techniques. Collaborates with other data scientists to improve USAA’s tooling, expanding the company’s library of internal packages and applications. Works with model risk management to validate the results and stability of models before being pushed to production at scale. We offer a flexible work environment that requires an individual to be in the office 4 days per week. This position is based out of San Antonio; TX or Charlotte; NC. Relocation assistance is not available for this position.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in mathematics, computer science, statistics, economics, finance, actuarial sciences, science and engineering, or other similar quantitative discipline; 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.
• 4 years of experience in a predictive analytics or data analysis OR Advanced Degree (e.g., Master’s, PhD) in mathematics, computer science, statistics, economics, finance, actuarial sciences, science and engineering, or other similar quantitative discipline and 2 years of experience in predictive analytics or data analysis.
• 2 years of experience in training and validating statistical, physical, machine learning, and other advanced analytics models.
• 2 years of experience in one or more dynamic scripted language (such as Python, R, etc.) for performing statistical analyses and/or building and scoring AI/ML models.
• Experience writing code that is easy to follow, well documented, and commented where necessary to explain logic (high code transparency).
• Experience in querying and preprocessing data from structured and/or unstructured databases using query languages such as SQL, HQL, NoSQL, etc.
• 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.
• Experience in performing ad-hoc analytics using descriptive, diagnostic, and inferential statistics.
• Ability to assess regulatory implications and expectations of distinct modeling efforts.
• Experience with the concepts and technologies associated with classical supervised modeling for prediction such as linear/logistic regression, discriminant analysis, support vector machines, decision trees, forest models, etc.
• Experience with the concepts and technologies associated with unsupervised modeling such as k-means clustering, hierarchical/agglomerative clustering, neighbors algorithms, DBSCAN, etc.
• Experience communicating analytical and modeling results to non-technical business partners with emphasis on business recommendations and actionable applications of results.

Nice To Haves

• Proficient in analyzing diverse data sources (clickstream, IVR, transcripts) and applying statistical methods (descriptive, diagnostic, inferential) for ad-hoc analysis.
• Strong Python skills (pandas, numpy, sklearn) with hands-on experience in deep learning frameworks (PyTorch/TensorFlow).
• Applied experience in NLP techniques (text classification, embeddings, topic modeling, transformers).
• Familiarity with supervised (regression, SVMs) and unsupervised (clustering) learning algorithms.
• Experience with A/B testing and translating business KPIs into modeling objectives.
• Skilled in presenting findings to non-technical audiences and collaborating on model lifecycle management.

Responsibilities

• Gathers, interprets, and manipulates structured and unstructured data to enable advanced analytical solutions for the business.
• Develops scalable, automated solutions using machine learning, simulation, and optimization to deliver business insights and business value.
• Selects the appropriate modeling technique and/or technology with consideration to data limitations, application, and business needs.
• Develops and deploys models within the Model Development Control (MDC) and Model Risk Management (MRM) framework.
• Composes technical documents for knowledge persistence, risk management, and technical review audiences.
• Assesses business needs to propose/recommend analytical and modeling projects to add business value.
• Participates in the prioritization of analytics and modeling problems/research efforts with business and analytics leaders.
• Contributes to the development of a robust library of reusable, production-quality algorithms and supporting code, to ensure model development and research efforts are transparent and based on the highest quality data.
• Translates business request(s) into specific analytical questions, executes on the analysis and/or modeling, and then communicates outcomes to non-technical business colleagues with focus on business action and recommendations.
• Works closely with Data Engineering, IT, the business, and other internal stakeholders to deploy production-ready analytical assets that are aligned with the customer’s vision and specifications while being consistent with modeling best practices and model risk management standards.
• Maintains awareness of cutting-edge techniques. Actively seeks opportunities and materials to learn new techniques, technologies, and methodologies.
• Ensures risks associated with business activities are effectively identified, measured, monitored, and controlled in accordance with risk and compliance policies and procedures

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.
• For more details on our outstanding benefits, visit our benefits page on USAAjobs.com.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees