Head of Data Science - Core Insights
At a glance
Director-level Data Science role at Socure. San Francisco · full-time · $250,000–$300,000 base.
dataroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Set the research agenda, using causal inference and natural experiments to explain fraud patterns and test what drives them
- Mine identity, device, behavioral, and network data to spot fraud rings and emerging attack methods early
- Connect regulatory shifts, economic changes, and industry signals to internal research, models, and product plans
- Turn complex findings into public research, conference talks, regulatory briefings, and customer insights
- Hire and develop researchers and analysts, then work with product, engineering, marketing, and growth on applying their findings
What you bring
- At least ten years applying data science, fraud analytics, risk research, or quantitative economics, with measurable impact at scale
- Proven work in fraud, identity risk, financial crime, or a closely related area
- Strong capability in causal inference, statistical modeling, and modern machine learning for risk or adversarial problems
- A record of public-facing research, conference speaking, regulatory work, or comparable credibility in the field
- Exceptional writing and speaking skills, including the ability to produce rigorous research for external audiences
Who this fits
This director-level role suits a research leader who can combine fraud expertise, rigorous analysis, team development, and public communication. You’ll need to work from San Francisco, New York, Seattle, or Miami; the role cannot provide visa sponsorship.
From the employer
Why Socure?
Socure is building the identity trust infrastructure for the digital economy — verifying 100% of good identities in real time and stopping fraud before it starts. The mission is big, the problems are complex, and the impact is felt by businesses, governments, and millions of people every day.
We hire people who want that level of responsibility. People who move fast, think critically, act like owners, and care deeply about solving customer problems with precision. If you want predictability or narrow scope, this won’t be your place. If you want to help build the future of identity with a team that holds a high bar for itself — keep reading.
About the Role
Socure sits on one of the most consequential datasets in the world — a global identity graph spanning hundreds of millions of identities, incorporating PII, device signals, behavioral telemetry, network relationships, selfie and document images, and a continuous feedback loop of real-world fraud and verification outcomes across thousands of clients. The patterns inside this graph tell the story of how fraud evolves: who the adversaries are, how they adapt, and where they're going next.
We are not looking for someone to report what happened. We are looking for someone who can explain why it happened, predict what comes next, and make that story impossible to ignore — for regulators, customers, boards, and the market. This person will sit directly at the intersection of rigorous research, macroeconomic and regulatory intelligence, and the richest identity dataset in the industry.
What You'll Do
Own the Research Agenda
Bring the rigor of an experienced data scientist with influencer capabilities to fraud — proper identification strategies, causal inference, and natural experiments. Design studies and analytical frameworks that produce findings you can stand behind publicly. Answer questions like: What drove the surge in synthetic identity fraud post-CARES Act? How do adversarial networks respond to model updates? What are the second-order effects of regulatory changes on fraud displacement across verticals?
Turn the Identity Graph Into Intelligence
Work across Socure's global identity graph to surface fraud rings, adversarial coalitions, emerging attack typologies, and behavioral shifts before they become industry crises. Extract insights from the full identity stack: PII, device intelligence, email/phone/network signals, behavioral biometrics, selfie and document images and the longitudinal performance feedback flowing back from Socure's clients.
Bridge the Outside World to Internal Models
Serve as the connective tissue between external signals — regulatory guidance, legislative changes, CFPB and FinCEN trends, macroeconomic shifts that alter fraud incentives, emerging typologies from industry consortia — and Socure's internal research, modeling, and product roadmaps. When a new regulation drops or a fraud pattern surfaces in the press, you already have the data story and the analysis ready.
Tell Stories That Change Minds
You are not a metrics reporter — you are a narrative architect. Transform complex multivariate findings into white papers that get cited, presentations that land at Money20/20, regulatory briefings that shape policy, and customer insights that create competitive advantage. Your audience ranges from a CRO at a top-5 bank to a Congressional staffer to a Socure ML engineer, and you'll adjust the register without losing substance.
