socure - Head of Data Science - Fraud Insights

Carson City, Nevada, United States$250k - $300k2mo ago

Remote Director NA Banking Fintech Head of Data Economist SQL Python Go Product Marketing Market Research

Requirements

• Research Depth & Econometric Rigor. You approach fraud data the way a serious economist approaches a policy question — with proper identification strategies, an appreciation for confounding, a healthy skepticism of naive correlations, and the discipline to distinguish causation from coincidence. Comfortable with panel data methods, diff-in-diff, regression discontinuity, survival analysis, network econometrics, and the full toolkit of applied causal inference. • Deep Fraud Domain Expertise. You've spent meaningful time in the trenches — synthetic identity, first-party fraud, account takeover, bust-out rings, AML-adjacent typologies, mule networks, or related domains. You understand the adversarial game theory at play and respect the sophistication of the actors on the other side. • Data Fluency at Scale. You've worked with large-scale identity, behavioral, or transaction datasets. You understand graph structures, feature engineering at the identity level, and the operational realities of productionizing insights. Conversant in Python, SQL, graph analytics, and ML frameworks. • External Credibility & Presence. You have a track record of representing an organization publicly and credibly — major conference appearances, regulatory working groups, authored research the market takes seriously, or a reputation that precedes you in the fraud and identity space. • Executive Communication Without Dumbing It Down. You can write a 2-page brief for a CEO that captures all the important nuance, and go 10 levels deep with a PhD data scientist without losing them. You know the difference between simplifying and falsifying, and you never do the latter. • Regulatory & Macro-Intelligence Fluency. You follow the regulatory environment — CFPB rulemaking, FinCEN guidance, state-level identity legislation, open banking frameworks — and understand how policy changes alter fraud incentives and attack surfaces. • Advanced degree (MS or PhD strongly preferred) in Economics, Statistics, Econometrics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field • 10+ years of applied experience in data science, fraud analytics, risk research, or quantitative economics, with demonstrable impact at scale • Proven expertise in fraud, identity risk, financial crime, or adjacent domains • Strong command of causal inference, statistical modeling, and modern ML/AI techniques applied to adversarial or risk problems • Track record of external thought leadership — publications, conference presentations, regulatory engagement, or equivalent market-facing credibility • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to author compelling, rigorous, market-facing research • Experience leading and developing high-performing technical teams • Experience with graph-based analytics, identity network modeling, or fraud ring detection using Neo4j, AWS Neptune, or custom graph frameworks • Familiarity with the regulatory landscape governing identity verification, fraud prevention, and consumer financial protection (CFPB, FinCEN, OCC, state AGs) • Experience with device intelligence, behavioral biometrics, email/phone/IP signals, or browser fingerprinting in a fraud context • Published research or white papers in peer-reviewed journals, industry publications, or prominent market forums • Experience working in or alongside financial services, fintech, credit bureaus, payments networks, or fraud consortia • Exposure to explainable AI, model governance, or adverse action frameworks relevant to consumer-facing decisioning • Reports to: Chief AI & Innovation Officer • Required Location: SF, NY, Seattle, or Miami • Please note that we cannot provide sponsorship now or in the future.

Responsibilities

• OWN THE RESEARCH AGENDA • Bring the rigor of an applied economist to fraud — proper identification strategies, causal inference, and natural experiments. Design studies and analytical frameworks that produce findings you can stand behind publicly. Answer questions like: What drove the surge in synthetic identity fraud post-CARES Act? How do adversarial networks respond to model updates? What are the second-order effects of regulatory changes on fraud displacement across verticals? • TURN THE IDENTITY GRAPH INTO INTELLIGENCE • Work across Socure's global identity graph to surface fraud rings, adversarial coalitions, emerging attack typologies, and behavioral shifts before they become industry crises. Extract insights from the full identity stack: PII, device intelligence, email/phone/network signals, behavioral biometrics, and the longitudinal performance feedback flowing back from Socure's clients. • BRIDGE THE OUTSIDE WORLD TO INTERNAL MODELS • Serve as the connective tissue between external signals — regulatory guidance, legislative changes, CFPB and FinCEN trends, macroeconomic shifts that alter fraud incentives, emerging typologies from industry consortia — and Socure's internal research, modeling, and product roadmaps. When a new regulation drops or a fraud pattern surfaces in the press, you already have the data story and the analysis ready. • TELL STORIES THAT CHANGE MINDS • You are not a metrics reporter — you are a narrative architect. Transform complex multivariate findings into white papers that get cited, presentations that land at Money20/20, regulatory briefings that shape policy, and customer insights that create competitive advantage. Your audience ranges from a CRO at a top-5 bank to a Congressional staffer to a Socure ML engineer, and you'll adjust register without losing substance. • BUILD & LEAD A WORLD-CLASS TEAM • Recruit, mentor, and develop a team of researchers, data scientists, and analysts who share your appetite for rigor and storytelling. Create a culture where intellectual curiosity, methodological discipline, and external credibility are the standard. • INFLUENCE PRODUCT, MODELS & STRATEGY • Build tight feedback loops with Socure's modeling, product, and engineering organizations so that what you learn in the data becomes new signals, smarter models, better products, and stronger go-to-market positioning. You will have a direct line into the strategic roadmap and report directly to the Chief AI & Innovation Officer. • REPRESENT SOCURE EXTERNALLY • Speak at industry conferences, engage regulatory working groups, author market-facing research, and participate in customer and partner forums. Your external credibility is a strategic asset — you invest in it and it compounds for Socure. • DRIVE GO-TO-MARKET DIFFERENTIATION • Collaborate with Marketing and Growth to develop research-backed thought leadership that strengthens Socure's brand recognition, supports pipeline generation, and reinforces market leadership. Your insights become a competitive moat.

Benefits

• $250K – $300K • Offers Equity • Offers Bonus • This is a base salary range for this job based on the job requirements. • Base pay is only one component of Socure's compensation and our total rewards package includes equity, benefits, and an annual bonus or a commission plan. • annual bonus • commission plan. • Upload your resume here to autofill key application fields. • Drop your resume here! • Parsing your resume. Autofilling key fields... • Please note: we have set up limits for applications for this role. • Candidates may not apply more than 3 times in any 30 day span for any job at Socure. • Candidates may not re-apply to the same role within 30 days. • or drag and drop here • We really read these! • Unfortunately we are unable to hire employees residing in these states. • You may have to go into office 2-3 times a week. • San Francisco, CA • New York City, NY • Socure's Recruiting Privacy Policy • Decline to self-identify • Hispanic or Latino - A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race. • Hispanic or Latino • White (Not Hispanic or Latino) - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. • White • Black or African American (Not Hispanic or Latino) - A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. • Black or African American • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (Not Hispanic or Latino) - A person having origins in any of the peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander • Asian (Not Hispanic or Latino) - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. • Asian • American Indian or Alaska Native (Not Hispanic or Latino) - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment. • American Indian or Alaska Native • Two or More Races (Not Hispanic or Latino) - All persons who identify with more than one of the above five races. • Two or More Races • Hispanic or Latino • White (Not Hispanic or Latino) • Black or African American (Not Hispanic or Latino) • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (Not Hispanic or Latino) • Asian (Not Hispanic or Latino) • American Indian or Alaska Native (Not Hispanic or Latino) • Two or More Races (Not Hispanic or Latino) • I identify as one or more of the classifications of protected veteran listed above • I am not a protected veteran