Data Scientist / Sr Data Scientist
Aplazo · Mexico City Metropolitan Area
- Hybrid
- Full-time
- MX$800,000 / year
- Mexico City Metropolitan Area
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Job highlights
- Wide-ranging Data Scientist role at Aplazo.
- Develop models for credit, growth, and AI.
- Work with autonomy on end-to-end projects.
- Utilize LLMs/GenAI in daily workflow.
- Directly impact business outcomes in fintech.
About the role
About Aplazo
Aplazo is Mexico's leading BNPL platform, built for a market where 40% of users have no credit history and traditional credit checks simply don't work. We operate at the intersection of financial inclusion and technology, enabling millions of Mexicans to make fractionated payments online and in-store without a credit card. We've cracked alternative data lending at scale, achieving the lowest default rates in LATAM while growing rapidly. With $110 million raised across Series A+ and Series B, we are well-capitalised and growing across every vertical.
Data Science at Aplazo is deeply embedded in how the business runs, not a separate function that hands off work downstream. The team works closely with Credit, Fraud, Collections, Growth and Product to build and own models that run in production and directly shape business decisions.
The Role
Most data science roles ask you to go deep in one domain. This one asks you to go wide, and still be excellent.
As a Senior Data Scientist, you'll work across Credit Risk, Growth, and AI initiatives based on where the team needs the most leverage at any given time. Some quarters that means contributing to a fraud model. Others it means owning a personalization or growth experiment end-to-end. You'll be expected to ramp quickly, work with high autonomy, and deliver without needing a fully paved path.
This role is critical to how we scale, it creates the flexibility and redundancy the team needs to execute across a wide roadmap without breaking.
What You'll Own
- Contribute across Credit Risk (underwriting, fraud, collections), Growth (personalization, recommendations, incentivization), and AI initiatives based on team priorities
- Own projects end-to-end within your assigned domain, data, modeling, deployment, and post-launch monitoring
- Develop deep familiarity across multiple domains and systems, enabling the team to move faster and maintain continuity as we scale
- Drive research and exploration workstreams, evaluating new modeling approaches, alternative data sources, and tooling that keeps Aplazo ahead of the curve
- Collaborate closely with Lead and Staff Data Scientists to deliver on the broader roadmap
- Identify and flag opportunities for improvement across domains, you'll often be the person with the broadest view of what's working and what isn't
What We're Looking For
Must-haves
- 4–8 years of experience across more than one data science domain, Risk, Growth, Personalization, or similar
- Strong ML fundamentals, you can pick the right tool for the problem rather than defaulting to what you know best
- Demonstrated ability to ramp quickly on unfamiliar problems and deliver with limited guidance
- Proficiency in Python, SQL, and standard ML frameworks
- Hands-on experience with LLMs / GenAI as part of your regular workflow
- Production experience, you've taken models past the notebook stage
Strong Plus
- Fintech or BNPL background, familiarity with credit risk or fraud modeling concepts
- Experience with experimentation frameworks and A/B testing at scale
- Exposure to MLOps practices, feature pipelines, model monitoring, deployment
- Publications or presentations in recognized Machine Learning and Data Science journals / conferences
AI-First, Not AI-Curious
Aplazo operates as an AI-first company, AI is embedded in how we build, not bolted on. We're looking for someone who has genuinely changed how they work because of AI, using it to move faster, explore more, and reduce time spent on low-value tasks. Breadth is a strength in this role, and AI tooling is a big part of how you maintain quality across multiple domains.
What This Is Not
The best person for this role is someone who brings genuine curiosity across domains and takes ownership without needing a fully defined problem. You'll work with a high degree of autonomy, and the breadth of your contribution will matter as much as the depth.
Why This Role
- Rare opportunity to build breadth across Risk, Growth, and AI at a company where all three domains actually matter
- Small, senior team, you'll work alongside and learn from some of the strongest DS practitioners in fintech
- Direct impact on business outcomes, no layers, no hand-offs
- Strong foundation for a future specialist or lead role as the team scales
Personal data collected during the recruitment process will be processed in accordance with the Privacy Notice of Aplaz, S.A. de C.V. (“Aplazo”), available at our Privacy and Policy Notice.
Aplazo does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, skin color, sex, gender, age, ethnic or national origin, marital status, disability, social or economic status, sexual preferences, or any other condition or characteristic. Selection is based solely on the qualifications and merits of the candidates.
Key skills/competency
- Data Science
- Machine Learning
- Python
- SQL
- LLMs/GenAI
- Credit Risk
- Growth Hacking
- A/B Testing
- MLOps
- Fintech
Skills & topics
- Data Scientist
- Machine Learning
- Python
- SQL
- LLM
- GenAI
- Credit Risk
- Growth
- Personalization
- Fintech
- BNPL
- Fraud Detection
- A/B Testing
- MLOps
- Data Modeling
- Production ML
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight your 4-8 years of experience across multiple data science domains like Risk, Growth, and Personalization, emphasizing ML fundamentals and production experience.
- Showcase AI proficiency: Clearly demonstrate hands-on experience with LLMs/GenAI and how you've used AI to improve efficiency and outcomes in previous roles.
- Emphasize autonomy and breadth: Detail projects where you've worked with limited guidance and successfully owned initiatives end-to-end, showcasing your ability to contribute across diverse areas.
- Quantify impact: Use data-driven examples to illustrate the direct business impact of your models and experiments, especially within a fintech or BNPL context.
- Prepare for technical and behavioral questions: Be ready to discuss your ML approach, production experience, and how you handle ambiguity and take ownership.
Technical preparation
Behavioral questions
Frequently asked questions
- What is Aplazo's approach to AI in data science?
- Aplazo is an AI-first company, meaning AI is integral to their operations and product development, not an afterthought. They seek Data Scientists who actively leverage AI tools to enhance speed, exploration, and efficiency across multiple domains.
- What makes the Data Scientist role at Aplazo unique?
- This Data Scientist role at Aplazo emphasizes breadth over depth, requiring contributions across Credit Risk, Growth, and AI initiatives. It offers high autonomy and direct impact on business outcomes, differing from roles focused on a single domain.
- What kind of experience is crucial for this Data Scientist position?
- The role requires 4-8 years of data science experience across multiple domains (Risk, Growth, Personalization), strong ML fundamentals, Python/SQL proficiency, LLM/GenAI experience, and proven production model deployment.
- How does Aplazo foster professional growth for its Data Scientists?
- The role offers a strong foundation for future specialization or leadership as the team scales. Working within a small, senior team alongside experienced practitioners in fintech provides significant learning opportunities and direct impact.
- Is experience in Fintech or BNPL required for the Data Scientist role?
- While not strictly required, a Fintech or BNPL background, especially familiarity with credit risk or fraud modeling concepts, is a strong plus for this Data Scientist position at Aplazo.
- What is the expected work environment for a Data Scientist at Aplazo?
- The Data Scientist role at Aplazo is characterized by high autonomy and the expectation to deliver with limited guidance. Team members work closely with business stakeholders to shape decisions and own models in production.
- How does Aplazo ensure diversity and equal opportunity in hiring?
- Aplazo is committed to non-discrimination, stating that selection is based solely on qualifications and merits. They do not discriminate based on race, religion, sex, gender, age, national origin, disability, or other protected characteristics.