Applied Scientist, Risk Labs

Block is one company built from many blocks, all united by the same purpose of economic empowerment. The blocks that form our foundational teams — People, Finance, Counsel, Hardware, Information Security, Platform Infrastructure Engineering, and more — provide support and guidance at the corporate level. They work across business groups and around the globe, spanning time zones and disciplines to develop inclusive People policies, forecast finances, give legal counsel, safeguard systems, nurture new initiatives, and more. Every challenge creates possibilities, and we need different perspectives to see them all. Bring yours to Block. 

The Role

This role is part of our Block Risk Labs team which sits within our Risk organization. This team's mission is aimed at developing advanced deep learning and reinforcement learning based signals and learned representations for ML models. Our team has the mandate to explore, develop and implement alternatives to traditional feature based ML with SOTA models for solving risk problems.

You Will

• Report to the lead of the Risk Labs Modeling team
• Lead the conception, design, and implementation of large-scale experiments to validate novel ideas rapidly and comprehensively.
• Apply the latest theoretical advancements to enhance existing products, processes, and technologies, ensuring they remain at the forefront of the industry.
• Engage in the creation of experiments, prototyping, and architectural design, contributing to a diverse range of computer science domains such as machine learning, data mining, natural language processing, and performance analysis.
• Contribute to the growth of new initiatives by sharing emerging trends and best practices, fostering a collaborative and innovative environment.
• Take the lead in defining data structures, frameworks, designs, and evaluation metrics for applied research solution development, exhibiting autonomy in decision-making.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners, identifying potential applied research areas and participating in the development of long-term development strategies.
• Conduct experiments aligned with applied research inquiries, employing simulations and prototypes to assess the outcomes of investigations.
• Refine research methodologies, solidifying hypotheses, and contributing to the evolution of applied research practices under minimal supervision.

You Have

• Minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience in full-time professional, data-heavy, and machine learning focused role.
• An advanced degree (PhD preferred) in a quantitative field (computer science, physics, math, etc) with significant experience using and developing machine learning and AI methodologies.
• Proven experience in conducting applied research projects with tangible outcomes.
• A demonstrated history of generating intellectual property within the field. These contributions could take the form of open source software, patents, or refereed publications in venues such as conferences, journals, books, etc.
• Proficiency in machine learning techniques, data mining, experimental design
• Strong programming skills in languages such as Python, TensorFlow, or PyTorch.
• Creative mindset to tackle complex challenges.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and contributing to the applied research community.

Technologies We Use and Teach

• Python
• NumPy, Pandas, sklearn, xgboost,
• TensorFlow, Pytorch, keras, etc
• MySQL, Snowflake,
• GCP/AWS and
• Spark

We're working to build a more inclusive economy where our customers have equal access to opportunity, and we strive to live by these same values in building our workplace. Block is an equal opportunity employer evaluating all employees and job applicants without regard to identity or any legally protected class. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment on our team, and always assess candidates on an individualized basis.

We believe in being fair, and are committed to an inclusive interview experience, including providing reasonable accommodations to disabled applicants throughout the recruitment process. We encourage applicants to share any needed accommodations with their recruiter, who will treat these requests as confidentially as possible. Want to learn more about what we're doing to build a workplace that is fair and square? Check out our I+D page.

Block will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records for employment in accordance with state and local laws and "fair chance" ordinances.