Chief Analytics Officer

Kafene is a leading point-of-sale financing partner dedicated to empowering flexible ownership solutions for underserved customers nationwide. By enabling our retail partners to offer flexible lease-to-own (LTO) purchase options for prime and nonprime consumers, Kafene helps merchants grow their customer base and meet the growing demand for furniture, appliances, electronics, tires, and other durable goods. Utilizing more than 20,000 data inputs in tandem with cutting-edge AI and machine learning technologies, our platform creates a best-in-class experience for both merchants and customers. With over $250 million in sales since inception, we are rapidly growing and looking to expand our team.
We take pride in fostering a dynamic workplace culture that values collaboration, innovation, and mutual support. Our team of 100 is spread between a NYC headquarters, a Wilmington office, and fully remote staff across the country. Last year, we were selected for Built In Startups to Watch and Forbes' Best Startup Employers.
The Data Analytics Team is the driving force behind our data-driven culture at Kafene. We partner closely with Kafene’s Risk, Technology, Sales, and Product teams to deliver valuable insights that drive growth and optimize business processes.
Kafene seeks a Chief Analytics Officer (CAO) who combines business insight with deep analytics expertise. This role will lead Kafene’s analytics strategy, transforming data into a powerful tool for business growth, operational efficiency, and profitability. The successful candidate will be a collaborative and highly analytical leader with a commitment to fostering a data-driven culture across the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement a forward-looking analytics strategy to drive growth, efficiency, and profitability.
• Collaborate closely with executive leadership to prioritize high-impact data initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and continuous performance optimization.
• Cultivate a “how could this be done better?” mindset, fostering a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and strategic prioritization across the analytics function.
• Build and lead a high-performing analytics team, with strong expertise in model-building, experimentation, and advanced analytics.
• Provide training and mentorship to foster continuous learning and develop advanced analytics skills within the team.
• Encourage a balanced approach to big-picture strategy and detailed analysis, empowering the team to tackle initiatives with both depth and flexibility.
• Lead analytics initiatives (e.g., cohort monitoring, marketing analytics, ROI assessments) to deliver actionable insights that inform key business strategies related to volume, performance, and cost.
• Develop and oversee a comprehensive experimentation program to uncover opportunities for increasing revenue, enhancing performance, and reducing costs.
• Develop and implement a pricing strategy and program aimed at optimizing both volume and profitability. 
• Define and implement best practices for data collection, storage, and analysis to support evolving business needs and enable advanced analytics capabilities.
• Identify and deploy advanced analytical techniques and tools to streamline business processes and drive high-value outcomes.
• Partner with various departments (e.g. Sales, Risk, Product, Operations) to understand their analytics needs and deliver tailored solutions.
• Facilitate workshops and training to promote data literacy, empowering teams to make data-driven decisions and embed analytics into everyday workflows.
• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and establish a framework to assess the impact and effectiveness of analytics projects to guide business priorities.
• Monitor and report on the outcomes of analytics projects, offering insights and recommendations to inform strategic direction, portfolio composition, and long-term growth initiatives.
• Effectively communicate findings and insights to stakeholders at all levels, translating complex data into actionable strategies.
• Engage with external partners and vendors to stay ahead of industry developments, adopting best practices and emerging technologies in analytics.

Core Skills and Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Data Science, Business Analytics, Statistics, or a related field; Ph.D. preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in data analytics, with at least 5 years in a leadership role, with a proven track record of driving growth and delivering measurable impact through analytics.
• Proficiency in data analysis tools (e.g., SQL, Python, R), data visualization software (e.g., Tableau, Power BI), and advanced machine learning techniques.
• Strong business acumen and clear analytical thinking, with the ability to quickly understand complex business contexts and recommend impactful solutions.
• Strategic prioritization skills, effectively balancing high-level objectives with operational execution, focused on driving both immediate results and long-term success.
• Proven team leadership with experience building and mentoring high-performing teams (5-10) of data scientists, fostering an environment of intellectual rigor, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, adept at translating complex data insights into clear, actionable information for varied audiences.
• High emotional intelligence (EQ) to provide impactful recommendations while fostering productive, collaborative relationships with stakeholders.
• Investigative and process-oriented, approaching challenges with systematic thinking and a long-range planning mindset.
• Intellectual curiosity and tenacity, driven by a commitment to uncovering data’s full potential to drive performance, profitability, and growth.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Earn a competitive base salary ranging from $325,000 to $350,000.
• Healthcare: We prioritize your well-being by covering 80% of medical, dental, and vision insurance costs, including coverage for your spouse, children, and other dependents.
• Retirement Benefits: Begin planning for your future from day one with our 401k plan.
• Paid Time Off: We understand the importance of work-life balance. That's why we offer flexible paid time off days starting from day one of your employment.
• Subsidized Gym Membership: Stay fit and healthy with our subsidized membership to Equinox gyms.

Kafene is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. If you are applying for a job in the U.S. and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to jobs@kafene.com and let us know the nature of your request and contact information. Please note that only those inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.