Sr. Director of Credit Risk Analytics

Koalafi•Arlington, VA

About The Position

At Koalafi, we believe in a world where no one has to put an important purchase on hold. That’s why we’re making it easier for more people to pay for big purchases over time. Retailers across the country rely on us to offer flexible lease-to-own financing to their non-prime consumers, while increasing sales and strengthening customer loyalty. Their 2M+ customers love us because we provide a flexible way for them to make payments and give them an opportunity to improve their credit. Our 200+ Koalafi teammates enjoy inspiring and challenging work that accelerates their careers. Interested in learning more about how we’re transforming the financing experience and joining our team? What You’ll Do The Sr. Director of Credit Risk Analytics is a senior leadership role responsible for the full Credit Policy function — from strategy design through execution and measurement. You will own the credit program's analytical infrastructure, set the team's agenda, and be the primary accountable owner for portfolio profitability. This is a high-visibility role that requires equal parts strategic vision and quantitative rigor, with a strong bias toward structured experimentation and evidence-based decision-making. You will report directly to the Chief Risk Officer and serve as a key cross-functional partner to the Data Science, Finance, Product/Tech, and Sales teams. Credit Policy Strategy & Program Ownership Define and own the Credit Policy roadmap, setting the team's agenda in alignment with company growth, risk appetite, and profitability objectives Determine which underwriting strategies, credit policy levers, and product term configurations to pursue — and in what sequence Partner with the Data Science team to translate policy intent into model inputs, scorecard strategies, and decisioning logic Ensure that credit policy decisions account for second-order effects, including merchant engagement and performance impacts associated with changes Experimentation & Strategy Measurement Design, execute, and monitor controlled experiments (A/B tests, champion/challenger frameworks) for all material credit policy and product term changes prior to full rollout Establish rigorous experimental design standards that ensure clean attribution — isolating the impact of individual policy changes from macro, seasonal, and cohort effects Define the measurement framework for each test, identifying the appropriate primary and guardrail metrics Synthesize test results into clear, defensible recommendations and present findings to senior leadership and cross-functional partners Portfolio Performance Monitoring & Analytics Own ongoing monitoring of portfolio health across a comprehensive suite of KPIs, including delinquency rates, roll rates, early buyout rates, loss curves, and terminal outcomes by cohort, vintage, vertical, and channel Build and maintain analytical frameworks that allow the team to quickly surface emerging portfolio trends and distinguish signal from noise Identify risk concentrations, underperforming segments, and policy gaps, and drive timely remediation through credit policy adjustments Portfolio Forecasting Lead portfolio forecasting using a combination of horizontal and vertical performance metrics to produce reliable point-in-time portfolio performance projections Partner with FP&A and Capital Markets to ensure credit forecasts are integrated into financial planning, capital allocation, and investor reporting processes Develop scenario analysis and stress-testing capabilities to assess the portfolio's sensitivity to macroeconomic changes, product mix shifts, and channel growth assumptions Valuations Framework & Unit Economics Design and own a valuations framework and model that enables analysts on the team to rapidly and reliably model the unit economics impact of changes to credit policy, product terms, and origination mix Ensure the model is flexible enough to support "what-if" scenario gaming across key levers (e.g., APR equivalents, payment cadence, term length, approval tier thresholds) while maintaining analytical integrity Work with Finance and Capital Markets to align valuation assumptions with capital markets pricing, funding cost structures, and investor reporting standards Team Leadership & Development Lead, mentor, and develop a team of four: a Senior Analyst, Manager, Senior Manager, and Director — establishing clear goals, growth paths, and accountability structures Foster a culture of intellectual rigor, curiosity, and ownership within the team Build scalable analytical processes and documentation standards that reduce key-person dependency and support team growth as the business scales Represent the Credit Policy function in cross-functional forums and serve as a thought partner to peer leaders across Risk, Data Science, Product, and Finance

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required, in a quantitative field such as Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Business, or Engineering preferred
7+ years of experience in an analyst, data science, or consulting role
5+ years of experience in credit risk analysis, credit policy, or a closely related function within consumer or small business lending, leasing, or installment finance
Deep proficiency in credit performance analytics: delinquency curves, roll rate analysis, loss forecasting, vintage analysis, and cohort-based performance attribution
Expert-level command of experimental design, including A/B testing, champion/challenger frameworks, and statistical significance testing; a demonstrated ability to isolate causal effects and defend attribution in complex, multi-variable environments
Strong financial modeling skills including the ability to translate credit performance assumptions into unit economics, portfolio valuations, and P&L impact
Proficiency in Excel, SQL, and Python; comfort working with large datasets and interfacing with data science and data engineering teams
Proven ability to lead and develop analytical teams, including managing managers
Exceptional communication skills — able to translate complex quantitative findings into crisp, actionable narratives for executive and cross-functional audiences
High degree of intellectual honesty; comfortable challenging assumptions, acknowledging uncertainty, and changing course when data warrants it
Strong instincts for prioritization in a fast-moving, resource-constrained environment

Nice To Haves

Prior experience with Lease-to-Own, BNPL, installment lending, other non-traditional consumer credit products preferred

Responsibilities

Define and own the Credit Policy roadmap, setting the team's agenda in alignment with company growth, risk appetite, and profitability objectives
Determine which underwriting strategies, credit policy levers, and product term configurations to pursue — and in what sequence
Partner with the Data Science team to translate policy intent into model inputs, scorecard strategies, and decisioning logic
Ensure that credit policy decisions account for second-order effects, including merchant engagement and performance impacts associated with changes
Design, execute, and monitor controlled experiments (A/B tests, champion/challenger frameworks) for all material credit policy and product term changes prior to full rollout
Establish rigorous experimental design standards that ensure clean attribution — isolating the impact of individual policy changes from macro, seasonal, and cohort effects
Define the measurement framework for each test, identifying the appropriate primary and guardrail metrics
Synthesize test results into clear, defensible recommendations and present findings to senior leadership and cross-functional partners
Own ongoing monitoring of portfolio health across a comprehensive suite of KPIs, including delinquency rates, roll rates, early buyout rates, loss curves, and terminal outcomes by cohort, vintage, vertical, and channel
Build and maintain analytical frameworks that allow the team to quickly surface emerging portfolio trends and distinguish signal from noise
Identify risk concentrations, underperforming segments, and policy gaps, and drive timely remediation through credit policy adjustments
Lead portfolio forecasting using a combination of horizontal and vertical performance metrics to produce reliable point-in-time portfolio performance projections
Partner with FP&A and Capital Markets to ensure credit forecasts are integrated into financial planning, capital allocation, and investor reporting processes
Develop scenario analysis and stress-testing capabilities to assess the portfolio's sensitivity to macroeconomic changes, product mix shifts, and channel growth assumptions
Design and own a valuations framework and model that enables analysts on the team to rapidly and reliably model the unit economics impact of changes to credit policy, product terms, and origination mix
Ensure the model is flexible enough to support "what-if" scenario gaming across key levers (e.g., APR equivalents, payment cadence, term length, approval tier thresholds) while maintaining analytical integrity
Work with Finance and Capital Markets to align valuation assumptions with capital markets pricing, funding cost structures, and investor reporting standards
Lead, mentor, and develop a team of four: a Senior Analyst, Manager, Senior Manager, and Director — establishing clear goals, growth paths, and accountability structures
Foster a culture of intellectual rigor, curiosity, and ownership within the team
Build scalable analytical processes and documentation standards that reduce key-person dependency and support team growth as the business scales
Represent the Credit Policy function in cross-functional forums and serve as a thought partner to peer leaders across Risk, Data Science, Product, and Finance