Data Science Manager

About this role

About us GoCardless is a global bank payment company. Over 100,000 businesses , from start-ups to household names, use GoCardless to collect and send payments through direct debit, real-time payments and open banking. GoCardless processes US$130bn+ of payments annually, across 30+ countries ; helping customers collect and send both recurring and one-off payments , without the chasing, stress or expensive fees. We use AI-powered solutions to improve payment success and reduce fraud. And, with open banking connectivity to over 2,500 banks , we help our customers make faster, more informed decisions. We are headquartered in the UK with offices in London and Leeds , and additional locations in Australia, France, Ireland, Latvia, Portugal and the United States. At GoCardless, we're all about supporting you ! We’re committed to making our hiring process inclusive and accessible . If you need extra support or adjustments, reach out to your Talent Partner — we’re here to help! And remember: we don’t expect you to meet every single requirement. If you’re excited by this role, we encourage you to apply! The role Data sits at the core of our mission. We leverage bank account data to deliver high-value, intelligent payment solutions for our customers, from enhancing payment success rates to driving payer fraud prevention. As a Data Science Manager within our Payment Intelligence team, you’ll partner with Software Engineers, Product Managers, and Designers to turn big ideas into reality. You’ll own the full lifecycle of our algorithms, shaping everything from the initial concept to production-ready code that powers our global payment network. At GoCardless, our stack is centered around Google Cloud Platform and Vertex AI, providing a high-performance environment for innovation. Our Data Scientists operate at the intersection of Python, SQL, and BigQuery to build and deploy high-performance models at scale. What you’ll do • Manage and mentor a high-performing team of Data Scientists, fostering a culture of technical excellence and supporting their long-term career development. • Oversee the end-to-end lifecycle of mission-critical ML models that power real-time payment decisions. • Shape the strategic roadmap for the Payment Intelligence space, translating complex data challenges into actionable, high-impact goals. • Drive cross-functional impact by working closely across disciplines to build end-to-end technical solutions, from concept to production. • Influence Senior Leadership by acting as the bridge between technical complexity and business value, communicating ML strategy to senior stakeholders. What excites you • Driving cutting-edge advancements in Data, AI, and Machine Learning within the payments space with a multidisciplinary team. • Mentoring a high-performing team and fostering a culture of technical excellence. • Solving the complex, real-time challenges of fraud prevention and payment optimisation at scale. • Building production-grade ML models on a streamlined GCP and Vertex AI stack to drive fintech innovation. What excites us • 2+ years managing Data Scientists within complex, high-stakes domains. • A hands-on leader comfortable diving into the codebase. You bring strong expertise in Python and SQL to oversee the full lifecycle of a model, from initial prototype to robust production deployment. • A decisive collaborator who can navigate technical trade-offs and translate complex ML concepts for cross-functional stakeholders and leadership. • Familiarity with complex data environments and model architectures, such as deep learning (experience in Fintech, Fraud Prevention, or Payments is a big plus). Base salary range: £99,200 - £148,800 Base salary ranges are based on role, job level, location, and market data. Please note that whilst we strive to offer competitive compensation, our approach is to pay between the minimum and the mid-point of the pay range until performance can be assessed in role. Offers will take into account level of experience, interview assessment, budgets and parity between you and fellow employees at GoCardless doing similar work. (some of) The good stuff • Wellbeing - stay healthy with dedicated support and medical cover • Work away scheme - gives you the option to work away from your country of residence for up to 90 days in any 12 month period • Adaptive Working - allows you to work flexibly, around your lifestyle • Parental leave - to suit everyone embarking on life's great adventure • Learning Budget - lead your own development with an annual learning budget • Time off - generous holiday allowance, + 3 annual volunteer days, + 4 annual business-wide wellness days (‘GC Fridays’) Life at GoCardless We're an organisation defined by our values ; We start with why before we begin any project, to ensure it’s aligned with our mission. We act with integrity , always. We care deeply about what we do and we know it's essential that we be humble whilst we do it. Working this way creates the GC magic- the reason we all love showing up to work. Diversity & Inclusion As of April 2025, we had 806 employees (GeeCees) globally, with 524 based in the UK, 163 based in Latvia and 119 across our other offices. To ensure that we're representative of the world around us - and to be able to review relevant benchmarks - we ask GeeCees to voluntarily disclose diversity data. This year, the proportion of GeeCees providing data increased to 88% (up from 79% in 2024). With regards to diversity within GoCardless, we can see GeeCees identifying as: Asian, Black, Mixed or Other — 25% Neurodiverse — 9% LGBTQIA+ — 9% Disabled — 1% Average age — 33 Female — 45% Male — 55% We’re rooting for you during your application and GoCardless aims to provide reasonable adjustments to make our recruitment process as remarkable and accessible as we can. Please speak to your Talent Partner if you need extra support. If you want to learn more, you can read about our Employee Resource Groups and objectives here Sustainability We’re committed to reducing our impact on the environment, leaving a more sustainable world for future generations. Check out our sustainability action plan here. Find out more about Life at GoCardless via Twitter , Instagram and LinkedIn .