---
title: 'Senior Data Scientist - Flex Pay at Upgrade'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-data-scientist-flex-pay-upgrade-san-francisco-yqkeaxj1ry2v'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-18'
---

# Senior Data Scientist - Flex Pay at Upgrade

- **Company:** Upgrade
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-09-29
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-18
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/upgrade/jobs/4739106005

## Job description

About the Role:

We are seeking a highly analytical and results-driven Data Scientist to join our buy now pay later (BNPL) sector called Flex Pay. You will play a key role in building predictive risk models, optimizing offers and pricing, and extracting insights that drive product development, risk mitigation, and customer strategy. This role requires a strong foundation in statistics, machine learning, and programming.

While this position is ideally based in our San Francisco office on a hybrid basis, we are also open to considering remote candidates.

What You’ll Do:

- Build and maintain credit and fraud policy simulators used to ensure properly functioning systems and identify risk decisioning enhancements.
- Build and deploy statistical models and machine learning algorithms to solve business problems in areas like credit risk, fraud detection, pricing, customer segmentation, and marketing attribution.
- Validate models to identify factors that may affect model performance.
- Analyze large, structured and unstructured datasets using SQL, Python or similar tools.
- Stay up to date with the latest trends and technologies in data science and fintech, actively research new tools and techniques available for model development.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams including risk, marketing, product, and engineering to define data-driven strategies.

What We Look For:

- Advanced Degree (MS/PhD) in Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Finance, or a related quantitative discipline.
- 3-5+ years of hands-on experience in a data science or analytics role, preferably in financial services.
- Experience and/or strong interest in machine learning techniques (Random Forest, Gradient Boosted Trees, etc.) strongly preferred.
- Strong proficiency in Python (Pandas, Numpy, Scikit-learn) and SQL.
- Ability to write documentation and present analysis to people with different levels of expertise (e.g., technical staff, business leads, etc.).
- Proactive, driven, and ability to work in a fast paced environment.

Nice to Have:

- Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI).
- Experience with AI tools such as Claude
- Experience with data technologies like PySpark.
- Understanding of financial services concepts such as credit scoring, portfolio risk, or customer lifetime value.

What We Offer You:

- Competitive salary and stock option plan
- Paid coverage of medical, dental and vision insurance
- Competitive 401(k) and RRSP program
- Flexible PTO
- Opportunities for professional growth and development
- Paid parental leave
- Health & wellness initiatives

The compensation range of this position in San Francisco, CA is USD $100,000-$150,000 annually plus equity and benefits. Within this range, an individual's base pay will be dependent on a variety of factors, including without limitation, job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience.

## About Upgrade

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Upgrade is a neobank offering responsible credit, mobile banking, and payment products including personal loans, credit cards, auto financing, home improvement loans, and high-yield savings.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series G)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2016
- **Founders**: Renaud Laplanche (former founder/CEO of LendingClub)

## Core Business
- Primary industry: Neobanking / Consumer Finance / Fintech
- Target customers: B2C (individual consumers in the U.S. seeking affordable credit, banking, and payment flexibility)
- Mission: “To help our customers move in the right direction with responsible financial products that put more money in their pocket.”

## Products & Services
- **Upgrade Personal Loans**: Fixed-rate installment loans for debt consolidation, home improvement, and major purchases.
- **Upgrade Card**: A hybrid credit card that combines credit card acceptance with installment payment flexibility; recognized as the fastest-growing credit card in the U.S. at launch.
- **Upgrade OneCard™**: A single card offering “Pay Now” (debit-like) and “Pay Later” (installment) options; also available as a secured version for credit-building.
- **Auto Financing**: Indirect auto loans originated through franchise and independent dealerships; surpassed $1 billion in originations by mid-2025.
- **Home Improvement Financing**: Flexible loan programs for contractors and homeowners; surpassed $1 billion in originations by December 2024.
- **Flex Pay** (formerly Uplift): Travel-focused buy now, pay later (BNPL) solution, now rebranded and powering flexible payments for Expedia Group cruise bookings.
- **Premier Savings**: High-yield savings account with competitive APY, no monthly fees, and FDIC/NCUA insurance.
- **Boost Money**: Acquired product offering high-yield savings and secured credit cards.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: $7.3 billion (Series G round, October 2025) [wikipedia.org]
- **Key Metric**: Over $50 billion in credit made available to more than 8 million customers since inception. [upgrade.com]
- **Total Equity Raised**: ~$750 million [wikipedia.org]
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Neuberger Berman (lead Series G), Santander Group, Koch Disruptive Technologies, Coatue Management, DST Global, Ribbit Capital, LuminArx Capital Management. [wikipedia.org]
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Auto loan originations surpassed $1 billion in first ~18 months of indirect lending.
  - Home improvement originations crossed $1 billion by end of 2024.
  - Cruise booking division achieved 23% YoY growth in 2024.
  - Named to CNBC’s World’s Top 250 Fintech Companies (2024, 2025) and USA Today’s Most Trusted Brands in Banking & Financial Services (March 2026). [wikipedia.org]

