Sr Data Scientist (Credit Fraud Risk)

The Company

PayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy. 

We operate a global, two-sided network at scale that connects hundreds of millions of merchants and consumers. We help merchants and consumers connect, transact, and complete payments, whether they are online or in person. PayPal is more than a connection to third-party payment networks. We provide proprietary payment solutions accepted by merchants that enable the completion of payments on our platform on behalf of our customers.

We offer our customers the flexibility to use their accounts to purchase and receive payments for goods and services, as well as the ability to transfer and withdraw funds. We enable consumers to exchange funds more safely with merchants using a variety of funding sources, which may include a bank account, a PayPal or Venmo account balance, PayPal and Venmo branded credit products, a credit card, a debit card, certain cryptocurrencies, or other stored value products such as gift cards, and eligible credit card rewards.  Our PayPal, Venmo, and Xoom products also make it safer and simpler for friends and family to transfer funds to each other. We offer merchants an end-to-end payments solution that provides authorization and settlement capabilities, as well as instant access to funds and payouts. We also help merchants connect with their customers, process exchanges and returns, and manage risk. We enable consumers to engage in cross-border shopping and merchants to extend their global reach while reducing the complexity and friction involved in enabling cross-border trade. 

Our beliefs are the foundation for how we conduct business every day.  We live each day guided by our core values of Inclusion, Innovation, Collaboration, and Wellness. Together, our values ensure that we work together as one global team with our customers at the center of everything we do – and they push us to ensure we take care of ourselves, each other, and our communities.

Job Summary:

Job Description:

Essential Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and implementation of advanced data science models.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to understand requirements.
• Drive best practices in data science.
• Ensure data quality and integrity in all processes.
• Mentor and guide junior data scientists.
• Stay updated with the latest trends in data science.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 3+ years relevant experience and a Bachelor’s degree OR Any equivalent combination of education and experience.

Additional Responsibilities & Preferred Qualifications:

Key Role and Responsibilities

• Design and maintain real-time fraud detection and alerting systems that are efficient, scalable, and capable of handling high transaction volumes.
• Develop and fine-tune models to identify fraudulent behaviors, leveraging large datasets to ensure high accuracy and precision.
• Analyze complex fraud patterns and produce detailed reports for senior management to implement proactive countermeasures and reduce false positives.
• Use strong presentation skills to report on work impact and advocate for the necessary resources and budget to strengthen Paidy's fraud defenses.
• Coordinate cross-functionally with Engineering, Fraud Operations, Product, Marketing, and PR teams to ensure a unified approach to fraud prevention.
• Act as a primary liaison with external parties and vendors to identify, evaluate, and hire new data sources or specialized tools that enhance our fraud ecosystem.
• Provide actionable feedback on product designs to ensure they are fraud-resistant while maintaining a frictionless user experience.
• Build deep fraud domain knowledge and stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends and emerging threat vectors.
• Monitor and assess the performance of existing detection systems, making data-driven improvements to adapt to evolving trends.
• Document processes and methodologies to ensure transparency and knowledge-sharing within the team.

Skills and Requirements

Mandatory 

• Proficiency in essential data science tools such as SQL and Python or R, with experience in data manipulation and analysis.
• Previous experience in a data science or analytics role, particularly in fraud detection, financial services, or e-commerce environments.
• Proven ability to translate technical findings into simple, persuasive takeaways for non-technical stakeholders to secure buy-in for new initiatives.
• A proactive mindset with a strong interest in building specialized fraud domain knowledge and driving business decisions through data.
• Ability to deliver high-quality work under pressure and demonstrate a sense of urgency when reacting to fraud attacks.
• Bachelor's degree or higher 
• Candidates must be eligible to work in Japan.
• English speaker.

Subsidiary:

Travel Percent:

Primary Location | Pay Range:

Additional Location(s) | Pay Range:

PayPal does not charge candidates any fees for courses, applications, resume reviews, interviews, background checks, or onboarding. When making an application directly, we will never ask you to share passwords, one-time passcodes (OTP), or verification codes.  Any such request is a red flag and likely part of a scam. All communication regarding your application will come from official PayPal email domains. If you suspect fraudulent activity, please report it immediately.  To learn more about how to identify and avoid recruitment fraud please visit https://careers.pypl.com/contact-us. 

For the majority of employees, PayPal's balanced hybrid work model offers 3 days in the office for effective in-person collaboration and 2 days at your choice of either the PayPal office or your home workspace, ensuring that you equally have the benefits and conveniences of both locations.

Our Benefits:

At PayPal, we’re committed to building an equitable and inclusive global economy. And we can’t do this without our most important asset-you. That’s why we offer comprehensive, choice-based programs, to support all aspects of personal wellbeing—physical, emotional, and financial—delivering meaningful value where it matters most. We strive to create a flexible, balanced work culture with a holistic approach to benefits, including generous paid time off, healthcare coverage for you and your family, and resources to create financial security and support your mental health.

Who We Are:

Click Here to learn more about our culture and community.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion 

PayPal provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.  In addition, PayPal will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.  If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at paypalglobaltalentacquisition@paypal.com.  

Belonging at PayPal: 

Our employees are central to advancing our mission, and we strive to create an environment where everyone can do their best work with a sense of purpose and belonging. Belonging at PayPal means creating a workplace with a sense of acceptance and security where all employees feel included and valued. We are proud to have a diverse workforce reflective of the merchants, consumers, and communities that we serve, and we continue to take tangible actions to cultivate inclusivity and belonging at PayPal.

Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please Join our Talent Community.

We know the confidence gap and imposter syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates. Please don’t hesitate to apply.