Principal Technical Data/ML Product Owner (Consumer & Financial Identity)

Esusu was founded in 2018 to include everyone on the journey from financial identity and stability toward financial wellness that leads to wealth building. Our mission is to dismantle barriers to housing for working families. We aim to make the impossible possible for millions of Americans who are credit invisible, with no credit history in any of the national consumer reporting agencies. We work with renters and property managers to report on time rental payment data to national consumer reporting agencies as a way to establish and fill gaps in renters’ credit reports. We also offer services focused on financial support and well-being and provide access to rent relief through charitable partnerships.

The Challenge

We are seeking a Principal Technical Data/ML Product Owner to drive the development of AI/ML-powered consumer products that enhance financial identity, inclusion, and decision-making. This role is pivotal in shaping how data and machine learning improve consumer financial health, risk assessment, and credit-building opportunities.

As a senior leader, you will work at the intersection of data science, AI/ML, consumer finance, and financial identity, ensuring Esusu delivers impactful and responsible AI-driven solutions. You will define the strategy, roadmap, and execution for ML-enabled consumer products, balancing user needs, business growth, and regulatory compliance. In addition, you will own Esusu’s data strategy, pipelines, and solutions. 

Key Responsibilities

Data Strategy and Infrastructure

• Build scalable data solutions to support Esusu’s entire product and data suite
• Own data definitions, and build a data dictionary for internal and external use
• Define the requirements for data pipelines, data flows, and data ETLs/ELTs
• Evangelize data analytics and understanding throughout the organization 

Product Strategy & Roadmap

• Define and execute a data and AI-driven product strategy that enhances financial identity and inclusion.
• Prioritize ML-powered features such as risk scoring, credit-building insights, predictive analytics, and personalized financial recommendations.
• Ensure AI/ML models align with consumer behavior, financial regulations, and business impact metrics.
• Advocate for responsible AI, ensuring transparency, fairness, and explainability in financial identity decisions.

AI & ML-Driven Consumer Product Development

• Define product requirements for AI/ML models powering credit-building, rent reporting, financial recommendations, and risk assessment.
• Partner with data scientists and ML engineers to deploy models that drive real-time decision-making and personalized user experiences.
• Oversee the model lifecycle, ensuring robust data pipelines, feature engineering, and real-time ML inference.
• Optimize model performance through A/B testing, model retraining, and explainability frameworks.

Financial Data & Consumer Insights

• Leverage alternative data sources (e.g., rent payments, utilities, and non-traditional financial behaviors) to enhance consumer financial identity.
• Develop frameworks for AI-powered financial literacy tools, personalized savings plans, and fraud detection models.
• Collaborate with credit bureaus, financial institutions, and regulatory bodies to drive AI adoption in financial services.

Cross-functional Leadership

• Work closely with engineering, data science, compliance, legal, and marketing teams to launch AI-powered consumer products.
• Lead cross-functional discussions to ensure AI models comply with, CCPA, FCRA, ECOA, and other regulatory standards.
• Influence executive stakeholders on AI/ML investments and strategic data initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years in product management, data science, or ML-driven product development.
• Strong technical background in machine learning, data engineering, and AI-powered consumer products.
• Experience with financial identity products, alternative credit scoring, or fintech AI applications.
• Proficiency in writing and developing production code in SQL and Python in ML platforms (TensorFlow, PyTorch, AWS SageMaker, AWS Bedrock, Snowflake, ).
• Writing SQL and Python code is expected on a regular basis
• Deep knowledge of financial data regulations (FCRA, ECOA, Fair Lending, CCPA).
• Proven ability to define, execute, and scale AI/ML-powered consumer experiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in fintech, insurtech, or consumer financial services.
• Expertise in MLOps best practices, real-time AI models, and financial data privacy.
• Experience leading cross-functional AI teams in a high-growth environment.

Benefits

• Competitive Salary - for Series B startup -  $220,000 - $250,000 (L7)
• Restricted Stock Units (RSU) 
• 401(k) Plan
• Full Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Commuter Benefits
• Paid Parental Leave 
• Remote Work Environment – 100% virtual
• Flexible PTO Policy
• Mission driven company with strong culture

This job is eligible only for the following states: California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Georgia, New York, Illinois and Washington