warning
Heads-up
Requirements and responsibilities
Dave vs. Goliath. We’re Dave.Dave is a financial app on a mission to build products that level the financial playing field. It is redefining the financial landscape by leveraging technology to create an affordable, transparent, and user-centric access to liquidity for millions of Americans. As a leading innovator in the U.S. financial services sector, Dave’s digital financial platform offers products designed to meet the credit needs of those underserved by traditional financial institutions. Dave’s offerings include its flagship ExtraCash product, providing members up to $500 within minutes. The company is on track to launch several new product offerings in 2026, including a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) option.Dave is focused on serving Americans who are financially vulnerable or living paycheck to paycheck. Dave is leading the charge in creating a new era of credit products that prioritizes speed, affordability, and accessibility, making it the go-to financial partner for those who need it most.We’re looking for a Lead Machine Learning Scientist to own and scale ML-driven Marketing/Growth/Product capabilities at Dave. This role will drive how we use data and machine learning to improve acquisition, engagement, retention, and monetization across a multi-product ecosystem.You will help identify high-impact opportunities, building production-grade models, and shaping the roadmap for ML in Marketing/Growth. This is a highly strategic and hands-on role requiring both technical depth and business acumen.ML Strategy for Marketing/GrowthArchitect and lead machine learning solutions across teams, driving multi-person, cross-functional initiativesDefine and execute the roadmap for applying ML to improve marketing efficiency and growthProactively identify high-impact opportunities where ML can drive step-function improvements (not just respond to requests)Partner closely with Marketing, Product, and Finance to align ML investments with business prioritiesBuild High-Impact ModelsLead development and deployment of core models, including:Propensity (conversion, engagement)Churn prevention and interventionCustomer Lifetime Value (LTV) models, co-develop with Finance to align on assumptions, definitions, and business use casesCross-sell / next-best-action models across Dave’s productsImprove onboarding, targeting, personalization, and segmentation at scaleWork across modeling lifecycle from problem formulation, training, calibration, and iteration in productionBuild agentic engineering workflows that accelerate development, testing, and documentationData & Platform LeverageAnalyze large and complex dataset; Identify and evaluate high-leverage internal and external data sources to improve model performanceBuild business cases for new data acquisition and lead onboarding effortsEnsure models are scalable, measurable, and tightly integrated into marketing workflowsOptimization & EfficiencyContinuously evaluate and improve marketing spend efficiency through ML-driven insights and modelsIdentify and resolve cost inefficiencies across models and pipelinesDesign and optimize reward and incentive strategies (e.g., referral incentives, promotional offers) to maximize user acquisition, activation, and retention while managing cost efficiencyDevelop models to determine optimal reward levels and targeting, balancing conversion lift with incremental cost to improve ROIEEvaluate and measure incrementality of rewards and promotions using experimentation (A/B testing, uplift modeling) to ensure incentives drive true behavioral change rather than subsidizing existing demandTechnical ExcellenceSet standards for model development, experimentation, and validationPromote adoption of modern ML techniques, leverage pre-trained models, including effective use of AI/LLMs where applicableExperience Required7+ years of experience in machine learning, data science, or a related fieldProven experience building and scaling ML models in production environmentsStrong experience with marketing-related models (propensity, churn, LTV, targeting, etc.)Demonstrated ability to lead large, ambiguous, cross-functional projectsStrong programming skills (Python, SQL) and experience with ML frameworks (e.g., scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch)Familiarity with Marketing KPIs (CAC, ROAS etc)Strong communication skills—you can translate between technical and business audiencesExperience PreferredExperience in fintech or multi-product ecosystemsFamiliarity with attribution, MMM, or marketing measurementExperience with large-scale data platforms (e.g., Snowflake)Don’t let imposter syndrome get in the way of an incredible opportunity. We’re looking for people who can help us achieve our mission and vision, not just check off the boxes. If you’re excited about this role, we encourage you to apply. You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles.Why you’ll love working here: At Dave, our people are just as important as our product. Our culture reflects the values that guide who we are, how we work, and what we aspire to be. Daves are member-centric, helpful, transparent, persistent, and better together. We strive to create an environment where all Daves feel valued, heard, and empowered to do their best work. As a virtual-first company, team members can live and work anywhere in the United States, except Hawaii.A few of our benefits & perks:💚 Opportunity to tackle tough challenges, learn and grow from fellow top talent, and help millions of people reach their personal financial goals💻 Flexible hours and virtual-first work culture with a home office stipend🏥 Premium Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance plans👶 Generous paid parental and caregiver leave💰 401(k) savings plan with matching contributions📈 Financial advisor and financial wellness support🏖️ Flexible PTO and generous company holidays, including Juneteenth and Winter Break🎉 All-company in-person events once or twice a year and virtual events throughout to connect with your team members and leadership teamDave Operating LLC is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and is dedicated to cultivating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants and do not discriminate on any basis protected by federal, state, or local law, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance relating to an applicant's criminal history.
Optionally, you can add more information later (benefits, pre-screening questions, etc.)