Data Scientist Job Lake Forest area,California USA,IT/Tech

Kawasaki Motors Retail Finance is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Data Scientist to manage and analyze complex data for our retail finance operations. This role is pivotal in leveraging data-driven insights to optimize performance, enhance decision-making, and support business strategies. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in data analysis, statistical modeling, and machine learning techniques, particularly within the retail finance domain.

This position will report to the Senior Group Manager, Data Science.

Model Development & Forecasting:

Design, build, and maintain advance predictive models to support credit risk assessment, loan performance forecasting, customer segmentation, and pricing strategies.

Data Management & Analysis:

Manage, clean, and analyze large-scale, structured, and unstructured datasets to generate actionable insights that inform business strategies and drive operational efficiency.

Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA):

Perform deep-dive analysis to uncover trends, patterns, and new business opportunities in the retail finance powersports market.

Cross-functional Collaboration:

Partners with teams across the business to understand key objectives and translate them into data science solutions that drive value and measurable impact.

Dashboarding & Visualization:

Develop, maintain, and optimize interactive dashboards and reporting tools (Tableau, Power BI, Looker) to track KPI’s monitor portfolio performance, and support data storytelling.

Data Quality & Governance:

Ensure the accuracy, consistency, and security of financial data while maintaining compliance with regulatory standards and internal governance policies.

Process Improvement:

Identify and implement opportunities for automation, workflow enhancements, and advanced analytics use cases to streamline data operations and improve decision making.

Pipeline Optimization:

Coordinate with IT and engineering teams to design robust, scalable data pipelines and improve integration processes across internal systems and third‑party platforms.

Strategic Insight & Communication:

Deliver clear and concise insights and data backed recommendations to stakeholders at all levels, supporting strategic initiatives and financial planning processes.

Continuous Learning &

Innovation:

Stay abreast of emerging technologies, tools, and methodologies in the data science and fintech landscape and apply innovative technologies to enhance business outcomes.

Regulatory & Policy Compliance:

Ensure all data activities, models and reporting processes comply with applicable financial regulations and company policies.

Additional Responsibilities:

Perform other duties as assigned to support the growth and success of the analytics and retail finance teams.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in data science, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related field required; master’s or advanced degree is preferred.
A minimum of 3 years of experience in data science or advance analytics, with direct experience in retail finance or financial services is required.
Strong proficiency in Python, R, and SQL for data manipulation and model development.
Hands-on experience with machine learning frameworks and algorithms (scikit-learn, XGBoost, Tensor Flow).
Expertise in statistical modeling, forecasting, and financial analytic techniques.
Proficient with data visualization tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or similar platforms.
Familiarity with cloud platforms and modern data pipeline tools (AWS, Azure, Snowflake, Airflow).
Excellent problem solving and critical thinking skills with sharp attention to detail.
Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly present complex data insights to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Ability to…