Staff Data Scientist

PayPal • San Jose, CA

1d • $160,500 - $262,350 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Company PayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy. We operate a global, two-sided network at scale that connects hundreds of millions of merchants and consumers. We help merchants and consumers connect, transact, and complete payments, whether they are online or in person. PayPal is more than a connection to third-party payment networks. We provide proprietary payment solutions accepted by merchants that enable the completion of payments on our platform on behalf of our customers. We offer our customers the flexibility to use their accounts to purchase and receive payments for goods and services, as well as the ability to transfer and withdraw funds. We enable consumers to exchange funds more safely with merchants using a variety of funding sources, which may include a bank account, a PayPal or Venmo account balance, PayPal and Venmo branded credit products, a credit card, a debit card, certain cryptocurrencies, or other stored value products such as gift cards, and eligible credit card rewards. Our PayPal, Venmo, and Xoom products also make it safer and simpler for friends and family to transfer funds to each other. We offer merchants an end-to-end payments solution that provides authorization and settlement capabilities, as well as instant access to funds and payouts. We also help merchants connect with their customers, process exchanges and returns, and manage risk. We enable consumers to engage in cross-border shopping and merchants to extend their global reach while reducing the complexity and friction involved in enabling cross-border trade. Our beliefs are the foundation for how we conduct business every day. We live each day guided by our core values of Inclusion, Innovation, Collaboration, and Wellness. Together, our values ensure that we work together as one global team with our customers at the center of everything we do – and they push us to ensure we take care of ourselves, each other, and our communities. Job Summary: We are looking for a seasoned Senior Data Scientist with deep expertise in risk modeling and fraud strategy to join our team. In this role, you will design, build, and operationalize advanced machine learning and AI-driven models that power our risk decisioning and fraud prevention capabilities. You will work closely with fraud strategy, product, and engineering teams to translate complex data signals into actionable risk frameworks — ensuring our systems are not only accurate but adaptive to evolving threat landscapes. Beyond model development, you will play a key role in modernizing our monitoring and alerting infrastructure, leveraging AI to proactively detect anomalies, reduce false positives, and improve the speed and precision of risk interventions. You will mentor junior data scientists and be a strategic thought partner to stakeholders, driving a culture of rigor, experimentation, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• 5+ years relevant experience and a Bachelor’s degree OR Any equivalent combination of education and experience.

Nice To Haves

• Proven experience building and deploying risk models in production environments
• Strong understanding of fraud strategy lifecycle — how model scores translate into rules, thresholds, decline/accept decisions, and case management workflows.
• Familiarity with model explainability (SHAP, LIME, etc.) and the ability to communicate model behavior to non-technical fraud strategy and compliance stakeholders.
• Experience working with transaction-level data at scale (e.g., payments, e-commerce, fintech) is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage data science projects, ensuring timely delivery and alignment with business goals.
• Develop and maintain data models, algorithms, and reporting systems to support data analysis and decision-making.
• Analyze complex datasets to identify trends, patterns, and insights that drive strategic initiatives.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand data needs and provide actionable insights.
• Ensure data quality and integrity through regular audits and validation processes.
• Mentor and guide junior data scientists, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

Benefits

• At PayPal, we’re committed to building an equitable and inclusive global economy. And we can’t do this without our most important asset-you. That’s why we offer comprehensive, choice-based programs, to support all aspects of personal wellbeing—physical, emotional, and financial—delivering meaningful value where it matters most.
• We strive to create a flexible, balanced work culture with a holistic approach to benefits, including generous paid time off, healthcare coverage for you and your family, and resources to create financial security and support your mental health.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level