Head of Network Science and Behavioral Modeling

Key Skills

AWS, Databricks, Docker, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Keras software library, MySQL, NumPy, Pandas, Python Programming, Snowflake, Statistical modeling, Tableau, TensorFlow, XGBoost

Job Description

Social influences impact every decision in our lives including how we spend, save and receive money. Do you think about how these behaviors influence our everyday decisions. Do you want to measure these influences with a goal of changing how humans interact with money (or its replacement) If so, we have the role for you.

We are hiring for the Head of Network Science and Behavioral Modeling at Cash App. Understanding how network effects enable customer engagement and retention is a strategic priority for Cash. In this position you will have complete ownership and responsibility for building, maintaining and analyzing Cash App’s customer graph for purposes of community finding, business segmentation, quantifying network effect / virality and overcoming customer “cold start”. Your role is specifically responsible for helping management locate sub-networks and quantify the social influences on these sub-networks within both the Cash App and broader Block ecosystem. The output of your work will be used directly to build products, forecast business results and measure the impact of marketing campaigns.

Additionally, you will manage other data scientists in the development, implementation and maintenance of a suite of behavioral models to predict customer behavior, specifically churn, winback, product attach and the movement of funds in and out of the cash app ecosystem. The results of these models will be used to drive top-line business decisions, communicate strategies to Wall St. and influence investment decisioning. It is of utmost importance that the modeling specifications are interpretable by a business audience.

You will report directly to the Head of Quantitative Finance and Strategy and you will present your results to an Executive Audience on a regular basis. Understanding our networks from a quantitative standpoint is a strategic priority for both Cash App Executives as well as the Board of Directors.

Because of the high-profile nature of this role we are looking for someone who not only specializes in graph science but also can present to executive management and has the ability to manage a team of data scientists focused on behavioral model development.

You will:

• Own The Cash App Graph - Build and own the roadmap for the graph; specify edge types, edge weights and identify needed node attributes to be include in the graph
• Locate Sub-Networks - Help drive community detection and segmentation that can be used to manage our entire business across finance, marketing and product development
• Oversee Behavioral Model Development - Develop behavioral models to be used across the business to predict customer churn, winback and money movements across the ecosystem
• Manage Teams - Build, manage and coach a team of junior scientists in both behavioral modeling and graph science
• Present Findings to Executives - Present all of your findings to executives up to and including the CEO of Cash

Qualifications

You have:

• PhD in a quantitative field such as Statistics, Computer Science, Physics or a PhD in Social Sciences with a strong quantitative background
• 5+ years of experience in network science specifically related to community finding (modularity maximization, spectral clustering, hierarchical, etc.) and network effect measurement / scoring
• 5+ years of behavioral modeling using both parametric and non-parametric techniques (classification / time series)
• Knowledge of Python, Graph Databases, Docker, Snowflake, Databricks and Prefect
• Understanding of how social influences affect customer behavior and spending patterns

Nice to have:

• Understanding of Cash App business model and how network effects, virality and the macroeconomic environment influence our business
• Experience leading a team and presenting results to executives up to and including CEO

Technologies we use and teach:

• Python (NetworkX, NumPy, Pandas, sklearn, xgboost, TensorFlow, keras, etc.)
• MySQL, Snowflake, GCP/AWS and Tableau

Additional Information

Block takes a market-based approach to pay, and pay may vary depending on your location. U.S. locations are categorized into one of four zones based on a cost of labor index for that geographic area. The successful candidate’s starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future.

• Zone A: USD $202,500 - USD $247,500
• Zone B: USD $192,400 - USD $235,200
• Zone C: USD $182,300 - USD $222,800
• Zone D: USD $172,200 - USD $210,400

To find a location’s zone designation, please refer to this resource. If a location of interest is not listed, please speak with a recruiter for additional information.

Benefits include the following:

• Healthcare coverage
• Retirement Plans including company match
• Employee Stock Purchase Program
• Wellness programs, including access to mental health, 1:1 financial planners, and a monthly wellness allowance
• Paid parental and caregiving leave
• Paid time off
• Learning and Development resources
• Paid Life insurance, AD&D. and disability benefits
• Perks such as WFH reimbursements and free access to caregiving, legal, and discounted resources

This role is also eligible to participate in Block's equity plan subject to the terms of the applicable plans and policies, and may be eligible for a sign-on bonus. Sales roles may be eligible to participate in a commission plan subject to the terms of the applicable plans and policies. Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefit plans.

We’re working to build a more inclusive economy where our customers have equal access to opportunity, and we strive to live by these same values in building our workplace.

Block is a proud equal opportunity employer. We work hard to evaluate all employees and job applicants consistently, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other legally protected class.

We believe in being fair, and are committed to an inclusive interview experience, including providing reasonable accommodations to disabled applicants throughout the recruitment process. We encourage applicants to share any needed accommodations with their recruiter, who will treat these requests as confidentially as possible.

Learn more about our efforts to promote inclusion and diversity at block.xyz/inclusion

Additionally, we consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment on our team, assessing candidates in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.