Data Scientist (subprime Lending)

Data Scientist (subprime lending) REMOTE Long term Contract 40 hours per week; Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM CST $110-150k Position Overview This opportunity is with an innovative online subprime lending company seeking a highly motivated and experienced Data Scientist with experience in Consumer Credit Analysis to support and enhance our credit underwriting strategy. This individual will play a critical role in developing, monitoring, and optimizing credit underwriting models while partnering cross-functionally with leadership, compliance, engineering, and third-party vendors. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in online subprime lending, strong analytical and financial modeling skills, and the ability to drive strategic credit initiatives from concept through execution. Key Responsibilities Credit Underwriting & Model Development ● Lead the development, enhancement, and performance monitoring of credit underwriting models and decision strategies. ● Analyze portfolio performance, borrower behavior, and risk trends to improve approval and pricing outcomes. ● Design and evaluate new credit policy rules, scorecards, and segmentation approaches. Financial & Risk Analysis ● Perform deep financial analysis related to loan performance, profitability, loss forecasting, and credit exposure. ● Build reporting tools and dashboards to communicate key credit metrics and trends to leadership. ● Support business decisions through data-driven insights and scenario modeling. Vendor & Lead Management ● Manage relationships with third-party credit bureaus, alternative data providers, and underwriting technology vendors. ● Evaluate vendor performance, data integrity, and compliance alignment. ● Support lead acquisition strategy through risk-based analytics and channel performance review. Compliance & Regulatory Support ● Ensure underwriting and credit processes adhere to federal and state lending regulations, internal policies, and fair lending standards. ● Partner with compliance teams to support audits, examinations, and documentation requirements. ● Assist in developing governance around model risk management and credit policy changes. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Engineering Support ● Work closely with engineering and product teams to implement underwriting logic and credit model improvements in production systems. ● Translate business requirements into technical specifications for decisioning and reporting workflows. ● Support testing, validation, and deployment of credit strategies and system enhancements. Business Strategy & Leadership ● Provide strategic recommendations to executive leadership on credit risk appetite, growth opportunities, and portfolio optimization. ● Contribute to long-term business planning through risk-informed credit strategy. ● Mentor junior analysts and help build scalable credit analytics processes. Required Qualifications ● Minimum 5+ years of experience in online subprime lending or non-prime consumer credit underwriting. ● Proven expertise in credit underwriting models, risk strategy, and portfolio analytics. ● Strong experience managing third-party vendors and supporting lead acquisition strategies. ● Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, advanced formulas, modeling). ● Strong proficiency in MS SQL Server (writing complex queries, data extraction, reporting). ● Demonstrated ability to work across compliance, engineering, and business teams. ● Excellent communication skills with the ability to present insights to senior leadership. Preferred Qualifications ● Experience with automated decisioning platforms and credit model implementation. ● Familiarity with fair lending laws, consumer finance regulations, and model governance. ● Background in financial forecasting, profitability modeling, and risk-based pricing. ● Experience in a high-growth fintech or digital lending environment. Key Competencies ● Analytical and detail-oriented mindset ● Strong business judgment and strategic thinking ● Ability to operate independently in a remote environment ● Collaborative leadership across technical and non-technical teams ● Results-driven with a focus on scalable credit solutions