ABOUT US

Since 2020, Pliant has been on a mission to rethink credit cards and empower companies to grow by providing a smart way to pay that scale with their business. With our app and API-based solutions, Pliant allows companies to issue physical and virtual credit cards, automate payment processes, track spending, and seamlessly integrate these data into their finance stack.

Pliant is growing quickly. With our expansion into 30 international markets, we believe that people, passion, and diversity are the key ingredients to our future success. Our growing team of 160+ Plianteers come from 35 nationalities and work remotely or in a hybrid environment from our headquarters in the heart of Berlin. And we’re looking for more talented and committed people to join us on our journey!

ABOUT THE ROLE

As the Lead Risk Strategist (m/f/d) at Pliant you design, implement and improve the performance of risk strategies. The strategies are aimed at increasing the share of automated credit decisions within our B2B credit card business while ensuring our loan book returns the required yields.

In partnership with our risk, product and data teams you design and implement strategies for certain customer segments and markets (e.g. UK MSMEs), utilising relevant data sources (e.g. credit agency files, financial statements, open banking), data aggregation and orchestration services, and decision engines.

You monitor and regularly report on the success of bespoke strategies to our credit risk committee, including advising on corrective actions.

You are well versed in the space, easily identify the relevant data sources and understand their quality. You know underwriting frameworks (e.g. affordability) and key financial ratios (e.g. leverage). You quickly familiarise yourself with new tools and take on challenges as they come up. You find, discuss and implement new solutions with our teams. Building scorecards and optimising strategies is your daily routine.

You are a good enough communicator and turn complex analysis into simply articulated visions.

This role will ideally be based in London, with a hybrid work environment.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Strategy building: You acquire and drill through data (open banking, financial statement, credit agency files, payment behaviour), build and regularly optimise scorecards for our MSME customer segments.
• Automation: You design data pipelines and implement bespoke risk strategies in external decision engines (low code) to increase the degree of automation in our customer underwriting and monitoring processes. You monitor the operational performance of these risk strategies and quickly identify corrective actions.
• Project management: You build structured roadmaps, from problem definition to detailed solution scoping, obtain management decisions, and track along internal and external partners, all in a dynamic environment.
• Market knowledge: You know what you do because you have been failing and succeeding before, specifically when working on credit risk strategies for extending short-term credit products to MSMEs.
• Documentation: You draft easy-to-comprehend documentation. Nothing fancy but professional and audit-proof.
• Communication: You maintain relationships across various teams and partners, present your proposals concisely at all levels and motivate project participants in execution. In doing so, you support the development of a culture of open dialogue, which is focused on mutual respect and the joint achievement of excellent results.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

• You love what you do and, for whatever reason, have a very strong interest in credit risk strategies.
• 3-5 years of experience in building and optimizing credit risk strategies for MSME or retail lending products with a bank or fintech, preferably in the UK.
• Good problem-solving skills with logical reasoning and analytical methods.
• Market knowledge of data and technology providers in the credit risk space.
• Knowledge of established underwriting methods (e.g. financial analysis, account analysis).
• SQL, Excel proficiency (Python and R are a plus).
• Very good English language skills

WHAT WE OFFER

• The opportunity to work in a growing team with big responsibilities that thrives on a strong exchange of knowledge and excellence
• Attractive remuneration
• Flat hierarchy and transparent communication in a relaxed, professional atmosphere
• Opportunity to develop your talent in a dynamic team with ambitious goals
• Flexibility and possibility to work remotely
• Monthly mobility benefit
• Wellhub Membership
• Company card with a monthly allowance for lunches, coffee, etc. with co-workers