Risk Data Scientist

Business Unit:  Model Risk and Analytics
Salary range: up to circa £41,000 per annum DOE + red-hot benefits
Location:  Hybrid - with occasional travel to one of our key hubs
Contract type: Permanent

Get out of your comfort zone. Live a life more Virgin.

 Our Team

The team’s focus is on providing quantitative and qualitative analysis across our model suite, providing solutions support the acquisition of new business, risk-based account management and manage the bank’s capital across its business portfolios. A key part of the team’s remit will be to gain buy-in from stakeholders for new ways of doing things.

What you’ll be doing

• 
  
• Building and validating statistical models to support business decisions, in line with regulatory requirements.
  
• Researching the best techniques for the given purpose and coordinating with others to determine a model specification. Delivering analytical/statistical modelling and data analysis to support the development of the bank’s models
  
• Inputting into the scoping, design, development, validation and implementation of models
  
• Clearly defining problem statements and researching and testing innovative solutions to address these
  
• Documenting the process and outcome of your analysis and model development to support internal review, stakeholder engagement and change proposals
  
• Reviewing existing models to demonstrate continued performance and identify potential enhancements to the modelling suite.
  

We need you to have

• 
  
• Strong analytical skills with a good degree in a numerate discipline subject (e.g. statistics, engineering, econometrics)
  
• Familiarity of a wide variety of advanced machine learning and AI modelling techniques with some experience of applying them, ideally in a banking environment
  
• Experience of model development projects or modelling analytics within banking with an understanding of model usage
  
• Practical experience of distilling and interpreting complex data and analysis
  
• Expertise in the use of statistical analysis software (e.g. SAS, Python, R) as well as MS Office
  
• Demonstrable understanding of statistical modelling techniques such as hypothesis testing, probability distributions and Regression.
  

It’s a bonus if you have but not essential

• 
  
• Advanced Degree (PhD, Masters) in a data science related area
  
• Coaching/mentoring experience
  
• Experience in Banking and Risk Management. 
  

Red Hot Rewards

• 
  
• Generous holidays - 38.5 days annual leave (including bank holidays and prorated if part-time)​ plus the option to buy more.
  
• Up to five extra paid well-being days per year​. 
  
• 20 weeks paid, gender-neutral family leave (52 weeks in total) for expectant parents and those looking to adopt. 
  
• Market-leading pension.
  
• Free private medical cover, income protection and life assurance.
  
• Flexible benefits include Cycle to Work, wellness and health assessments, and critical illness. 
  

And there's no waiting around, you'll enjoy these benefits from day one.

Feeling insatiably curious about this role? If we’re lucky to receive a lot of interest, we may close the advert early and would hate you to miss out.

We're all about helping you Live a Life More Virgin, so happy to talk flexible working with you.

Say hello to Virgin Money
We’re making great strides towards achieving our ambition of becoming the UK’s best digital bank.  As a full-service digital bank with a heritage stretching back over 180 years, we’re a workforce to be reckoned with, and we're putting the full power of our experience behind disruptive ideas that reinvent the role a bank plays in people's lives. We're customer-obsessed and work tirelessly to deliver on our purpose, ‘Making You Happier About Money.’ This means we're able to do banking differently, and by innovating and working together we can make a real difference by creating memorable moments and red-hot experiences for our millions of customers. Join us and Live a Life More Virgin that empowers you with choice and flexibility in how you work. 

Be yourself at Virgin Money
Our purpose is to make people happier about money, this means seeing and feeling the world as our customers do by creating a workforce that reflects the rich diversity of our customers and communities.  We’re committed to creating an inclusive culture where colleagues feel safe and inspired to contribute, speak up and be heard.   

As a Disability Confident Leader, we're committed to removing any obstacles to inclusion.  If you need any reasonable adjustments or support making your application, contact our Talent Acquisition team  

It’s important to note that there may be occasions where it’s not possible to interview all candidates declaring a disability who meet the essential criteria for the job. In certain recruitment situations such as receiving a high-volume of applications, we may need to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled and non-disabled applicants. 

Now the legal bit
Living A Life More Virgin allows our colleagues to be based anywhere in the UK (if the role allows it), but we'll need you to confirm you have the right to work in the UK.

If you're successful in securing a role with us, there are some checks you need to complete before starting. These include credit and criminal record checks and three years' worth of satisfactory references. If the role is part of the Senior Manager Regime and Certification Regime, it requires enhanced pre-employment checks – we'll ask for six years of regulatory references, and once in the role, you'll be subject to periodic employment checks.