Senior Lead Data Scientist - Credit Risk Modeling

Salary: £48,000 - 70,000 per year

Requirements:

• 5+ years of experience in credit risk modeling for consumer lending, credit cards, or BNPL
• Deep proficiency in PD model development and validation, with strong knowledge of calibration techniques
• Advanced Python and SQL skills
• Familiarity with XGBoost, scikit-learn, pandas, and MLFlow
• Experience with explainability frameworks such as SHAP, LIME, and PDP
• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly and influence cross-functional decisions
• Familiarity with real-time modeling and current trends in machine learning and credit analytics
• Hands-on experience using LLMs to extract features from unstructured data, such as customer communications and credit applications, is a plus
• Knowledge of integrating third-party credit bureau data into production models is a plus
• Understanding of champion/challenger model frameworks and A/B testing infrastructure is a plus
• Exposure to loan-level economic modeling, including cost-of-capital and loss metrics, is a plus
• Please include a CV in English

Responsibilities:

• Shape our next-generation consumer-level credit scoring and portfolio valuation models
• Design and maintain real-time PD (Probability of Default) models using statistical and machine learning approaches
• Integrate models into frameworks for underwriting and economic return optimization
• Develop calibration frameworks
• Ensure compliance with regulatory and fairness standards
• Explore novel methodologies, including LLMs for explainability and feature engineering
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate modeling insights into strategic credit policies and business value
• Mentor junior team members
• Contribute to our long-term modeling vision

Technologies:

• Machine Learning
• MLflow
• Python
• SQL
• pandas

More:

We are Klarna, and our credit risk models sit at the heart of how we underwrite and price risk for millions of consumers globally. We are looking for a Lead Data Scientist to join us in London on a full-time basis and help shape the next generation of consumer-level credit scoring and portfolio valuation models. We offer a competitive salary range of 81,425 to 116,438 GBP and the opportunity to work on impactful, real-time credit risk modeling within a cross-functional environment. Explore our career site to learn more about us and what it is like to work here.

last updated 34 week of 2026