Senior Data Scientist - Risk

About the role

This Senior Data Scientist will join Shakepay's new Risk team, focusing on building and enhancing systems to manage fraud and ensure regulatory compliance. The role involves close collaboration with engineering, security, and product teams to define risk metrics, develop decision frameworks, and analyze fraud patterns across crypto and fiat products. Success in this position means contributing to foundational risk infrastructure and data systems.

A key part of this role involves designing and architecting data instrumentation and decisioning systems that support risk operations and fraud prevention. The data scientist will evaluate and refine risk controls using rigorous analysis, applying statistical and machine learning techniques to improve decision quality and signal detection. This work is critical for protecting customers and the company from abuse while maintaining operational efficiency.

The ideal candidate will thrive in an ambiguous, fast-moving environment, taking ownership of projects and constructively challenging assumptions. This role is not just about analytics in a mature setting; it's about helping to build the next generation of Shakepay's risk systems from the ground up, requiring strong communication skills to translate complex analysis into clear recommendations for stakeholders.

The annual salary for this position ranges from $97,000 to $124,000 USD.

Skills that matter here

• SQL: This role requires strong proficiency in SQL for data analysis and building reports to track fraud metrics and control performance.
• Python: Python proficiency is essential for performing deep analytical work, applying machine learning techniques, and potentially contributing to risk system architecture.
• machine learning: The role involves applying selective machine learning techniques to improve decision quality, operational efficiency, and signal detection in fraud prevention.
• data analysis: A core responsibility is to analyze fraud, scam, and abuse patterns, conduct deep-dive investigations, and establish data standards within the Risk team.
• cloud data warehouses: Experience with modern cloud data warehouses like Snowflake is required for managing and utilizing data within the risk systems.

Who this role suits

• A person who thrives on building systems from scratch in a dynamic, evolving environment.
• Someone with a strong sense of ownership who can navigate ambiguity and influence cross-functional teams.
• An individual who values connecting analytical work directly to business and customer outcomes, particularly in risk management.
• A professional with a keen interest in Bitcoin, fintech, or regulated industries, eager to apply their skills in this domain.

From the employer

• Partner with engineering to define the architecture and technical strategy for internal risk systems and tooling.
• Partner with Risk, Engineering, Security, Compliance, Product, and Operations to define risk metrics, success criteria, and decision frameworks.
• Analyze fraud, scam, and abuse patterns across crypto and fiat products.
• Build and maintain reporting that tracks fraud loss, false positives, customer friction, operational efficiency, and control performance.
• Help design and architect the data, instrumentation, and decisioning systems that power risk operations and fraud prevention workflows.
• Evaluate and iterate on risk rules and controls using rigorous analysis.
• Apply statistical methods and selective ML techniques where they materially improve decision quality, operational efficiency, or signal detection.
• Conduct deep-dive investigations into incidents, trends, and emerging threats.
• Communicate insights clearly and persuasively to senior stakeholders.
• Help establish data standards, analytical methods, and decision-making practices within the Risk team.

• 5+ years of experience as a Data Scientist, Decision Science or in a similar analytical role.
• Experience with fraud, risk, trust and safety, AML, or compliance analytics.
• Strong proficiency in SQL and Python.
• Experience performing deep analytical work and ML techniques related to regression, classification, experiment design, causal inference, or decision analysis.
• Strong product and business judgment, with the ability to connect analytical work to customer outcomes, risk outcomes, and company priorities.
• Experience working with modern cloud data warehouses and tooling (i.e Snowflake, dbt, etc).
• Outstanding communication skills and the ability to translate complex analysis into clear business recommendations.
• Proven ability to work in ambiguous, fast-moving environments.
• Strong sense of ownership and ability to challenge assumptions constructively.
• Experience partnering closely with cross-functional stakeholders to influence decisions.
• Good judgment when tailoring the analytical toolkit to the problem at hand.
• Interest in Bitcoin and familiarity with fintech, payments, crypto, or other regulated industries.

• Help shape the future of money: Be part of a team that's revolutionizing financial services in Canada, one sat at a time.
• Impact millions: As cryptocurrency continues to gain traction, our potential for growth is massive. You can help us bring Shakepay and Bitcoin to all Canadians.
• Grow your career: We’re growing, and so can you! We have programs in place to encourage continuous learning, growth, and development.
• Ideas, not titles: We want the best ideas to make their way through, no matter where they come from.
• Be an owner: Every employee has stock options as part of their total compensation.
• Reach your goals: Yearly salary assessments.
• Health & wellness: Access to comprehensive health and dental coverage, including health and wellness spending accounts.
• Remote-friendly: Work from anywhere in Canada, with optional access to our office spaces in Montreal and Toronto.
• Level Up: A $2,000 annual budget for courses, certifications, and training to support your career growth.
• Time off: 20 days of vacation per year. And if you use all your vacation, we give you a $1,000 bonus.
• Parental leave: Enjoy a parental leave top up to 100% of your salary for 18 weeks.
• Have fun together: quarterly team-specific or company-wide offsite to connect with each other.