Role: Lead Data Scientist

Location: UAE (Dubai or Abu Dhabi)

Department: Data (Data Science, BI, Data Engineering, Data Governance)

ABOUT ASTRA TECH

Astra Tech is a UAE-based technology group building an integrated digital ecosystem across FinTech and communication platforms, including BOTIM. We operate at scale in a fast-growing, multicultural environment, combining financial services, payments, and communication technologies into a unified platform. Our culture is collaborative, meritocratic, and impact-driven, with strong ownership and healthy work-life balance.

ROLE OVERVIEW

We are looking for a Lead Data Scientist to head the Data Science vertical within the Data organization. This is a hands-on leadership role combining technical depth, ownership, and cross-functional collaboration.

You will lead the design, development, and deployment of advanced machine learning solutions, partnering closely with Product, Engineering, Risk, Finance, and Commercial teams. We are looking for someone who can turn a strategic discussion into a clear execution plan, and independently drive it through to production.

CULTURAL FIT & LEADERSHIP EXPECTATIONS

We are looking for someone who:

• Is open, collaborative, and proactive in sharing knowledge

• Thrives in cross-functional environments and engages comfortably with non-technical stakeholders

• Is intellectually curious and keen to experiment with new tools and approaches

• Communicates clearly and confidently, translating complexity into clarity

• Works transparently — no silos, no gatekeeping

• Takes ownership and accountability for outcomes, not just models

• Balances speed with rigor in a fast-paced but structured environment

• Demonstrates strong ethical judgment, particularly in FinTech use cases

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the Data Science vertical within the Data team

• Design, develop, and deploy machine learning models end-to-end

• Own high-impact use cases such as:

  • Credit scoring

  • Fraud detection

  • Financial forecasting

  • Risk modeling

  • Anomaly detection

• Collaborate with Data Engineering to productionize models

• Work with BI and Data Governance to ensure data quality and consistency

• Translate business problems into measurable ML objectives

• Define technical standards and modeling best practices

• Contribute to hiring, mentoring, and team development

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Core Requirements:

• Approximately 10+ years of experience in Data Science / Machine Learning

• Strong Python expertise (pandas, NumPy, scikit-learn, XGBoost, LightGBM, etc.)

• Deep understanding of supervised and unsupervised learning, feature engineering, validation, and model interpretability

• Strong statistical foundation

• Advanced SQL proficiency (multiple dialects)

• Experience with Spark SQL and PySpark

• Experience working in Jupyter environments

• Experience taking models from concept to production

• Strong collaboration experience with Data Engineering teams

Nice to Have:

• FinTech industry experience

• Azure ecosystem experience

• Exposure to Microsoft Fabric

• Familiarity with Power BI

• Prior hiring or team leadership experience

IDEAL PROFILE

• Strong academic background in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, or related fields (Master’s or PhD preferred)

• Comfortable working independently with minimal supervision

• Able to move from ambiguity to structured execution quickly

• Pragmatic, business-oriented problem solver with strong technical rigor