Senior Data Scientist - PenFed Credit Union

Are you looking to take your career from good to great? As an employee of PenFed, every day is an opportunity to thrive, and be part of a team working to ensure our organization is providing world class service to our members, employees, and our communities. We exist to help our members realize their full potential, educate and encourage their dreams, and make every effort to follow our mission and help our members “do better.” Joining PenFed is more than being an employee; it’s about being a part of the PenFed family.

PenFed is hiring a (Hybrid) Senior Data Scientist at our Tysons, Virginia or San Antonio, Texas location. The primary purpose of this job is to develop and implement advanced analytics solutions and processes used to minimize risks in the organization. This role will work as the subject matter expert collaborating closely with cross-functional teams to develop, validate, implement, and monitor quantitative risk models. 

Responsibilities:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of job duties and the position will perform other duties as assigned. 

• Conduct autonomous end-to-end best-in-class statistical model development, including but not limited to identifying objectives, compiling data, sampling/preparing data, feature selection, model comparison/selection, deployment, and monitoring. Ensure adequate internal control processes around model development, implementation and validation are established.
• Develop, monitor, and maintain risk models using advanced machine learning and statistical methodologies. Research and recommend new approaches/algorithms to identify relationships among complex data and implement model changes to improve model performance.
• Understand the emerging trends in consumer and commercial loans portfolio, leveraging insights on model development and implementation processes, and be proactive to address changes, ensuring alignment with evolving market dynamics and regulatory landscapes.
• Drive the refinement of credit loss estimation models for loan portfolios to support critical functions such as Allowance for Credit Loss (ACL), Capital Planning and Stress Testing (CPST), Current Expected Credit Loss (CECL), and other regulatory requirements, ensuring alignment with industry best practices.
• Establish standardized documentation processes and consistent model implementation practices across the team, fostering collaboration with stakeholders to enhance model implementation processes and ensure seamless integration into forecasting tools.
• Communicate effectively with senior management, regulators, internal audit, and other stakeholders regarding model development and implementation, demonstrating strong interpersonal skills and the ability to convey complex concepts clearly and concisely.
• Assist management in maintaining PenFed’s compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and ordinances by abiding by PenFed compliance program and all relevant policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.  

Equivalent combination of education and experience is considered.

• Ph.D. or master’s degree in a quantitative discipline, with a strong emphasis on advanced statistical modeling, machine learning, or data science.

• Minimum of four years of relevant work experience in building statistical models, conducting advanced data analysis, and leading data science initiatives in a financial services environment.

• CCAR/CECL modeling experience is required.

• Applied experience with statistical/econometric modeling methods, including parametric and non-parametric regression-based methods (Logistic Regression, Linear Regression, etc.), Time Series Analysis, Decision Trees, Cluster Analysis, and other advanced statistical methodologies and machine learning methods.

• Advanced programming skills, with demonstrated proficiency in statistical programming languages such as SQL, Python, R, and SAS, as well as experience in leveraging advanced analytics tools and platforms.

• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, drive rapid changes, and demonstrate strong project management skills, with a focus on delivering high-quality results within tight timelines.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex modeling concepts and insights to diverse audiences, including senior management, regulators, and other stakeholders.

• Strong data analysis skills, attention to detail, and critical thinking abilities, with a focus on problem-solving within the Credit Risk Modeling team and a commitment to deliver actionable insights and recommendations.

• Professional demeanor and the ability to interact effectively with team members, senior management, credit officers, finance professionals, regulators, and other stakeholders, fostering collaborative relationships and driving consensus on key initiatives.

Work Environment

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to an indoor office setting with moderate noise.

*Most roles require working in an office setting with moderate noise and the ability to lift 25 pounds.*

Travel

Limited travel to various work sites is required.

Established in 1935, PenFed today is one of the country’s strongest and most stable financial institutions with over 2.8 million members and over $36 billion in assets. We serve members in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as in Guam, Puerto Rico and Okinawa. We are federally insured by NCUA and we are an Equal Housing Lender. We are available to members worldwide, via the web, seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day.
 
We provide our employees with a lucrative benefits package including robust medical, dental and vision plan options, plenty of paid time off, 401k with employer match, on-site fitness facilities at our larger locations, and more.
 
Equal Employment Opportunity
PenFed management will maintain and observe personnel policies which will not discriminate or permit harassment or retaliation against a person because of race, color, creed, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital status, military or veteran status or obligation, the presence of a physical and/or mental disability or medical condition, genetic information, sexual orientation, and all statuses protected by applicable state or local law in all recruiting, hiring, training, compensation, overtime, position classifications, work assignments, facilities, promotions, transfers, employee treatment, and in all other terms and conditions of employment. PenFed will also prohibit retaliation against individuals for raising a complaint of discrimination or harassment or participating in an investigation of same.
 
PenFed will also reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability so that they can apply for a job or perform the essential functions of a job unless doing so causes a direct threat to these individuals or others in the workplace and the threat cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation or if the accommodation creates an undue hardship to PenFed. Contact human resources (HR) with any questions or requests for accommodation at 402-639-8568.

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