Chief Data Officer
Trustly · New York, NY
- On site
- Full-time
- $250,000 / year
- New York, NY
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Job highlights
- Lead global data strategy and platform development.
- Drive analytics, ML, and AI initiatives.
- Build and manage high-performing data teams.
- Partner with C-suite for data-driven decisions.
- Shape future of payments through data innovation.
About the role
About Trustly
At Trustly, we're building a smarter, faster, and more secure financial future by revolutionizing the world of payments. As a global leader in Open Banking Payments, we are establishing Pay by Bank as the new standard at checkout, providing unparalleled freedom, speed, and ease to millions of consumers and merchants worldwide. Our Ambition: To build the world’s most disruptive payment network and redefine what the payment experience should feel like. Trustly is a global team of innovators, collaborators, and doers. If you are driven by a strong sense of purpose and thrive in a dynamic, entrepreneurial, and high-growth environment, join us and be part of a team that’s transforming the way the world pays.About the team
The Data team at Trustly is the backbone of our decision-making and product innovation. We are a global, multidisciplinary collective of Software Engineers, Data Engineers, Machine Learning Specialists, Scientists, and Analysts who believe that data is more than just rows and columns - it is the fuel for a more transparent financial ecosystem. We operate at the intersection of high-scale engineering and deep financial intelligence. Our team processes millions of transactions in real time, turning complex Open Banking signals into seamless payment experiences. We pride ourselves on a culture of intellectual curiosity, technical excellence, and extreme ownership.About the role
Reporting directly to the Global CTO, the Chief Data Officer (CDO) will serve as Trustly’s most senior data executive, responsible for the strategy, architecture, and execution of the company’s global data program. This is a broad, high-impact mandate: you will own the data platform that underpins our products and operations, the datasets that drive business decisions, the analytics capabilities that serve our internal and external stakeholders, and the machine learning and artificial intelligence initiatives that will define Trustly’s competitive edge in the years ahead. You will be a key member of the extended C-suite, partnering with the CTO, CPO, CFO, and business leaders across the company to turn data into product, revenue, and risk advantage. You will set the vision for how Trustly thinks about data as a first-class asset, while building and leading the engineering, science, and analytics teams to deliver on that vision at scale.What you’ll do
Global Data Platform & Infrastructure
- Define and execute the strategy for Trustly’s global data platform, including data lakehouse architecture, streaming and batch pipelines, data cataloging, observability, and correctness
- Own the end-to-end data engineering function, ensuring reliable, scalable, and cost-efficient data infrastructure that serves product, analytics, risk, and compliance use cases across all geographies
- Drive the evolution of Trustly’s data stack, making deliberate build-vs.-buy decisions and managing a best-in-class ecosystem of data tools and vendors
- Establish and enforce data standards, taxonomy, and governance frameworks that enable self-service access without sacrificing data quality or integrity
- Partner with Engineering and Infrastructure teams to ensure the data platform meets the availability, security, and regulatory requirements of a globally operating payments company
Data Strategy & Key Datasets
- Identify, develop, and steward Trustly’s highest-value proprietary datasets, including transaction-level payment data, bank account intelligence, consumer behavioral signals, and merchant performance data
- Define a long-term data strategy that turns Trustly’s unique data assets into durable competitive advantages - for risk management, product differentiation, and potential new revenue streams
- Oversee data governance, data lineage, and master data management programs, ensuring a single source of truth across the organization
- Champion data quality and reliability as foundational standards, implementing frameworks that ensure confidence in data used for business-critical decisions
- Collaborate with Legal, Compliance, and Privacy teams to ensure responsible and lawful use of data across all jurisdictions, including under GDPR, CCPA, and relevant open banking data regulations
Analytics & Business Intelligence
- Build and lead a world-class analytics function that delivers actionable insight to business stakeholders across Product, Finance, Risk, Operations, Sales, and the C-suite
- Establish a self-service analytics culture, enabling non-technical teams to access, explore, and act on data confidently and safely
- Own the development of key performance metrics, executive dashboards, and board-level reporting, ensuring data is accessible, accurate, and impactful at every level of the organization
- Partner with merchant-facing teams to develop external analytics products and insights that deepen Trustly’s value proposition with key partners and enterprise clients
Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence
- Lead Trustly’s machine learning and AI program, setting the technical vision and organizational structure for applied ML across fraud detection, risk scoring, payment success optimization, personalization, and operational automation
- Build and grow a team of machine learning engineers and data scientists, establishing rigorous practices for model development, validation, deployment, and monitoring
- Drive the responsible adoption of generative AI and large language models where they can create meaningful productivity or product value, with appropriate governance and oversight
- Define and maintain Trustly’s AI ethics and model risk management framework, ensuring fairness, explainability, and regulatory compliance across all deployed models
- Stay current with the rapidly evolving AI/ML landscape and translate emerging capabilities into concrete business opportunities for Trustly
Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership
- Recruit, develop, and lead a high-performing, global team of data engineers, analytics engineers, data scientists, ML engineers, and BI analysts
