Director of Data Science

About Airwallex Airwallex is the only unified payments and financial platform for global businesses. Powered by our unique combination of proprietary infrastructure and software, we empower over 250,000 businesses worldwide – including Brex, Navan, Qantas, SHEIN and many more – with fully integrated solutions to manage everything from business accounts, payments, spend management and treasury, to embedded finance at a global scale. Proudly founded in Melbourne, we have a team of over 2,300 of the brightest and most innovative people in tech across 27 offices around the globe. Valued at US$11 billion and backed by world-leading investors including T. Rowe Price, Visa, Mastercard, Robinhood Ventures, Sequoia, Salesforce Ventures, DST Global, and Lone Pine Capital, Airwallex is leading the charge in building the global payments and financial platform of the future. If you’re ready to do the most ambitious work of your career, join us. Attributes We Value We hire successful builders with founder-like energy who want real impact, accelerated learning, and true ownership. You bring strong role-related expertise and sharp thinking, and you’re motivated by our mission and operating principles . You move fast with good judgment, dig deep with curiosity, and make decisions from first principles, balancing speed and rigor. You're humble and collaborative; turn zero‑to‑one ideas into real products, and you “get stuff done” end-to-end. You use AI to work smarter and solve problems faster. Here, you’ll tackle complex, high‑visibility problems with exceptional teammates and grow your career as we build the future of global banking. If that sounds like you, let’s build what’s next. About the team We’re looking for a Director of AI Analytics & CEO Office to lead to provides Airwallex’s Leadership with the data, tooling, and insights needed to amplify our rapid global growth. This team is the primary data advisor to the CEO and CFO, responsible for the models and insights that dictate where Airwallex places its biggest bets. While the Growth DS team focuses on acquisition and conversion, your team focuses on the "Big Picture"—macro impact, long-range forecasting, and building the AI-driven "source of truth" for our global leadership. This is a full-time role based in San Francisco . Responsibilities: Executive Advisory: Act as a strategic partner for the CEO, CFO, and Regional Business Leads, translating complex data landscapes into actionable business strategies. Strategic Forecasting & Planning: Own Airwallex’s global forecasting engine. You will oversee the development of sophisticated statistical models and tools that aggregate top-down and bottom-up forecasts to drive annual planning and capital allocation. Macro & Causal Analysis: Lead the development of causal inference frameworks to quantify the impact of macroeconomic shifts and internal interventions on our global ecosystem. AI Strategy: Drive the roadmap for leveraging Generative AI and Machine Learning to automate insights, optimize business efficiency, and create proprietary data products. Team Leadership: Scale and lead a world-class team of data scientists and engineers. You will be responsible for talent acquisition, performance management, and cultivating an environment of technical excellence and proactive critical thinking. Who You Are Experienced Growth Leader: 10+ years in data science, analytics, or applied ML, including 5+ years leading teams at scale in top-tier tech, fintech, or growth-driven businesses. Technical: You have deep expertise in causal inference, time-series forecasting, and applied ML, and you aren't afraid to get into the weeds of a Databricks notebook or a dbt model.Expert -level proficiency in SQL and Python/R, with experience overseeing modern data stacks (Airflow, Databricks, dbt, Snowflake). Strategic Operator: Comfortable navigating business trade-offs, prioritizing initiatives for outsized growth impact. Builder Mindset: Thrives in fast-scaling environments with high ambiguity and is excited to build teams, systems, and best practices from the ground up. Influencer: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with the ability to influence executive-level stakeholders and translate complex model results into actionable business insights. Minimum qualifications: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a quantitative field (e.g., Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Economics, Engineering) or equivalent practical experience. 10+ years of experience in data analytics, data science, or quantitative strategy, with at least 5 years managing high-performing technical teams. Demonstrated experience working directly with executive leadership (C-suite/VP level) to influence corporate strategy using data. Hands-on experience building and deploying advanced forecasting, causal inference, or machine learning models in a production environment. Proficiency with modern data stack tools (SQL, Python, and cloud data warehouses like Snowflake or Databricks). Proven track record of productionalizing Generative AI applications or agentic workflows to automate business intelligence and reporting. Preferred qualifications: Master or advanced degree in a highly quantitative discipline (e.g., Econometrics, Statistics, Machine Learning). Experience working in Fintech, global payments, or high-growth B2B SaaS environments. Experience operating within a "CEO Office" or corporate strategy function, balancing deep technical execution with high-level business acumen. Familiarity with global macroeconomic indicators and their impact on cross-border transactional data. Applicant Safety Policy: Fraud and Third-Party Recruiters To protect you from recruitment scams, please be aware that Airwallex will not ask for bank details, sensitive ID numbers (i.e. passport), or any form of payment during the application or interview process. All official communication will come from an @ airwallex.com email address. Please apply only through careers.airwallex.com or our official LinkedIn page. Airwallex does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms/recruiters. Airwallex will not pay any fees to search firms/recruiters if a candidate is submitted by a search firm/recruiter unless an agreement has been entered into with respect to specific open position(s). Search firms/recruiters submitting resumes to Airwallex on an unsolicited basis shall be deemed to accept this condition, regardless of any other provision to the contrary. Equal opportunity Airwallex is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and anyone seeking employment at Airwallex is considered based on merit, qualifications, competence and talent. We don’t regard color, religion, race, national origin, sexual orientation, ancestry, citizenship, sex, marital or family status, disability, gender, or any other legally protected status when making our hiring decisions. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.