Lead, Advanced Analytics, Payments

About Airbnb and the Role

Founded in 2007 with a simple act of hospitality, Airbnb has grown into a global platform with over 5 million hosts and more than 2 billion guest arrivals worldwide. Hosts offer unique experiences that help guests connect authentically with communities.

We are looking for an experienced Payments Insights Analytics Lead to join our team and contribute to the strategic execution within Airbnb's Payments operations. This role focuses on facilitating data-driven decision-making across Payments Platform, Product, and Operations teams while fostering operational excellence and enhancing Host and Guest experiences through rigorous problem-solving supported by data and research.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate in policy and procedure development for funds receipt and processing.
• Manage day-to-day payment operations working closely with finance, including collection, reconciliation, and settlement activities.
• Drive process improvements and streamline payment data processing globally through cross-functional collaboration.
• Create and analyze payment reports, extracting insights to evaluate performance.
• Translate complex technical findings into clear, actionable reports and recommendations for management and stakeholders.
• Investigate payment performance and health, troubleshoot issues, and recommend optimization strategies.
• Design and analyze experiments to assess Payment strategies, product updates, and process enhancements.
• Participate in Financial Risk Management efforts such as managing losses, chargebacks, and automating payments processes.
• Identify pain points in the payment journey and propose improvements to optimize the end-to-end experience.
• Promote Host and Guest advocacy by amplifying feedback to enhance payment experiences with measurable impact.
• Develop new payment strategies balancing financial risk and experience across different seller segments using advanced analytics and AI/ML methods.
• Utilize cross-domain insights from related payment risk areas like trust & safety, identity verification, fraud prevention, and compliance to detect systemic patterns and opportunities.
• Stay informed about industry trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes affecting payments to foster innovation.
• Monitor payment trends continuously and implement strategies to enhance payment processing efficiency.
• Provide guidance to maintain a robust and reliable payments infrastructure supporting the organization's financial health.

Qualifications & Expertise

• Minimum eight years of professional experience in business analytics with a degree in a quantitative discipline; advanced degrees (Masters or PhD) are advantageous.
• Experience supporting payments teams or close collaboration with payments organizations, with exposure across multiple payment risk domains including trust & safety, identity verification, fraud mitigation, chargebacks, compliance, and financial risk management.
• Advanced proficiency in SQL and at least one programming language for data analysis, such as Python or R.
• Demonstrated knowledge in non-experimental causal inference, experimentation, and machine learning techniques, especially applicable within multi-sided platforms.
• Familiarity with schema design, high-dimensional data modeling, and ETL frameworks like Airflow.
• Exceptional communication and narrative skills to convert technical analyses and experimental results into strategic insights for senior leadership and business stakeholders.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity in dynamic, high-growth environments, independently identifying issues and proposing solutions beyond immediate responsibilities.

Location & Work Arrangement

This position is based in the United States and is eligible for remote work. While primarily remote, intermittent work at Airbnb offices or offsite attendance may be required as coordinated with management. Candidates must reside in states where Airbnb has a registered entity; some states are excluded per regulatory considerations.

Commitment to Inclusion & Accessibility

Airbnb values a diverse talent pool and actively encourages all qualified individuals to apply. We are committed to providing an inclusive environment and accessible recruitment process. Candidates with disabilities requiring reasonable accommodations are encouraged to contact us with their needs.

Compensation & Benefits

The base salary range for this role is $164,000 to $191,000 USD. Compensation may include bonuses, equity, benefits, and Employee Travel Credits. The actual salary will depend on factors such as experience, skills, business requirements, and market conditions.