Vice President of Analytics

VP of Analytics

Fort Worth, TX | Hybrid/Remote | Full-Time | Executive Leadership

About Essential Lending

Essential Lending is a fast-growing, analytics-driven financial services company specializing in two primary areas:

1. Short-term personal loans through our Wise Loan platform.

2. Portfolio servicing & analytics solutions, including predictive modeling, credit policy development, loan origination, and customer servicing.

Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, we operate with a global footprint — including a satellite call center in the Philippines and a distributed team of 40 employees across Mexico, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and India.

We are driven by innovation, data, and a relentless focus on improving customer financial lives.

The Role

We’re seeking a Vice President of Analytics to lead our analytics-driven growth strategy. This executive will own customer acquisition, credit policy, predictive modeling, and portfolio performance across both Essential Lending and our analytics solutions business.

The VP of Analytics will be both a strategic thought leader and a hands-on operator — building predictive models, shaping credit policy, and leading a high-performing team of data scientists. This role is central to driving the company’s profitability, scale, and long-term vision.

Our Culture

At Essential Lending, our values aren’t just words, they guide every decision and interaction:

• Be a Transparent Advocate – Advocate for what is best for each other and the customer. Listen with curiosity, speak with candor, act with compassion.

If you feel good about working here, you’re doing it right!

• Make Gratitude an Attitude – Embody gratitude by being humble, attentive, clear and empathetic, focusing conversations on positive outcomes.
• Look Beyond; Follow Through – Be diligently committed, care deeply about your work, do more, learn more, take responsibility, and be self-motivated.

What You’ll DoRevenue & Growth Leadership

·      Own loan volume and principal targets across marketing channels.

·      Optimize acquisition channels (affiliate marketing, direct mail, SEO) using advanced analytics and optimization models.

·      Partner with Marketing to drive sustainable, high-intent traffic growth.

Credit Risk & Portfolio Performance

·      Define and refine credit approval criteria, APR ranges, and loan assignments.

·      Monitor portfolio performance and collaborate with Collections to optimize repayment outcomes.

·      Ensure growth is balanced with risk to enable sustainable lending practices.

Predictive Modeling & Innovation

·      Lead development and deployment of production models for underwriting, conversion optimization, and marketing response.

·      Use platforms like DataRobot to accelerate predictive accuracy and time-to-market.

·      Establish best practices in model governance, validation, and challenger testing.

Financial Forecasting & Planning

·      Build long-term loan forecasts (3–5 years) and integrate into company financial plans.

·      Partner with the CFO to align forecasts with strategic goals and annual budgets.

Partnerships & Data Strategy

·      Develop new partnerships with bureaus, affiliate networks, and data vendors.

·      Evaluate and integrate alternative data sources to expand lending opportunities and reduce acquisition costs.

·      Ensure external partnerships deliver measurable business impact.

Team Leadership

·      Lead, mentor, and grow an analytics team of nine data scientists and one SQL developer.

·      Translate company strategy into actionable initiatives with clear accountability.

·      Foster a culture of excellence, innovation, and professional development.

What We’re Looking For

·      Proven leadership experience in analytics, marketing strategy, and credit risk management within consumer lending.

·      Track record of delivering acquisition growth, portfolio optimization, and financial forecasting.

·      Deep expertise in predictive modeling, machine learning platforms (Data Robot preferred), and advanced statistical methods.

·      Strong background in building partnerships with bureaus, data vendors, and marketing networks.

·      Exceptional leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.

·      Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s or PhD in a quantitative field strongly preferred.

Why Join Us?

·      Play a pivotal role in shaping the future of a fast-growing fintech.

·      Lead high-impact analytics initiatives that directly influence company strategy.

·      Collaborate with a global, diverse, and mission-driven team.

·      Competitive compensation, benefits, and growth opportunities.

Apply Now

If you’re an analytics leader who thrives at the intersection of data, credit, and growth, and have experience in the short term lending space, we’d love to hear from you.

📩 Send your resume and cover letter to tommyg@essentialending.com.