Staff Data Scientist

SoFi • San Francisco, CA

1d

About The Position

Shape a brighter financial future with us.
Together with our members, we’re changing the way people think about and interact with personal finance.
We’re a next-generation financial services company and national bank using innovative, mobile-first technology to help our millions of members reach their goals. The industry is going through an unprecedented transformation, and we’re at the forefront. We’re proud to come to work every day knowing that what we do has a direct impact on people’s lives, with our core values guiding us every step of the way. Join us to invest in yourself, your career, and the financial world.
The Role
The Risk Data Science team is seeking a strategic and technically deep Machine Learning Engineer to lead the evolution of SoFi’s Home Loan and Home Equity risk frameworks. This role is at the center of a high-priority initiative to deliver a comprehensive, loan-level credit risk and valuation framework for our home lending portfolios.
As a key technical leader, you will apply state-of-the-art ML methodologies to solve complex problems—including default and prepayment modeling, property valuation (AVMs), and credit risk assessment—ensuring our high-value secured loan products are backed by world-class data science.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, or a quantitative field required. Ph.D. preferred.
• 5+ years of direct experience with building, implementing, and deploying machine learning models within Home Loans or Home Equity lending environments.
• Expert knowledge of statistical modeling and ML methods, including linear/logistic regression, ensemble methods (XGBoost/LightGBM), clustering, and outlier detection.
• Strong programming skills in Python and SQL.
• Hands-on experience with ML model implementation in production environments using tools such as AWS SageMaker, Git, Docker, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Strong ability to distill complex technical methodologies into simple, persuasive terms for non-technical stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

• Proven track record in technical model documentation and navigating the Model Risk Management lifecycle.
• Experience working in a cross-functional capacity across Product, Engineering, and Risk departments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of ML models for mortgage-specific use cases, including credit underwriting, debt-to-income (DTI) validation, and automated appraisal reviews.
• Provide technical oversight and end-to-end ownership of externally developed models, ensuring they meet rigorous internal standards for quality, performance, and scalability.
• Present model performance and portfolio insights to senior leadership, translating complex data into actionable credit and business strategies.
• Collaborate with Model Risk Management (MRM) and governance teams to ensure all models are developed with the technical rigor required to satisfy complex regulatory and compliance standards.
• Partner with Product and Engineering teams to operationalize models, overseeing deployment, real-time monitoring, and seamless integration into core business systems.
• Continuously explore and leverage in-house, external, and open-source ML frameworks to build the next generation of proprietary mortgage risk tools.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees