Director of Data Science (AI)

Location: San Francisco, United States; full-time, based in San Francisco

Salary: $300K–$320K base pay annually, plus potential equity and bonus

Company

Airwallex provides an AI-native financial operating system and global payments infrastructure for businesses and financial product builders.

What you will do

• Advise the CEO, CFO, and regional business leaders by translating complex data into actionable business strategies.
• Own the global forecasting engine, including statistical models that combine top-down and bottom-up forecasts for planning and capital allocation.
• Lead causal inference frameworks to measure the impact of macroeconomic changes and internal interventions.
• Define the Generative AI and machine learning roadmap for automated insights, operational efficiency, and proprietary data products.
• Scale and lead a team of data scientists and engineers, covering hiring, performance management, and technical excellence.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in data science, analytics, quantitative strategy, or applied machine learning, including 5+ years leading technical teams.
• Advanced experience with causal inference, time-series forecasting, and production machine learning models.
• Expert proficiency in SQL and Python or R, with experience using modern data stacks such as Airflow, Databricks, dbt, and Snowflake.
• Experience working directly with C-suite or VP-level executives to influence corporate strategy through data.
• Experience productionizing Generative AI applications or agentic workflows for business intelligence and reporting.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a quantitative discipline, or equivalent practical experience.

Nice to have

• Advanced degree in econometrics, statistics, machine learning, or another highly quantitative field.
• Experience in fintech, global payments, or high-growth B2B SaaS.
• Experience in a CEO Office or corporate strategy function.
• Familiarity with global macroeconomic indicators and cross-border transaction data.

Culture & Benefits

• Fast-scaling environment emphasizing founder-level ownership, curiosity, good judgment, and first-principles thinking.
• US-based employees may receive medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k), disability and life insurance, and well-being benefits.
• US-based employees receive 20 paid vacation days and 12 company holidays annually.
• Additional compensation may include equity, annual bonuses, commissions, or RSUs.