Description

As a Machine Learning Modeler at ZestFinance, you will use your modeling artistry to develop radically new methods for manipulation and prediction that will enable Zest clients to provide fair, transparent credit around the globe.  The Manager, Modeling will lead a team of 1-2 modelers to drive client engagements that leverage Zest’s underwriting technology platform. Zest clients are industry leaders who want to leverage Zest’s ML technology pipeline to propel their businesses forward. The Manager, Modeling will autonomously manage all aspects of the client engagement including target determination, feature engineering, model building, ensembling, results analysis, and presenting work product to the client.
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In this role you will:

• Lead 1-2 modelers to design and implement highly generalizable models for predicting various outcomes
• Be the accountable engagement manager to deliver Zest caliber work to clients
• Take responsibility for modeling implementation in real world settings to solve real world problems
• Work with Product Management, Marketing, and Business Analysis to develop models to support specific business needs
• Aggressively drive innovation that creates proprietary advantage for Zest
• Mentor junior team members in modeling artistry
• Feel good about coming to work and enjoy not only the time you spend at the office, but the people you’re spending it with as well

 
We are looking for:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a quantitative discipline; advanced degrees preferred 
• Expert experience designing, developing, and implementing machine learning models / algorithms
• A proven track record of success building highly predictive models that drive business value
• Professional history of being promoted to increasing levels of responsibility
• Extensive programming experience in one or more of the following: R, Python, Julia, Vowpal Wabbit and an interest in learning new languages and technologies
• Knowledge of data structures and parallelization   
• Solid communication and project management skills to effectively lead client engagements
• Experience with large scale data storage and analysis (e.g., Spark, MapReduce) is a plus
• Strategic – goal oriented, organizes thinking within analytical frameworks

Perks and benefits: 

• People – the best part of Zest
• Competitive salary and equity grants
• Robust healthcare plans, matching 401K and unlimited vacation time
• Dog friendly office with lounge areas, video games and gigantic jigsaw puzzles
• On-site gym with employee run fitness classes
• Generous family leave policy (6 month maternity leave/3 month paternity leave)
• Tuition reimbursement, conference allowance and Zest talks
• Complimentary massages, manicures, pedicures and more
• Daily catered lunches from LA’s best restaurants and fully stocked kitchen

About ZestFinance:ZestFinance, Inc. applies its unique credit-decisioning technology platform — based on data science and machine learning — to help lenders effectively predict credit risk so they can increase revenues, reduce risk and ensure compliance. ZestFinance was founded in 2009 by Douglas Merrill and a team of former Google employees with the mission of making fair and transparent credit available to everyone.

We are committed to diversity in hiring, professional development, and everyday discussion.  Zest is determined to hire crazy smart people who are different from each other to create broad thinking, lots of different ideas, and by extension, the best team possible.