Principal Data Scientist
- Full-time
- Job Family Group: Product Development
Company Description
At Visa, your individuality fits right in. Working here gives you an opportunity to impact the world, invest in your career growth, and be part of an inclusive and diverse workplace. We are a global team of disruptors, trailblazers, innovators and risk-takers who are helping drive economic growth in even the most remote parts of the world, creatively moving the industry forward, and doing meaningful work that brings financial literacy and digital commerce to millions of unbanked and underserved consumers.
You're an Individual. We're the team for you. Together, let's transform the way the world pays.
Job Description
Are you skilled at turning hard numbers into compelling stories and useful strategic insights? Do you solve complex data challenges with creative flair? Put those skills to work answering strategic questions for one of the world's most respected and innovative payments companies.
In this role, you will be responsible for a range of duties from basic data analytics, to implementing and delivering advanced machine learning models, visualization solutions and high impact business projects. You will get chance to leverage your business acumen, programming skills, technical knowledge of big data and machine learning techniques. This function is critical in building market-relevant fraud solutions for our clients and intellectual property for Visa.
The position will be based at Arlington, Virginia
Essential Functions
- Develop state of the art machine learning models for feature extraction and classification of transactional data for risk analysis
- Execute model implantation and performance tracking for risk models; generate performance analysis at the aggregate level, as well as issuer level. Interpret and present performance results to non-technical audience.
- Compile complex predictive model packages for production deployment; support model installations, and monitor and calibrate production models
- Propel analytic product development via conducting statistical analyses on various data sources; and add values to products by being innovative and applying the analysis
- Find opportunities to create and automate repeatable analyses or build self-service tools for business users
- Support sales and marketing efforts with sound statistical and financial analysis; execute ad-hoc analyses to meet the fast-changing market demands
- Conduct transaction data analyses with Hadoop/Cloud and big data technologies for internal and external product owners, and develop deeper insights into the products using advanced statistical methods
- Ensure project delivery within timelines and meet critical business needs
- Promote big data innovations and analytic education throughout the Visa organization
Qualifications
Basic Qualifications
4 years of work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or at least 2 years of work experience with an Advanced degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD) or 0 years of work experience with a PhD degree
Preferred Qualifications
- Candidates with a PhD in a quantitative field, such as Statistics, Mathematics, Operational Research, Computer Science, Economics, or engineering preferred
- Strong background in two or more of the following areas: machine learning/AI algorithms, computations/statistical learning theory, scalable systems (e.g. Spark, Hadoop), large scale data analysis, optimization, functional analysis, and deep learning.
- Working knowledge of RNNs models such as LSTM and GRU as well as NLP algorithms for embedding and transforms
- Experience with a range advanced techniques and emerging approaches to big data and data science (Python, Spark, TensorFlow, H2O, Dask, etc.), extensive experience with SAS/SQL/Hive for extracting and aggregating data
- Understanding of agnostic software deployment using Docker containers or similar alternatives
- Strong algorithmic problem-solving skills
- Experience with Cloud providers like AWS, GCP, Azure, etc.
- Proficiency in Linux/Unix
- Highly meticulous with proven track record to ensure quality of sophisticated data and analysis
- Good oral and written communication skills and attention to details
- Must be a team-player and capable of handling multi-tasks in a dynamic environment
- Visa and financial/payment industry knowledge or previous experience with fraud modeling is a plus, but not required
Additional Information
Work Hours
This position requires the incumbent to be available during core business hours
Travel Requirements
This position requires the incumbent to travel for work less than 10% of the time.
Physical Requirements
This position will be performed in an office setting. The position will require the incumbent to sit and stand at a desk, communicate in person and by telephone, frequently operate standard office equipment, such as telephones and computers, reach with hands and arms, and bend or lift up to 25 pounds.
Visa will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with EEOC guidelines and applicable local law.