Data Science Manager - Finance Al-Futtaim Automotive

Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Structured into five operating divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail and healthcare; employing more than 35,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Al-Futtaim Group partners with over 200 of the world's most admired and innovative brands. Al-Futtaim Group's entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enables the organization to continue to grow and expand; responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate.

By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration and integrity; Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers each and every day

As a Data Science Manager(Finance) at Al-Futtaim Automotive, you will lead AI and data science initiatives that optimize financial performance, strengthen risk management, and improve business decision-making. This role focuses on advanced predictive modelling, financial forecasting, and portfolio optimization to create measurable impact across the organization

• Build and deploy predictive models for residual value optimization, credit risk scoring, probability of default, and F&I leasing pricing optimization.
• Standardize financial KPIs and risk dashboards using statistical process control and advanced visualization tools.
• Generate financial insights through time series analysis, portfolio optimization, survival analysis, and risk modelling.
• Collaborate with finance and risk teams to identify and prioritize high-potential data-driven use cases.
• Lead and mentor a team of data scientists, ensuring the delivery of scalable machine learning and AI models.

• Advanced expertise in time series forecasting, regression, logistic regression, and random forests.
• Strong skills in survival analysis, neural networks, reinforcement learning, and genetic algorithms.
• Deep knowledge of portfolio optimization, risk modelling, and causal inference techniques.
• Proficiency in deep learning (CNNs, RNNs, LSTMs, Transformers) and advanced pattern recognition.
• Strong understanding of financial regulations and their impact on AI / ML model development.
• Excellent stakeholder management and ability to translate complex financial models into actionable insights.

You will report to the Head of Financial Data Science and lead a team of Data Scientists and a Data Science Manager. The team operates within the Finance Department, playing a critical role in enhancing financial planning, risk management, and profitability through advanced analytics.

• Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Financial Analytics, Computer Science, or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in financial analytics, data science, and machine learning.
• Hands-on expertise in advanced statistics, optimization, causal and Bayesian modelling, time series forecasting, Monte Carlo simulations, graph neural networks, and recommender systems.
• Proficient in Python, SQL, Databricks, and ML libraries (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, ARIMA / SARIMA, Prophet).
• Knowledge of NLP, autoencoders, transformers, NER, computer vision (OpenCV, YOLO), and model explainability (SHAP, LIME).
• Experience with MLOps, Git, and visualization tools (Matplotlib, Seaborn, Plotly).
• Strong leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills to manage teams and deliver business impact.