YouLend
Senior Decision Scientist
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Department: Credit Risk
Location: London
Description
We are looking for a Senior Decision Scientist to strengthen our credit decisioning and model-oversight capability across markets and products. The successful candidate will develop model-informed decisioning tools and analytical solutions and lead the independent validation, calibration, implementation assurance, and ongoing monitoring of credit risk models and decision strategies. Working closely with Data Science, which leads the development and retraining of core predictive models, the Senior Decision Scientist will ensure that models are robust, appropriate for their intended use, and translated into stable, controlled credit decisions. This is a senior individual-contributor role requiring strong quantitative judgement, hands-on analytical expertise, and the ability to translate complex findings into clear recommendations for senior and C-suite stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop reusable analytical tools, simulations, and frameworks to support credit policy, eligibility, affordability, risk appetite, decision thresholds, and segmentation.
- Lead the independent end-to-end validation of new and existing credit risk and decisioning models, including material model changes.
- Evaluate model data, target definitions, methodology, feature logic, assumptions, limitations, and suitability for intended use.
- Assess model performance, calibration, stability, and robustness across markets, customer segments, and time periods.
- Design and maintain calibration, probability-mapping, and risk-segmentation frameworks that translate model outputs into coherent risk bands and decision strategies.
- Conduct scenario and sensitivity analysis to understand the impact of proposed changes on approval rates, risk, exposure, and expected portfolio performance.
- Define requirements, acceptance criteria, and controls for model and decisioning changes, validating the process from source data through to production decisions.
- Reconcile analytical results with production outputs and conduct post-implementation reviews to identify unintended impacts or implementation issues.
- Develop and maintain monitoring frameworks covering model performance, calibration, data quality, applicant profiles, decision outcomes, and portfolio performance.
- Diagnose performance deterioration or unexpected behaviour, distinguishing between model, data, implementation, and portfolio drivers.
- Partner with Credit Risk, Pricing, Data Science, Data, Engineering, Finance, and Commercial teams to implement improvements safely and effectively.
- Present findings, effective challenge, and recommendations clearly to technical, non-technical, and C-suite stakeholders.
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Skills, Knowledge & Expertise
Essential:
- Strong experience in decision science, data science, credit risk analytics, model validation, or a related quantitative role.
- Strong knowledge of statistics and data science, with sufficient modelling expertise to reproduce, evaluate, and independently challenge predictive models.
- Advanced SQL skills for data extraction, validation, reconciliation, and performance analysis.
- Advanced Python skills for statistical analysis, simulation, model validation, monitoring, and the development of analytical tools.
- Strong understanding of the model lifecycle, including development methodology, evaluation, validation, calibration, implementation, and ongoing monitoring.
- Experience evaluating model performance using appropriate techniques, including out-of-sample and out-of-time testing, stability analysis, benchmarking, and sensitivity testing.
- Strong quantitative and deductive reasoning, with the ability to investigate complex issues independently and identify practical solutions.
- Clear written and verbal communication, including the ability to explain technical findings and recommendations to non-technical and senior stakeholders.
- Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality work in a fast-paced environment.
Desirable:
- Experience in SME lending, commercial credit, or embedded finance.
- Experience independently validating or developing credit risk or decisioning models.
- Experience implementing, testing, or monitoring models in a production decisioning environment.
- Experience developing credit-strategy tools, simulations, calibration frameworks, or monitoring solutions.
- Familiarity with model-governance or formal model-approval processes.
- Experience working across multiple international markets or portfolios.
- Experience using transactional, open-banking, or other alternative data in credit-risk analysis.
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Job Benefits
Why join YouLend?
- Award-Winning Workplace: YouLend has been recognised as one of the “Best Places to Work in 2024, 2025, and 2026” by the Sunday Times for being a supportive, diverse, and rewarding workplace.
- Award-Winning Fintech: YouLend has been recognised as a “Top 250 Fintech Worldwide” company by CNBC.
It's just getting fun
- We have developed powerful solutions, secured significant partnerships, and are growing rapidly.
- The global opportunity is still massive, and YouLend is a raw organisation where we are only just getting started.
Lots of upsides
- High-growth (>100% growth during 2022 and 2023), so a clear outlook to compensation (bonus or share option appreciation) and career growth (through growth with the business).
- Well-capitalised with supportive private equity backing.
- Part of Banking Circle Group with a fully licensed Luxembourg bank, which can provide a balance sheet and support European expansion in otherwise complex regulated markets.
Motivating work environment
- A high-quality team that pushes each other to succeed through direct feedback and aligned incentives.
- Strong, transparent team culture: we have each other’s backs.
- Independent work environment where results matter.
- Data-driven culture and emphasis on speed (anti-red tape).
We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:
- Private Medical Insurance (via Vitality)
- EAP with Health Assured
- Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave
- Great office space (including a gym!) in Central London
- Subsidised lunch (via Feedr)
- Deliveroo allowance if working late in the office
- Monthly in-office masseuse
- Team and Company socials
- Sports clubs
At YouLend, we champion diversity and embrace equal opportunity employment practices. Our hiring, transfer, and promotion decisions are exclusively based on qualifications, merit, and business requirements, free from any discrimination based on race, gender, age, disability, religion, nationality, or any other protected basis under applicable law.
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