Lead Data Scientist

Job Description

Forward Financing is a financial technology company based in Boston, Massachusetts with team members throughout the United States, Dominican Republic, and Canada. The company is on a mission to unlock the capital that fuels small businesses across America. Recognized as a Best Place to Work by Built In Boston and certified as a Great Place To Work®, Forward is investing in its employees, technology, and customer experience – with long-term success in mind every step of the way.

We are seeking a Lead Data Scientist to drive end-to-end data science initiatives, transforming complex data into strategic decisions and automated solutions across the organization. You will operate at the intersection of high-level technical execution and cross-functional business partnership, building and scaling advanced analytical solutions that deliver measurable impact across all business domains at Forward Financing.

In this role you will:

• Design, develop and deploy advanced statistical or machine learning models for credit risk, pricing, collections, fraud, and other high-impact business use cases that drive better data-driven decisions
• Lead end-to-end delivery of data science initiatives from problem framing and model design through deployment, monitoring and ongoing maintenance
• Partner with cross-functional teams including Portfolio Strategy, Engineering, Product, Underwriting, Sales and Collections to integrate models into our applications, and proactively identify and solve problems in critical business areas
• Define and set standards for model development, code quality, and documentation; guide technical design decisions across the team
• Act as a technical mentor to team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning and rigorous analytical standards
• Communicate complex technical concepts and business implications to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Build and maintain production machine learning pipelines and monitoring systems to ensure models are reliable, scalable and continuously improving

Why you should apply:

• Mission driven company: Forward is a trusted source of fast, flexible funding for small businesses that have often been underserved by traditional financing options. When you join the team, you will help ensure all small businesses have access to the financial support they need to succeed.
• Flexibility is a top priority: Our employees are empowered to choose where they want to work (whether that’s from home, in the office, or a combination of both) with flexible hours.

Role Requirements:

Compensation:Annual Salary: $174,000 - $220,000 CADAnnual Bonus: You have the potential to earn an additional 12% annual bonus.

At Forward Financing, we're committed to fair and transparent compensation. We believe in providing a compensation package that recognizes your skills, experience, and the unique value you bring to our team. We take a market-based approach to pay, regularly reviewing benchmark data to ensure our compensation remains competitive, equitable, and aligned with our performance-driven culture.

Final offers are determined by a variety of factors, including the candidate's qualifications, relevant experience, specific skills, and internal equity. This approach ensures that our compensation is competitive and equitable. Your recruiter will provide specific details on the expected base and variable earnings as it pertains to this specific role.

• 8+ years of hands-on model development and deployment experience using advanced statistical and machine learning techniques such as generalized linear models, gradient boosting and deep learning
• Deep experience in building and deploying credit risk models, especially underwriting models, in the fintech, lending or financial services industry is highly preferred.
• Experience with real-time models, decisioning engines, and production-grade machine learning pipelines is preferred.
• Expert in Python, SQL and Git
• Experience with workflow orchestration tools, such as Metaflow is preferred
• Experience deploying and managing models within a cloud platform (AWS, Sagemaker)
• Strong foundation in statistics and machine learning, and knowledge of experimental design
• Excellent project management and communication skills
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving ability
• Nice to have experience: cloud data warehouses (e.g. Snowflake, Databricks), Arize, Metaflow, Sagemaker, decision engines (e.g. Taktile), feature stores (e.g. Tecton)
• Bachelor's degree in Financial/Apfplied Math, Operations Research, Economics, and/or Statistics. Masters/PhD is a plus.

Total Rewards:

Additionally, we offer a comprehensive total rewards package, including but not limited to: medical, dental, vision, a flexible time-off policy, paid parental leave, RRSP match, wellness reimbursement, volunteering days, annual professional development budget, and charitable donation match.

Forward is proud to be a remote-first company, keeping workplace flexibility a top priority for our employees. As a business, we are focused on impact; we are more concerned with your contributions to the success of the company than where you get your work done. To help facilitate in-person collaboration, employees are welcome to work from one of our premiere office locations.

When we aren’t collaborating to drive business and support our customers, we’re finding virtual and in-person ways to get to know our colleagues, celebrate team wins, and have fun together!

Our Culture: The Forward CompassThe Forward Compass is the standard we hold for ourselves and one another—guiding how we lead, collaborate, and show up every day to move in the same direction.Back the Builders: We are wired to fuel customer progress, not just provide support.Rooted in People: We create an environment that balances deep connection with the extreme ownership and honesty required to reach our highest potential.Flying V: We move through coordinated effort with speed and urgency to achieve what no individual could do alone.Always Forward, Never Finished: We pursue growth with a relentless drive that keeps us ahead of the competition.

About Us:

Forward Financing is a fintech company based in Boston, Massachusetts with team members throughout the United States, Dominican Republic, and Canada. The company is on a mission to unlock the capital that fuels small businesses across America. Whether facing challenges accessing traditional financing or simply needing a convenient, flexible solution, Forward is committed to funding more of the millions of small businesses nationwide. By simplifying the requirements, streamlining the process, and using advanced proprietary technology, Forward is often able to deliver approvals within hours and funds that same day – giving more businesses the financial opportunity they need to thrive. Plus, with their dedicated teams and award-winning service, customers get personalized support when they need it most.

Since 2012, Forward has expanded access to capital by providing over $4.8 billion in funding to more than 92,000 small businesses. The company is A+ rated by the Better Business Bureau with an Excellent / 4.7 stars rating on Trustpilot.com. Recognized as a Best Place to Work by Built In Boston and certified as a Great Place To Work®, Forward is dedicated to empowering both its team and the customers they serve, helping them succeed and thrive.

Equal Opportunity Employment Information

We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Please let us know should you require any accommodations. As part of our commitment to a streamlined and equitable hiring experience, we use AI tools to assist with candidate screening and assessment.