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# Lead Data Scientist

- **Company:** Harnham Inc.
- **Location:** Tempe, AZ, United States
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Salary:** $140,000.0 - $150,000.0
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Data Analysis, Computer Engineering, Python (Programming Language), Machine Learning, Standard Sql, Xgboost
- **Published:** October 29, 2026
- **Apply:** https://www.careerboard.com/us/en/find-jobs-in-United-States/-FD9211089601B29D67/

## About the Role

* 8+ years of Data Science, Quantitative Analytics, Risk Analytics, or Modeling experience.
 * Advanced Python and SQL skills.
 * Strong foundation in statistics, mathematics, econometrics, or quantitative modeling.
 * Experience building machine learning models, including gradient boosting techniques.
 * Proven experience owning projects independently and delivering business results.
 * Strong communication skills with the ability to present technical concepts to non-technical executives.
 * Experience operating within regulated environments and supporting model audits.

Required Domain Experience

Candidates must have experience in financial or risk modeling environments, including areas such as:

 * Credit Risk Modeling
 * Probability of Default (PD) Modeling
 * Loss Forecasting or Credit Loss Assessment
 * Financial Risk Analytics
 * Scorecard Development
 * Payment Behavior Modeling
 * Credit Attribute Modeling
 * Banking, Lending, Credit Bureau, Mortgage, or Consumer Finance Analytics
 * Quantitative Risk Management

Preferred Education

Bachelor's degree in a quantitative discipline such as:

Mathematics

Statistics

Economics

Computer Science

Engineering

Related quantitative field

Master's degree in Data Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Economics, or a similar quantitative field is highly preferred., This role is perfect for a senior individual contributor or lead-level data scientist who enjoys solving complex financial problems, building production-ready models, proving business value through analytics, and operating as a trusted strategic partner to leadership.

## Description

A highly respected organization is seeking a Lead Data Scientist to tackle complex financial risk problems, uncover multi-million-dollar business opportunities, and deliver analytics that directly influence executive decision-making. This is a high-visibility position where your work will be implemented, measured, and tied directly to business outcomes.

If you're someone who enjoys owning projects end-to-end, defending your analytical thinking, and seeing your work create measurable financial impact, this opportunity offers a rare combination of technical depth, business influence, and autonomy.

What You'll Do

 * Lead the development of predictive and quantitative models that drive critical business decisions.
 * Analyze large-scale financial and credit-related datasets to identify opportunities and risks.
 * Build, enhance, validate, and defend sophisticated risk models within a regulated environment.
 * Translate complex model outputs into clear financial recommendations and measurable business value.
 * Partner directly with senior leadership and executive stakeholders to present findings and influence strategy.
 * Own projects from initial problem definition through deployment and business adoption.
 * Support external audits and confidently explain model methodology, performance, and governance., You'll join a lean, high-performing team responsible for identifying and delivering opportunities worth millions of dollars annually. Leadership places significant value on data-driven decision-making, and the right person will have direct exposure to executives while maintaining ownership of mission-critical initiatives.