- Foster a data-driven culture across Trustly, partnering with senior leaders to raise the overall level of data literacy and analytical rigor in decision-making
- Represent Trustly’s data capabilities externally with partners, regulators, and the broader industry, where relevant
- Contribute to the broader technology leadership team, collaborating with the CTO and peer executives on cross-cutting strategy and resource allocation
Who you are
- 15+ years of progressive experience in data engineering, data science, analytics, or a closely related technical discipline, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role
- Demonstrated success building and scaling data platforms and teams in high-growth, data-intensive technology or financial services environments
- Deep expertise in modern data architecture: cloud data warehouses (Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift), data lakes, streaming platforms (Kafka, Flink), and orchestration frameworks
- Hands-on understanding of machine learning and AI methodologies, with experience overseeing applied ML programs in production at scale
- Strong command of data governance, data quality, and regulatory compliance requirements relevant to financial services and global data privacy law (GDPR, CCPA)
- Track record of translating complex data strategy into business outcomes, with the communication skills to influence C-suite and Board-level audiences
- Experience managing geographically distributed, cross-functional data teams in a global organization
- Prior CDO, VP of Data, or equivalent executive title at a technology company, payments platform, or regulated fintech
- Experience in payments, open banking, financial services, or another highly regulated, data-rich industry
- Familiarity with transaction-level payment data, fraud modeling, credit risk scoring, or consumer behavioral analytics in a financial context
- Proven experience building or scaling ML platforms and MLOps infrastructure for production model deployment and monitoring
- Experience with generative AI and large language model deployment in an enterprise context
- Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent practical experience
- Experience with pre-IPO data program build-out and supporting data-related due diligence
Key skills/competency
- Data Strategy
- Data Platform Architecture
- Machine Learning & AI
- Data Governance
- Analytics & BI
- Team Leadership
- Financial Services Data
- Open Banking Payments
- Cloud Data Warehousing
- Regulatory Compliance
Skills & topics
- Chief Data Officer
- Data Strategy
- Data Platform
- Machine Learning
- Artificial Intelligence
- Analytics
- Business Intelligence
- Data Governance
- Fintech
- Open Banking
- Payments
- Leadership
- Cloud Data Warehouse
- Data Engineering
- Data Science
- Snowflake
- BigQuery
- Redshift
- Kafka
- Flink
- GDPR
- CCPA
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight 15+ years of data leadership and financial services experience. Emphasize scaling data platforms and teams.
- Showcase strategic impact: Detail your success in translating data strategy into business outcomes and competitive advantages. Quantify achievements where possible.
- Demonstrate technical depth: Mention expertise in cloud data warehouses, streaming platforms, ML/AI methodologies, and regulatory compliance (GDPR, CCPA).
- Highlight leadership: Provide examples of managing global, cross-functional data teams and fostering a data-driven culture.
- Prepare for C-suite discussions: Be ready to articulate your vision for data as a first-class asset and its role in Trustly's growth.
Technical preparation
Master modern data architectures: cloud warehouses, lakes, streaming.,Deep dive into ML/AI methodologies and MLOps.,Understand data governance, quality, and privacy regulations.,Review Trustly's current data stack and tools.
Behavioral questions
Describe a time you built a data strategy.,How do you foster a data-driven culture?,Share an example of influencing C-suite with data.,How do you lead and develop global teams?
Frequently asked questions
- What is the expected experience level for the Chief Data Officer role at Trustly?
- The Chief Data Officer role at Trustly requires at least 15 years of progressive experience in data-related fields such as data engineering, data science, or analytics, with a minimum of 5 years in a senior leadership capacity. Experience in a similar executive title at a technology company, payments platform, or regulated fintech is also highly valued.
- What are the primary responsibilities of the Chief Data Officer at Trustly?
- The CDO at Trustly is responsible for the overall data strategy, architecture, and execution of the company’s global data program. This includes owning the data platform, driving analytics and business intelligence, leading machine learning and AI initiatives, and ensuring data governance and compliance.
- What kind of data expertise is crucial for the Chief Data Officer at Trustly?
- Crucial data expertise includes modern data architecture (cloud data warehouses, data lakes, streaming platforms), machine learning and AI methodologies, data governance, data quality, and regulatory compliance (GDPR, CCPA). Familiarity with financial services data, open banking, and transaction-level payment data is also important.
- How does Trustly approach the use of AI and ML in this role?
- Trustly leads its machine learning and AI program, focusing on areas like fraud detection, risk scoring, and payment optimization. The CDO will oversee the responsible adoption of generative AI and LLMs, establish AI ethics frameworks, and ensure fairness and regulatory compliance for all deployed models.
- What is the work arrangement for the Chief Data Officer position at Trustly?
- This is a hybrid role based out of Trustly's San Francisco or New York hubs. Team members are expected to be in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
- What are the key benefits offered to employees at Trustly?
- Trustly offers a comprehensive benefits package including flexible paid time off, medical, dental, and vision insurance, FSA & HSA plans, home office and internet stipends, retirement plan matching, and gender-neutral paid parental leave, among other perks.
- Does Trustly use AI in its hiring process for the Chief Data Officer role?
- Yes, Trustly may use AI tools to assist in parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications and analyzing resumes. However, these tools supplement human judgment, and final hiring decisions are always made by humans.