Build & Lead a World-Class Team
Recruit, mentor, and develop a team of researchers, data scientists, and analysts who share your appetite for rigor and storytelling. Create a culture where intellectual curiosity, methodological discipline, and external credibility are the standard.
Influence Product, Models & Strategy
Build tight feedback loops with Socure's modeling, product, and engineering organizations so that what you learn in the data becomes new signals, smarter models, better products, and stronger go-to-market positioning.
Represent Socure Externally
Speak at industry conferences, engage regulatory working groups, author market-facing research, and participate in customer and partner forums. Your external credibility is a strategic asset — you invest in it and it compounds for Socure.
Drive Go-to-Market Differentiation
Collaborate with Marketing and Growth to develop research-backed thought leadership that strengthens Socure's brand recognition, supports pipeline generation, and reinforces market leadership. Your insights become a competitive moat.
What You Bring
Research Depth & Rigor. You approach fraud data with proper identification strategies, an appreciation for confounding, a healthy skepticism of naive correlations, and the discipline to distinguish causation from coincidence. Comfortable with statistical analysis, network analysis, and the full toolkit of applied causal inference.
Deep Fraud Domain Expertise. You've spent meaningful time in the trenches — synthetic identity, first-party fraud, account takeover, bust-out rings, AML-adjacent typologies, mule networks, or related domains. You understand the adversarial game theory at play and respect the sophistication of the actors on the other side.
Data Fluency at Scale. You've worked with large-scale identity, behavioral, or transaction datasets. You understand graph structures, feature engineering at the identity level, and the operational realities of productionizing insights. Expertise in Python, SQL, graph analytics, and ML frameworks.
External Credibility & Presence. You have a track record of representing an organization publicly and credibly — major conference appearances, regulatory working groups, authored research the market takes seriously, or a reputation that precedes you in the fraud and identity space.
Executive Communication Without Dumbing It Down. You can write a 2-page brief for a CEO that captures all the important nuances, and go 10 levels deep with a PhD data scientist without losing them.
Regulatory & Macro-Intelligence Fluency. You follow the regulatory environment — CFPB rulemaking, FinCEN guidance, state-level identity legislation, open banking frameworks — and understand how policy changes alter fraud incentives and attack surfaces.
Minimum Qualifications
Advanced degree (MS or PhD strongly preferred) in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics or a related quantitative field
10+ years of applied experience in data science, fraud analytics, risk research, or quantitative economics, with demonstrable impact at scale
Proven expertise in fraud, identity risk, financial crime, or adjacent domains
Strong command of causal inference, statistical modeling, and modern ML/AI techniques applied to adversarial or risk problems
Track record of external thought leadership — publications, conference presentations, regulatory engagement, newsletters, social media influence or equivalent market-facing credibility
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to author compelling, rigorous, market-facing research
Experience leading and developing high-performing technical teams
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with graph-based analytics, identity network modeling, or fraud ring detection using Neo4j, AWS Neptune, or custom graph frameworks
Familiarity with the regulatory landscape governing identity verification, fraud prevention, and consumer financial protection (CFPB, FinCEN, OCC, state AGs)
Experience with document validation, selfie verification, device intelligence, behavioral biometrics, email/phone/IP signals, or browser fingerprinting in a fraud context
Published research or white papers in peer-reviewed journals, industry publications, or prominent market forums
Experience working in or alongside financial services, fintech, credit bureaus, payments networks, and fraud consortia
Exposure to explainable AI, model governance, or adverse action frameworks relevant to consumer-facing decisioning
Reports to: Head of Fraud Insights
Required Location: SF, NY, Seattle, or Miami
Please note that we cannot provide sponsorship now or in the future.
Socure is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity in all its forms within our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
If you need an accommodation during any stage of the application or hiring process—including interview or onboarding support—please reach out to your Socure recruiting partner directly.
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