Team Lead (f/m/d) Data Science

Lead a team of three Data Scientists building the reinforcement-learning engine behind PAIR Finance's AI-driven debt collection platform. You'll own our decisioning models end to end and work directly with our Director of AI & Data Science to shape where the product goes next.

About PAIR Finance

We're rethinking debt collection with AI. Our models combine machine learning and behavioural science to reach defaulting consumers individually, without straining the relationship, and to lift repayment rates across the process. Backed by Pollen Street and partners including Zalando Payments, we're an international team of 30+ nationalities scaling a genuinely technical product in a space most people assume isn't.

What you'll do

• Lead and mentor a team of three Data Scientists, with technical guidance and day-to-day support
• Own the development of our reinforcement-learning-driven decisioning product, which drives our outbound communication
• Improve our portfolio valuation models, working closely with Finance as the key stakeholder
• Scope and solve complex, ambiguous problems with stakeholders across Behavioural Science, Tech, Finance, Collection and Market
• Report directly to our Director of AI & Data Science
• Bring in new tools and techniques where they genuinely move the product forward

What you bring

• 6+ years as a Data Scientist, ideally in a startup or fintech
• First leadership experience in a fast-moving environment
• Strong Python skills, with hands-on experience in Pandas, NumPy, and ML frameworks such as PyTorch, scikit-learn or transformers
• Solid grasp of relational databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL)
• A track record of shipping ML that solved real business problems, not just research

Nice to have

• Experience with Reinforcement Learning
• Familiarity with Flask or FastAPI
• Experience with AWS or similar cloud infrastructure
• Comfort with agile practices: TDD/BDD, CI, code review

What we offer

• Unlimited contract, flexible hours, 28 vacation days
• Personal learning & development budget, German and English language courses
• Company pension plan, subsidised Deutschlandticket, Corporate Benefits platform
• Modern Berlin office near U-Bahnhof Uhlandstraße, hybrid working policy

Questions? Reach us at [email protected]. We look forward to your application.