Senior Director of Analytics and Science

When you join Sallie, you become a champion for all students.

Sallie’s Education Services team is a diverse group of growth-obsessed entrepreneurs, data analysts, engineers, and developers with a passion for imagining and building scalable businesses for students and families on their unique journey to-through and immediately after higher education. We’re on a mission to revolutionize how students and their families plan, pay and complete this journey with confidence.  Join a team of seekers, challengers and creative thinkers to change the way students plan for their future for the better.

What You'll Contribute

Sallie Mae’s new venture, SallieSM, is looking for people like you to be the founding members who will define the future of education services for students and their families in the US. As the first education solutions company, we’re creating products and experiences that help students when they need it most. We’re connecting students to free money for school, providing tools and resources to plan for college, sharing inside advice on campus life, and so much more. Visit https://www.sallie.com/about to learn more about us.

We are seeking a strategic and visionary Senior Director of Analytics and Science to lead our organization-wide data and analytics initiatives. This role will be responsible for driving advanced analytics, data science, and data monetization strategies, while fostering a culture of data as a product. The ideal candidate will be a seasoned leader with a deep understanding of analytics, data engineering and science, and business impact—strong knowledge in domains such as advertising technology (AdTech) and marketing is a big plus!

You must be able to thrive and succeed in an entrepreneurial, cross-functional, and fast-moving environment. This role offers an exciting opportunity to work with a diverse set of team members, stakeholders and senior leaders across the company to create and drive towards the strategic vision at Sallie.

What You'll Do

Leadership & Strategy

• Define and execute the analytics and data science strategy aligned with business objectives.

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing team of data scientists, analysts, and data engineers.

• Champion a data-driven culture across the organization.

Analytics & Data Science

• Oversee the development and deployment of predictive models, optimization algorithms, and statistical analyses.

• Translate complex data into actionable insights that drive business outcomes.

• Ensure analytical rigor and scalability in all data science initiatives.

Metrics & Performance

• Define, track, and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) and success metrics across business units.

• Partner with stakeholders to ensure metrics are aligned with strategic goals and operational realities.

Data as a Product

• Lead the transformation of data into a managed product, with clear ownership, lifecycle, and value delivery.

• Collaborate with product, engineering, and business teams to embed data products into workflows and customer experiences.

Data Monetization

• Identify and execute opportunities to monetize internal and external data assets.

• Develop frameworks for evaluating data value, pricing models, and go-to-market strategies for data offerings.

Data Governance & Infrastructure

• Partner with IT and Engineering to ensure robust, scalable, and secure data infrastructure.

• Promote best practices in data governance, quality, and compliance.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership and cross-functional teams.

• Communicate insights and recommendations with clarity and influence.

The above information is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this job; it is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees in this role.

What You Have

Minimum education, skills and experience required.

• Master’s or Ph.D. in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Economics, related fields, or equivalent experience.

• 10+ years of experience in analytics, data science, or related roles, with 5+ years in leadership.

• Proven success in building and scaling analytics functions in complex organizations.

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