Senior Credit Risk Manager, Personal Loan

Our mission is to make higher education accessible and affordable for everyone. We empower students with financial support and supercharge their ability to pay down their debt, so they can get on the right financial track, fast.

We build tools that help people feel in control of their financial future, including:

• Private student loans - low rates, people-first service, and flexible payments.
• Student loan refinancing - break free from high-interest rates or monthly payments.
• Scholarships - access to thousands of scholarships to help students pay less.

Earnies are committed to helping students live their best lives, free from the stress of student debt. If you’re as passionate as we are about our mission, read more below, and let’s build something great together! 

The Senior Credit Risk Manager, Personal Loans will report to the Head of Credit Risk)). 

As the Senior Credit Risk Manager, Personal Loans, you will:

• Develop and optimize credit strategies for pre-screening, underwriting, risk tiering, loan amount assignment, and verifications to drive business growth while managing risk.
• Lead champion-challenger testing to optimize underwriting models.
• Collaborate with Data Science teams to develop new machine-learning risk models.
• Monitor credit portfolio performance and identify areas for improvement, ensuring continuous enhancement and optimization.
• Work cross-functionally with Business, Capital Markets, Marketing, Product, Engineering, and Finance teams to implement strategies that align with Earnest’s risk appetite.
• Manage regulatory and audit compliance by providing analytical support for internal audits and regulatory reviews.
• Lead, support, and develop junior team members while managing multiple projects.

About You: 

• 7+ years of experience developing data-driven credit strategies for loans or credit cards, leveraging risk models, rules, and multiple data sources.
• At least 1 year of experience in leading and mentoring team members.
• Strong analytical skills with expertise in SQL and Python for data analysis.
• Experience in risk analytics, segmentation, and statistical modeling (decision trees, gradient boosting models).
• Proven ability to deliver business results through ownership, collaboration, and strategic influence.
• Experience with Business Intelligence tools such as Looker or Tableau.
• Strong knowledge of credit risk management within lending products, including P&L impact evaluation.
• Willingness to travel to the Oakland office monthly to collaborate with other Earnies.

Even Better:

• Experience in personal loan products.
• Knowledge of applicable lending industry regulations.
• Familiarity with machine learning techniques applied to credit risk models.
• Experience working with Capital Markets, FP&A, or external ratings agencies.
• Advanced degree in a quantitative field (Math, Statistics, Engineering, Finance, Economics).

Where:

• This role will be based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• While you’ll enjoy the flexibility of remote work, we also love to see our Earnies face-to-face! We ask you to join us at our Oakland office for 3 consecutive days a month for team collaboration and some fun. It's a chance to connect, share ideas, and maybe even grab some coffee together!

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A little about our pay philosophy: We take pride in compensating our employees fairly and equitably. We are showcasing a range of your potential base salary. The successful candidate’s starting pay will also be determined based on job-related qualifications, internal compensation, and budget. This range may be modified in the future.

Pay Range $186,000—$211,000 USD

Earnest believes in enabling our employees to live their best lives. We offer a variety of perks and competitive benefits, including: 

• Health, Dental, & Vision benefits plus savings plans
• Mac computers + work-from-home stipend to set up your home office
• Monthly internet and phone reimbursement
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
• 401(k) plan to help you save for retirement plus a company match
• Robust tuition reimbursement program
• $1,000 travel perk on each Earnie-versary to anywhere in the world 
• Competitive days of annual PTO
• Competitive parental leave

What makes an “Earnie” culture: 

• Drivers – Drivers are satisfied by making things happen, not coming along for the