Senior Data Scientist

At Finastra, we are a dynamic global provider of open finance software solutions, dedicated to expanding access to financial services. Our innovative applications span Lending, Payments, Treasury and Capital Markets, and Universal Banking. Proudly serving over 8,000 customers, including 45 of the world's top 50 banks, we aim to boost financial inclusion for all. Join us and be part of a vibrant company that embraces diverse perspectives, and is committed to doing well by doing good.

What will you contribute?

We are seeking an experienced Senior Data Scientist to join our AI innovation team, with a specialty in developing and deploying production-grade Large Language Model (LLM) systems. The ideal candidate will be at the forefront of artificial intelligence technology, with deep experience across the full lifecycle of LLM applications - from research and development to production deployment and monitoring.

In this role, you will collaborate with cross-functional teams to design, implement, and optimize LLM-based solutions that drive business value across our internal functions and client-facing products. You will be responsible for building robust, scalable AI systems that can perform a wide variety of natural language tasks while maintaining high standards of reliability, efficiency, and ethical AI practices.

Key responsibilities & deliverables:

• Design, develop, and deploy production-grade large language model systems across a wide variety of applications (e.g. RAG, text-to-SQL, specialized agents etc., summarization, etc.)

• Architect and implement agent and multi-agent systems leveraging state-of-the-art LLM frameworks

• Creation of tools and functions to enhance LLM capability

• Establish and maintain model lifecycle management practices, including version control, evaluation metrics, and performance monitoring

• Optimize LLM applications for production environments, balancing performance, cost, and latency requirements

• Perform robust model validation and security assessments of LLM systems

• Collaborate closely with product teams, data engineers, and software engineers to integrate LLM capabilities into products and services

• Lead technical discussions and present complex AI concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders

• Stay current with the rapidly evolving LLM landscape and implement best practices

• Mentor junior data scientists and engineers across the organization in LLM development techniques

Required skills & experience:

• 5+ years of professional experience in data science or machine learning engineering

• Proven experience developing and deploying production-grade large language model systems

• Strong proficiency in Python and related data science/ML libraries

• Experience with LLM frameworks such as LangGraph or similar orchestration tools

• Practical knowledge of prompt engineering, fine-tuning, retrieval-augmented generation, text-to-sql, and other related LLM tasks

• Experience implementing agent and multi-agent systems with LLMs

• Strong knowledge of deploying LLM systems and agents in production environments

• Strong understanding of model lifecycle management and monitoring practices

• Familiarity with cloud environments (e.g. Azure, databricks) and MLOps best practices

• Experience with distributed computing and handling large-scale data processing

• Thorough understanding of security best practices around LLM systems

• Excellent collaboration skills and experience working with cross-functional teams

• Strong knowledge of software development best practices (version control, CI/CD, testing)

• Exceptional leadership, communication, and presentation skills

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or related technical field

Technical Skills:

Aside from Python and SQL, we do not require previous working experience with most of the other skills listed below.

• Programming Languages: Python (required), SQL

• ML/LLM Frameworks: LangChain, LangGraph, Hugging Face Transformers, PyTorch, TensorFlow, or equivalent

• Vector Databases: Pinecone, Weaviate, Milvus, Qdrant, or similar

• Cloud Platforms: Azure, Databricks, AWS, or equivalent

• MLOps Tools: MLflow, Weights & Biases, Kubeflow, or similar

• Development Tools: Git, GitHub/GitLab, CI/CD pipelines

• Data Processing: Pandas, PySpark, Dask, Spark, or equivalent

• Containerization: Docker, Kubernetes

• API Development: FastAPI, Flask, Langgraph Platform

• Monitoring & Observability: Langsmith, Prometheus, Grafana, or similar

#LI-MG1

We are proud to offer a range of incentives to our employees worldwide. These benefits are available to everyone, regardless of grade, and reflect the values we uphold:

·       Flexibility: Enjoy unlimited vacation, based on your location and business priorities. Hybrid working arrangements, and inclusive policies such as paid time off for voting, bereavement, and sick leave.

·       Well-being: Access confidential one-on-one therapy through our Employee Assistance Program, unlimited personalized coaching via our coaching app, and access to our Gather Groups for emotional and mental support.

·       Medical, life & disability insurance, retirement plan, lifestyle and other benefits*

·       ESG: Benefit from paid time off for volunteering and donation matching.

·       DEI: Participate in multiple DE&I groups for open involvement (e.g., Count Me In, Culture@Finastra, Proud@Finastra, Disabilities@Finastra, Women@Finastra).

·       Career Development: Access online learning and accredited courses through our Skills & Career Navigator tool.

·       Recognition: Be part of our global recognition program, Finastra Celebrates, and contribute to regular employee surveys to help shape Finastra and foster a culture where everyone is engaged and empowered to perform at their best.

*Specific benefits may vary by location.

At Finastra, each individual is unique, bringing their own ideas, thoughts, cultural beliefs, backgrounds, and experiences together. We learn from one another, embrace and celebrate our differences, and create an environment where everyone feels safe to be themselves.

Be unique, be exceptional, and help us make a difference at Finastra!