## Competitive Advantages
- **Hybrid Credit Innovation**: Products like the Upgrade Card and OneCard blur the line between credit cards and installment loans, giving consumers flexibility to avoid revolving debt.
- **Speed of Execution**: Launched several new product lines (auto, home improvement, travel BNPL) in rapid succession and hit billion-dollar milestones within 1–2 years.
- **Deep Industry Experience**: Founded by LendingClub’s former CEO, with a team experienced in marketplace lending and regulatory navigation.
- **Scalable Platform**: Uses a technology-driven, branchless model that keeps costs low and allows fast iteration.

## Strategic Focus
- **Expanding Product Verticals**: Continuing to grow auto, home improvement, and travel (Flex Pay) lending channels.
- **Partnership Growth**: Deepening integrations with major travel platforms (Expedia Group), dealer networks, and contractors.
- **Responsible Credit**: Emphasizing products that help consumers avoid high-interest revolving debt and build credit.
- **Geographic Footprint**: U.S.-focused with remote and regional offices; potential further international expansion via Flex Pay in Canada.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture & Values**: Core values include “We Move Fast,” “We Act as Owners,” “We Help Each Other,” and “We Are Always Learning.” Emphasis on curiosity, continuous improvement, and inclusive team environment. [upgrade.com]
- **Recognition**: Named to Forbes’ America’s Best Startup Employers (2026) and BuiltIn’s Best Places to Work. [upgrade.com]
- **Remote/Hybrid Policy**: Multiple office locations (San Francisco HQ, Atlanta, Phoenix, Montreal, Orange County) and remote-friendly roles (e.g., remote Account Managers, Senior Data Analysts). Not fully remote for all positions, but flexibility exists.
- **Compensation & Benefits**:
  - 100% paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for team members.
  - Competitive salary plus stock options.
  - 401(k) with 4% match, fully vested immediately.
  - Unlimited PTO for salaried positions.
  - Paid parental leave and wellness programs. [upgrade.com]

## Sources
1. [upgrade.com/careers](https://www.upgrade.com/careers/)
2. [greenhouse.io/jobs](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/upgrade)
3. [upgrade.com/about](https://www.upgrade.com/about/)
4. [upgrade.com/careers/benefits](https://www.upgrade.com/careers/benefits/)
5. [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upgrade,_Inc.)

## Other roles at Upgrade

- [Développeur(-euse) Expérience IA (IA conversationnelle)](https://feeny.ai/job/developpeur-euse-experience-ia-ia-conversationnelle-upgrade-canada-1s881ajbee7r) — Canada
- [AI Experience Engineer (Conversational AI)](https://feeny.ai/job/ai-experience-engineer-conversational-ai-upgrade-canada-rx5dwz4yz5pq) — Canada
- [Director, Product Management - Fraud](https://feeny.ai/job/director-product-management-fraud-upgrade-san-francisco-472gr5jwbfy1) — San Francisco, CA
- [Partner Integrations Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/partner-integrations-lead-upgrade-atlanta-2wv9kv18v0ms) — Atlanta, GA / San Francisco, CA
- [Senior Product Manager, Fraud](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-product-manager-fraud-upgrade-san-francisco-ap9vwazvvd4t) — San Francisco, CA
- [Data Analyst II (Ops Analytics Focus)](https://feeny.ai/job/data-analyst-ii-ops-analytics-focus-upgrade-phoenix-73bj6xzneq37) — Phoenix, AZ
- [Dealer Development Manager (Dallas / Fort Worth)](https://feeny.ai/job/dealer-development-manager-dallas-fort-worth-upgrade-united-states-j1szb42839cd) — United States
- [Corporate FP&A Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/corporate-fp-a-manager-upgrade-san-francisco-ymx9byawvwh1) — San Francisco, CA
- [Sales Enablement Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/sales-enablement-specialist-upgrade-atlanta-0se8drw9pc1j) — Atlanta, GA
- [Application Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/application-specialist-upgrade-phoenix-3r1b8czpesc9) — Phoenix, AZ