Manager, Applied Research 3

At eBay, we're more than a global ecommerce leader — we’re changing the way the world shops and sells. Our platform empowers millions of buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets around the world. We’re committed to pushing boundaries and leaving our mark as we reinvent the future of ecommerce for enthusiasts.

Our customers are our compass, authenticity thrives, bold ideas are welcome, and everyone can bring their unique selves to work — every day. We're in this together, sustaining the future of our customers, our company, and our planet.

Join a team of passionate thinkers, innovators, and dreamers — and help us connect people and build communities to create economic opportunity for all.

About the team and the role

The Risk Data Science team is a horizontal service organization that builds and operates machine learning solutions to protect eBay and its users. We partner closely with Trust, Compliance, Payments, Policy, and Product teams to design and deploy models that detect and prevent fraud and abuse, ensure payment compliance, and safeguard marketplace integrity at global scale.

We are seeking a Senior Manager, Applied Research to lead a 15–20 person organization composed of applied researchers, data scientists and data analysts. This role will own the end-to-end lifecycle of machine learning models and decisioning services used across Trust, Compliance, and Fraud Risk, while expanding the team’s horizontal impact across these domains.

This is a highly visible leadership role requiring deep technical expertise, strong execution skills, and a demonstrated ability to deliver measurable business and risk outcomes.

What you will accomplish

• Lead and grow a high-performing team of applied researchers, data scientists and data analysts

• Own the end-to-end lifecycle of machine learning models, from ideation and development to deployment and monitoring in production

• Drive the design and implementation of scalable decisioning systems for fraud detection, abuse prevention, and compliance enforcement

• Partner cross-functionally with Trust, Compliance, Payments, Policy, and Product teams to deliver impactful ML solutions

• Expand the team’s horizontal capabilities and influence across multiple risk domains

• Ensure high standards for model performance, reliability, interpretability, and operational excellence

• Translate business and risk challenges into data science and machine learning solutions with measurable impact

• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement

What you will bring

• Proven experience leading and scaling teams in applied research, data science, or machine learning engineering

• Strong foundation in statistical modeling, machine learning, and experimentation

• Solid software engineering and systems experience, with a track record of shipping production-grade large scale ML systems

• Demonstrated ability to drive business impact through data-driven solutions, particularly in risk, fraud, or compliance domains

• Strong cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management skills

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence both technical and non-technical audiences

• Research background is a plus, with a clear focus on practical application and measurable outcomes

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in fraud detection, trust & safety, payments risk, or regulatory compliance

• Familiarity with large-scale distributed systems and real-time decisioning platforms

• 10+ years modeling experience

• 5+ years managerial experience in leading teams of 10 or more

• Advanced degree (PhD or MS) in a quantitative field such as Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or related

 

Additional Details

The base pay range for this position is expected in the range below:

$156,800 - $255,300

Base pay offered may v