What We’re All About at Kroo

Kroo has a big vision. To be the first bank that is both trusted and loved by its customers. We’re helping people take control of their financial future and achieve their goals, whilst making a positive impact on the planet. Here at Kroo, doing what is right is in our DNA. We act with integrity, transparency and honesty. We think big, dream big, and relentlessly pursue our goals. We like to be bold, break new ground, and we never stop learning. But most importantly, we are on this journey together.

How you will contribute:

As a Data Science Team Lead, you will spearhead our data science initiatives, leading a team of talented data scientists in developing and deploying models that contribute to our strategic goals. You will be at the forefront of leveraging big data and machine learning to solve complex problems in banking, from credit risk assessment to personalised customer services. Other responsibilities include: 

• Takes ownership of complex projects across multiple teams.
• Promoting the team’s visibility across the Bank and externally.
• Works with internal and external audit teams and risk and compliance functions to establish and govern Data Science development and operations.
• Effectively delegates tasks within and beyond the team, following work through to completion.
• Design and implement efficient workflows for the team, introduce automation, and aligns processes with industry standards. 
• Inspires and motivates team members.
• Conducts regular structured 1:1s, coaches team members through challenges and career progression, manages individual and team performance.
• Oversees planning and prioritisation of complex projects aligned to company objectives and delivered iteratively.
• Sets, operates and improves planning and delivery rituals, such as sprint planning and show and tell.
• Works with multiple stakeholders to establish Data Science strategy to support operations and product delivery.
• Creates and maintains a strategic Data Science delivery roadmap.
• Able to find opportunities and decide which problems to focus on.
• Monitors, maintains and continuously evaluates quality of models deployed in production.
• Maintains relationships and oversees procurement of third-party services primarily using Data Science. 
• Owns MLOps stack definition, currently assumed to be Google Vertex AI.
• Sets and executes Data Science testing strategies and sets up required technologies.
• Knowledge of probability distributions and statistical inference.
• Advising on the computational complexity of data science projects, guiding efforts to improve model scalability and efficiency.
• Applying expert knowledge of model evaluation techniques to ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of predictive models.
• Ensure awareness and adherence to computational complexity principles to guide model scalability and efficiency improvements across projects.
• Utilise a solid understanding of Data Science and AI developments and industry practices to influence and shape company-wide initiatives, ensuring alignment with cutting-edge technologies and methodologies.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of regulations and compliance requirements related to data and Data Science, ensuring all projects and initiatives are in compliance.
• Oversee data cleaning, normalisation, augmentation, and simulation processes, contributing to the establishment of standards for data quality across the organisation.
• Drives model design and development, directs model training and evaluation strategies, ensures models achieve high quality and reliability.
• Demonstrate proficiency in Python and its Data Science libraries, applying this expertise to develop, test, and optimise data science solutions.
• Exhibit a strong working knowledge of SQL and dbt, utilising these tools to manage and manipulate data effectively within the organisation's database systems.
• Oversees research across multiple teams, shapes structured experiment methods and techniques, aligns research objectives with company objectives, goals and values. 

The Kroo is growing and we’d love to hear from you if you’re interested in joining us on our journey!

Requirements

While not essential, the following experience and qualifications are highly desirable in our ideal candidate for this position:

• Educational Background: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, or a related field.
• Professional Experience: Significant experience in data science is required, including a substantial period in a leadership role, preferably within the banking or financial services sector.
• Proficiency in Python and its Data Science libraries.
• Strong working knowledge of SQL and dbt.
• Demonstrated experience with MLOps tools, preferably Google Vertex AI.
• Expertise in probability distributions, statistical inference, and computational complexity.
• Solid understanding of model evaluation techniques and data science testing strategies.
• Leadership Skills: Proven ability to lead, inspire, and motivate a data science team. Effective in coaching, performance management, and team development.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to identify opportunities, prioritise problems, and set a strategic direction aligned with company goals.
• Communication Skills: Excellent communication abilities to articulate complex data science concepts to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Up-to-date knowledge of regulations and compliance requirements related to data and Data Science.

About Our Process:

We can be flexible with the structure of our interview process if someone's circumstances or timescales require it but our general structure is:

• 30-minute meet and greet with our talent acquisition specialist via google hangouts.
• 1-hour technical interview with the hiring manager via google hangouts.
• 30-minute culture champion interview via google hangouts.

Please let us know if you have any specific requirements or need assistance so we can be as accommodating as possible for you.

Benefits

What we offer:

At our cutting-edge fintech company, we know that attracting and retaining the best talent means offering top-notch benefits that help our employees thrive both in and outside of work. Check out what we currently offer:

• Generous holiday time: 25 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays, 1 Kroo bank holiday (June 24th), and 1 day off during the week of your birthday.
• Personal days: We know that life can be unpredictable, so we offer 3 personal days to use as needed.
• Employer-sponsored volunteer program: We're passionate about giving back to our community, and we support our employees in doing the same with up to 4 hours per month of employer-sponsored volunteer time.
• Mental health support: We care about the mental health of our team members and offer access to Spill, our mental health support partner.
• Workplace pension: We want you to feel secure about your future, so we offer a workplace pension with a 5% employee contribution and a 3% employer top-up.
• Learning and development: After 1 year of service, you'll have access to £500 from the Kroo Learning Fund to invest in your career development.
• Top-notch equipment: We provide top-of-the-line equipment necessary for smooth hybrid work, including a MacBook laptop. Additionally, we also offer support in establishing your home office by contributing towards your setup if required.
• Modern office: When you're in the office, you'll enjoy access to our modern, bustling workspace in Holborn, Central London, which includes a full gym.
• Cycle to Work scheme: We encourage sustainable transportation with our Cycle to Work scheme.
• Electric Car scheme: We're committed to reducing our carbon footprint, and our Electric Car scheme makes it easy for our employees to do the same.
• Enhanced parental leave: We know that family comes first, and we offer an enhanced parental leave policy to support our employees in starting and growing their families.
• Room for growth: As a fast-paced, high-growth start-up, we're dedicated to providing our employees with room to grow and excel.
• You get full healthcare for you and your nuclear family via Vitality.

Hybrid Working:

At Kroo Bank, we have a hybrid policy that gives both individuals and teams a lot of freedom when it comes to using the office space to boost productivity. Our London office is a great resource when used effectively. So, employees who can occasionally come to the office are a good fit for how we work right now. Keep in mind that this job involves working from Monday to Friday, with a mix of remote and office work, so you won't need to be on-site all the time.

Diversity and Inclusion:

We wholeheartedly uphold our commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Every employee is highly regarded, respected, and supported without any form of judgement or prejudice. We consider Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion as fundamental pillars guiding our path in all aspects of our bank. We also ensure that reasonable adjustments are made available to all candidates throughout the recruitment process.

To all Recruitment Agencies:

At Kroo Bank, agency resumes are strictly prohibited. Do not submit agency resumes or forward them to our job advertisements or Kroo Bank employees. Be aware that Kroo Bank will not assume any responsibility for fees incurred due to unsolicited resumes.

To ensure a fair and efficient application process, all candidates are kindly requested to submit their applications directly through the advertised platform. We kindly ask that you refrain from reaching out to the company or its employees via email, LinkedIn, or any other communication channels for inquiries or updates. Please note that any attempts to contact us through these channels will not receive a response. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.