Senior Staff Marketing Data Scientist, AI Enablement

The role:

We are seeking a Senior Manager, Modeling & AI Enablement to lead the Modeling and AI Enablement function within Marketing Data Science (MDS). This role is a critical leadership position responsible for building model-driven competitive advantage and accelerating enterprise AI adoption across Marketing, Strategy, and Decision Sciences..

You will set the vision and execution roadmap for AI-enabled modeling, automation, and decisioning—while developing leaders and systems that empower every MDS lead and practitioner to effectively adopt and scale AI.

This role blends people leadership, technical strategy, and cross-functional influence, partnering closely with Engineering, Marketing Technology, Risk, Governance, and Executive stakeholders.

What you’ll do:

• Own the modeling and AI enablement strategy for MDS, aligning with SoFi’s broader AI, marketing, and growth priorities.
• Define and deliver a multi-year roadmap for predictive, generative, and decisioning models that drive measurable business impact.
• Identify and incubate next-generation AI capabilities (LLMs, agent-based workflows, automation frameworks) that create durable competitive advantage.

• Lead the development of AI-powered tools, frameworks, and platforms that scale productivity for data scientists, analysts, and marketers.
• Oversee the build and deployment of internal LLM applications, model-assisted analytics, intelligent experimentation tools, and automated reporting solutions.
• Partner with Data Engineering and Marketing Technology to ensure AI solutions are production-grade, scalable, and well-integrated into existing ecosystems.

• Guide the design, deployment, and monitoring of predictive and optimization models across acquisition, lifecycle, personalization, and measurement.
• Ensure modeling best practices across experimentation, causal inference, and performance measurement.
• Establish robust model evaluation, monitoring, and lifecycle management standards.

• Serve as a senior point of contact for AI governance, working with MRM, Fair Lending, Privacy, Cybersecurity, and the AI Committee.
• Drive responsible AI adoption through standardized documentation, validation, and compliance workflows.
• Ensure models and AI systems meet regulatory, ethical, and risk management standards.

• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing team of data scientists and AI practitioners.
• Elevate the AI maturity of the broader MSD organization through enablement sessions, playbooks, and hands-on guidance.
• Act as a trusted advisor to MSD and Marketing leaders, translating complex AI capabilities into clear business value.

What you’ll need:

• 10+ years of experience in data science, machine learning, or applied AI, ideally in marketing, fintech, or consumer tech; and with at least 2+ years of experience of managing/leading people
• Strong proficiency in Python, SQL, and ML frameworks (scikit-learn, PyTorch, TensorFlow).
• Experience with LLMs, prompt engineering, and AI application development in enterprise settings.
• Proven record of building scalable, automated data systems or AI-enabled applications for marketing or analytics teams.
• Familiarity with ML governance, model monitoring, and compliance frameworks (MRM, Fair Lending, etc.) is a plus.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills — able to translate technical work into business impact.
• Intellectual curiosity and aptitude to pick up new technical skills 
• Ability to initiate and drive projects to completion with minimal guidance 
• High EQ with ability to influence outcomes and communicate technical content to general audiences
• Ability to work in a dynamic, cross-functional environment, with strong attention to detail
• Strong relationship building and collaborative skills