Staff Data Scientist

Staff Data Scientist, Detection | Lead ML Innovation in Fraud Prevention

Revolutionizing Fraud Prevention with Machine Learning

At Ravelin, we’re on a mission to make the digital world a safer place for businesses and their customers. We tackle the complex, ever-evolving challenge of online fraud head-on, leveraging advanced machine learning, sophisticated network analysis, and deep data expertise. Our goal? To provide our clients with unparalleled accuracy and confidence, allowing them to focus on growth while we protect their margins.

More than just a tech company, Ravelin is a community. We are a friendly, collaborative group united by shared values: empathy, ambition, unity, and integrity. We believe in fostering an environment where everyone can thrive, which is why we champion work/life balance and embrace a flat, transparent hierarchy. Join us, and you’ll be at the forefront of cutting-edge technology, working alongside some of the brightest and most supportive people in the industry. Curious about life at Ravelin? Check out our Glassdoor reviews and explore our blog to see how we’re helping prevent crime and protect the world’s biggest online businesses.

Your Opportunity: Technical Leadership in a High-Impact Domain

We are seeking a highly experienced and influential Staff Data Scientist to join our critical Detection team. This is a pivotal technical leadership role where you will tackle our most ambiguous and complex fraud detection challenges. You will apply your deep technical expertise and problem-solving prowess to guide the team, ensuring the fundamental integrity and robustness of our ML models against dynamic and sophisticated threats.

You will have the autonomy and resources necessary to significantly shape our technical strategy and roadmap for ML platform and model development. This isn’t just about building models; it’s about defining the principles, architecture, and practices that enable us to deliver safe, scalable, and impactful improvements continuously. If you’re passionate about diving into challenging greenfield research while simultaneously driving engineering excellence in a production ML environment, this role is for you.

Your Impact Zone: The Detection Team

You will become a key member of our core Detection team, the guardians responsible for keeping fraud rates low and our clients delighted. This team is at the heart of Ravelin’s product, constantly training and deploying sophisticated machine learning models designed to identify multiple types of fraud in real-time. We live by the principles of Google’s Best Practices for ML Engineering, striving to make model deployments as reliable and streamlined as code deployments.

Operating under strict production SLAs, our prediction pipelines must return results in under 300ms, utilizing a variety of data sources and techniques. When model performance deviates, the Detection team is on the front lines investigating and resolving the issues. We work hand-in-hand with the Data Engineering team, who build the foundational infrastructure, and the Intelligence & Investigations team, who provide invaluable client insights.

Your Contributions Will Include…

Leading the architectural design and evolution of our ML model evaluation and training infrastructure, ensuring scalability and adherence to best practices.

Spearheading the research, development, and deployment of novel modeling approaches to solve our most complex fraud problems, setting new benchmarks for performance and resilience.

Mentoring and developing other data scientists, cultivating a culture of technical excellence, innovation, and continuous learning within the team.

Influencing technical and product strategy through close collaboration with leadership across Data Science, Engineering, and Product teams, driving alignment and progress.

Acting as the ultimate escalation point for the team’s most challenging model performance and production issues, guiding and mentoring others in advanced debugging and problem-solving techniques.

Proactively identifying and researching emerging fraud typologies and cutting-edge machine learning techniques, shaping the strategic direction of our fraud detection capabilities.

Driving significant improvements in our production ML infrastructure by identifying, advocating for, and implementing key features and architectural enhancements.

What Makes You a Great Fit?

Extensive, hands-on experience and a proven track record designing, building, and deploying impactful ML platforms and ML models in complex production environments.

Demonstrated experience influencing the technical roadmaps of adjacent teams, such as Data Engineering and Product, to build a more effective and cohesive ML ecosystem.

Deep expertise in data science and ML engineering best practices (including version control, CI/CD, testing, and observability) and a history of applying them to construct robust, scalable machine learning systems.

Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with a clear ability to define and successfully navigate highly ambiguous, complex technical challenges.

Proven ability to provide effective technical leadership and influence cross-functional teams, successfully driving complex projects from concept to completion.

Outstanding communication skills, capable of articulating intricate technical concepts and strategic rationale clearly to diverse audiences, from junior engineers to executive stakeholders.

A high degree of autonomy and the ability to proactively identify, prioritize, and drive opportunities with significant business impact.

Comfortable and effective working within a hybrid team structure.

Even Better If You Have…

Experience with systems languages like Go, C++, or Java.

Familiarity with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and general ML production infrastructure.

Experience with deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch or Tensorflow.

Experience using dbt for data transformation.

Investing in You: Our Benefits

Flexible Working Hours & Remote-First Environment — Work when and where you’re most productive, with flexibility and support.

Comprehensive BUPA Health Insurance — Stay covered with top-tier medical care for your peace of mind.

£1,000 Annual Wellness and Learning Budget — Prioritise your health, well-being, and continuous learning needs with funds for fitness, mental health, courses, and more.

Monthly Wellbeing and Learning Day — Take every last Friday of the month off dedicated to recharging or learning something new – it’s up to you!

25 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays + 1 Extra Cultural Day — Enjoy generous time off to rest, travel, or celebrate what matters most to you.

Mental Health Support via Spill — Access professional mental health services easily whenever you need them.

Aviva Pension Scheme — Plan securely for your future with our pension program.

Ravelin Gives Back — Participate in monthly charitable donations and volunteer opportunities to make a positive impact together.

Fortnightly Randomised Team Lunches — Connect casually with teammates from across the company over in-person or remote lunches every other week, on us!

Cycle-to-Work Scheme — Save on commuting costs while staying active and healthy.

BorrowMyDoggy Access — Love dogs? Spend time with a furry friend through this unique perk!

Weekly Board Game Nights & Social Budget — Unwind and connect with colleagues during weekly board game nights or plan your own team socials, supported by a company budget.

Ready to Make an Impact?

If you are an accomplished Staff Data Scientist looking to apply your deep technical expertise to solve critical problems, lead innovation, and help build a safer online world, we encourage you to apply. Join Ravelin and be a key stakeholder in our growth and mission.

Important Information

Please note that job offers may be withdrawn if candidates do not successfully pass our standard pre-employment checks: unspent criminal convictions, employment verification, and right-to-work status.

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