Senior Research Scientist

About ION and Our Research Mission

At ION, research is not separate from product — it is the engine of innovation.

Our mission is to transform the world of financial and economic intelligence through rigorous, data-driven research embedded directly in product development.

ION's Core Banking and Analytics platforms provide access to one of the most comprehensive data ecosystems in the financial sector — spanning transactional, accounting, behavioral, textual, and unstructured data from across multiple banking institutions.

Our research team leads the scientific development of ION's core financial products — including credit risk scoring, early warning systems, portfolio monitoring, and digital finance analytics — while advancing the global state of knowledge through academic publications, international collaborations, and participation in top-tier conferences.

About the Role

We are seeking a Senior Researcher in Applied Economics and Finance with a strong quantitative and modeling background to lead and execute advanced research projects at the intersection of economics, data science, and financial modeling.

The ideal candidate holds a PhD or a Master's degree (with significant research or industry experience) in Economics, Finance, Data Science, Statistics, or a related quantitative field.

They will work in an environment where academic rigor and applied innovation coexist, developing the next generation of quantitative models that power ION's financial products and meet the highest standards of regulatory transparency and explainability.

This role also includes participation in ION's global research network, with opportunities to collaborate with ION Labs hosted at Bocconi University, HEC Paris, and leading U.S. universities, and to present at international academic and industry conferences.

Key Responsibilities

·       Research and Modeling

o   Lead applied research initiatives in economics, finance, and data science, ensuring both theoretical soundness and practical applicability to ION's core banking products.

o   Design, implement, and validate models using advanced econometrics, machine learning, causal inference, forecasting, and network analysis.

o   Drive innovation by adopting and testing state-of-the-art methodologies, contributing to ION's position as a thought leader in quantitative finance.

o   Use ION's internal microdata (transactional, financial, textual, and behavioral) and combine it with public and alternative data sources (news, sentiment, macroeconomic indicators).

·       Product Development and Impact

o   Translate research outcomes into tangible outputs: models, analytical frameworks, algorithms, and datasets for integration into ION's product suite.

o   Collaborate closely with engineering, product, and analytics teams to ensure robust deployment of models and insights.

o   Support model governance and regulatory compliance, producing documentation, validation frameworks, and explanatory material for supervisory authorities.

o   Contribute to white papers, methodological notes, and policy briefs that explain ION's modeling philosophy to clients and regulators.

·       Academic and Global Collaboration

o   Conduct and publish research in top-tier academic journals in economics, finance, or data science.

o   Represent ION at international conferences and research workshops, presenting both applied and theoretical contributions.

o   Collaborate with ION Labs in partner universities (Bocconi, HEC Paris, and top U.S. institutions), co-developing joint projects, data infrastructures, and research outputs.

o   Lead or contribute to joint papers, vademecum, and comparative studies on digital finance, risk modeling, and regulatory compliance.

·       Leadership, Mentorship, and Knowledge Transmission

o   Supervise and mentor junior researchers and data scientists, promoting methodological rigor and intellectual curiosity.

o   Foster a culture of research discipline across ION through internal courses, reading groups, and seminars on applied econometrics, data modeling, and causal inference.

o   Contribute to the creation of an internal "ION Research Curriculum", designed to disseminate knowledge and standardize best practices across teams.

o   Help build a shared library of reusable code, datasets, and research documentation to support long-term institutional memory.

·       Data Environment and Technical Stack

o   Work within ION's Databricks-based data architecture, using PySpark and internal data lakes to process large-scale structured and unstructured datasets.

o   Apply and extend machine learning pipelines including XGBoost, LightGBM, Random Forests, Neural Networks, Kalman Filtering, and Survival Analysis.

o   Implement robust causal inference frameworks (DiD, IV, RDD, Synthetic Control, and panel-data models) to establish credible empirical evidence.

o   Collaborate with ION's engineering teams to automate model training, validation, and deployment workflows, ensuring reproducibility and scalability.

Deliverables and Performance Metrics

The success of the Senior Researcher will be evaluated along three dimensions:

o   Scientific Excellence — quality and impact of research output (publications, conference presentations, academic collaborations).

o   Product Innovation — contribution to the design and performance of models, datasets, and analytical frameworks implemented in ION's solutions.

o   Organizational Impact — leadership in mentoring, internal teaching, and dissemination of rigorous research methodologies across ION.

Expected outputs include:

o   Academic publications or working papers (1–2 per year).

o   Contributions to white papers, regulatory vademecum, and client documentation.

o   Operational models or datasets integrated into ION products.

o   Active participation in international conferences (at least 1–2 per year).

Required Qualifications & Skills

o   PhD (or Master's with significant experience) in Economics, Finance, Data Science, Statistics, or a related quantitative field.

o   Strong expertise in econometrics, causal inference, and machine learning applied to economic and financial problems.

o   Proficiency in Python, with experience handling large datasets.

o   Familiarity with Databricks, PySpark, and data engineering workflows is a plus.

o   Deep understanding of financial systems, risk modeling, and regulatory frameworks.

o   Demonstrated ability to conduct both academic research and product-oriented modeling.

o   Strong communication skills and ability to articulate technical content to multidisciplinary audiences.

o   Commitment to scientific integrity, transparency, and reproducibility.

Career Path and Growth

This position is part of ION's Research Track, a career pathway that allows researchers to advance based on scientific excellence, impact, and leadership.

Outstanding performance in this role may lead to advancement as Principal Researcher or Head of Research Area, overseeing larger research programs and representing ION in external collaborations.

Why Join ION

o   Work at the intersection of finance, data science, and applied economics, with access to one of the richest financial datasets in Europe.

o   Conduct world-class research with real-world impact and visibility in both academia and industry.

o   Collaborate with top universities and global research networks.

o   Shape the next generation of financial products and analytical infrastructures.

o   Be part of a multidisciplinary team that values rigor, innovation, and intellectual freedom.