Square builds common business tools in unconventional ways so more people can start, run, and grow their businesses. When Square started, it was difficult and expensive (or just plain impossible) for some businesses to take credit cards. Square made credit card payments possible for all by turning a mobile phone into a credit card reader. Since then Square has been building an entire business toolkit of both hardware and software products including Square Loans, Square Terminal, Square Payroll, and more. We’re working to find new and better ways to help businesses succeed on their own terms—and we’re looking for people like you to help shape tomorrow at Square.

As a Machine Learning Manager within the Risk Machine Learning team, you oversee projects that enable a software driven, machine learning centric view on all money movement and every transaction within the rapidly growing Square ecosystem. This touches on actively maximizing the trade off of revenue growth and risk using artificial intelligence. The machine learning driven software that we release interacts with every transaction and money movement within our seller ecosystem - a profound degree of scale and impact.  Such machine learning techniques touch on reinforcement learning, decision theory, deep learning sequence modeling, and optimization theory.  In addition, we also strive to provide our sellers, through seller facing products, with transparency around why our machine learning made a particular decision.  This touches on algorithms in the relatively new space of explainable artificial intelligence.  

Our algorithms derive value from our unique and rich data from our entire product portfolio within our rapidly growing seller ecosystem. We partner with business, product, operations and engineering teams to drive optimal decision making systems using sophisticated modeling and machine learning. We’re a passionate team of entrepreneurs, scientists, and engineers who are shipping machine learning software that actively actively manages Square’s view on each transaction as it pertains to our revenue growth and risk.  

You Will:

• Provide technical and functional guidance to the team of ML Modelers to build and deploy machine learning/deep learning models that detect fraud activity in real time across our Seller's ecosystem consisting of payments, banking and debit card products.
• Work with engineers and stakeholders to build a team roadmap and coordinate many large, cross functional projects.
• Collaborate with business leaders, subject matter experts, and decision makers to develop success criteria and improve new products, features, policies, and models
• Define ML best practices and ensure the team follows them
• Define and guide the ML strategy to help the broader Fraud organization meet their OKR's
• Drive efficiencies through automation and optimization

• Experience leading a high performing ML modeling team with a minimum of 2 years of people management responsibility
• An advanced degree (M.S., PhD.), preferably in Computer Science, Engineering, Statistics, Physics, Mathematics, or a related technical field.
• PhD. with 3+ years (or Master with 6+ years) industry working experience on applied Machine learning or Deep learning
• A strong track record of performing machine learning model development using Python (numpy, pandas, tensorflow, pytorch, scikit-learn, etc.) and SQL/NoSQL interaction patterns.
• Knowledge of modern techniques in machine learning and deep learning, e.g., transformer network architectures, with an orientation to maximizing such algorithms in a large scale production setting. Reinforcement learning experience is a plus for developing optimal control policies
• Familiarity with Linux/OS X command line, version control software (git), and general software development principles with a machine learning software development life-cycle orientation.
• Experience defining and driving the Machine Learning strategy to help organizations/teams meet their OKR's
• The ability to clearly communicate complex results to technical and non-technical audiences and stakeholders (PMs, Operations, Engineers).

Block takes a market-based approach to pay, and pay may vary depending on your location. U.S. locations are categorized into one of four zones based on a cost of labor index for that geographic area. The successful candidate’s starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future.

Zone A: USD $222,800 - USD $272,300
Zone B: USD $211,600 - USD $258,600
Zone C: USD $200,500 - USD $245,100
Zone D: USD $189,400 - USD $231,400

To find a location’s zone designation, please refer to this resource. If a location of interest is not listed, please speak with a recruiter for additional information. 

Benefits include the following:

• Healthcare coverage
• Retirement Plans including company match 
• Employee Stock Purchase Program
• Wellness programs, including access to mental health, 1:1 financial planners, and a monthly wellness allowance 
• Paid parental and caregiving leave
• Paid time off
• Learning and Development resources
• Paid Life insurance, AD&D. and disability benefits 
• Perks such as WFH reimbursements and free access to caregiving, legal, and discounted resources 

This role is also eligible to participate in Block's equity plan subject to the terms of the applicable plans and policies, and may be eligible for a sign-on bonus. Sales roles may be eligible to participate in a commission plan subject to the terms of the applicable plans and policies. Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefit plans.

We’re working to build a more inclusive economy where our customers have equal access to opportunity, and we strive to live by these same values in building our workplace. Block is a proud equal opportunity employer. We work hard to evaluate all employees and job applicants consistently, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other legally protected class. 

We believe in being fair, and are committed to an inclusive interview experience, including providing reasonable accommodations to disabled applicants throughout the recruitment process. We encourage applicants to share any needed accommodations with their recruiter, who will treat these requests as confidentially as possible. Want to learn more about what we’re doing to build a workplace that is fair and square? Check out our I+D page. 

Additionally, we consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment on our team, assessing candidates in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Block, Inc. (NYSE: SQ) is a global technology company with a focus on financial services. Made up of Square, Cash App, Spiral, TIDAL, and TBD, we build tools to help more people access the economy. Square helps sellers run and grow their businesses with its integrated ecosystem of commerce solutions, business software, and banking services. With Cash App, anyone can easily send, spend, or invest their money in stocks or Bitcoin. Spiral (formerly Square Crypto) builds and funds free, open-source Bitcoin projects. Artists use TIDAL to help them succeed as entrepreneurs and connect more deeply with fans. TBD is building an open developer platform to make it easier to access Bitcoin and other blockchain technologies without having to go through an institution.