Director of Data

Job description

WHO WE ARE Who we are: We build technology that removes barriers blocking talent from opportunity, combining the latest advancements in AI with human judgment. How we expand access: Access isn't real if it's unaffordable. Through our sister company, Passage Funding, we provide financing for international students. What we believe: Access to opportunity should not be determined by geography, gender, or wealth. We reinvest a portion of our profits to support those cut off from education - including our Afghan program. Access is the product: We build AI that turns paperwork into decisions, and decisions into real outcomes. Our mission is bold but simple: by 2030, we aim to dismantle the barriers preventing brilliant minds from accessing the opportunities they deserve. THE ROLE We are looking for a Director of Data to build and own the data foundation at Passage. This is a foundational role. You will design the systems that turn our operational data into reliable infrastructure the entire company can trust. You are both a technical builder and a strategic thinker. You enjoy designing data systems from the ground up, turning messy operational data into structured platforms that enable better decisions across the business. From day one, you will work closely with leadership across engineering, growth, credit, finance, product, and operations. You will design the company’s data architecture, build pipelines and analytical models, and create the metrics that guide how Passage operates. We are a lean, high-ownership team that moves quickly. There is no fixed hierarchy and no ceiling on growth. We are looking for someone excited to build the data brain of the company, establish best practices, and eventually help grow the data team as Passage scales. WHAT YOU WILL DO BUILD THE DATA FOUNDATION - Design and own the analytics layer of Passage’s data platform - Develop scalable data models and transformation layers that power analytics across the company - Define the company’s canonical metrics and ensure consistency across teams - Build dashboards and analytical frameworks used by leadership to evaluate performance and make business decisions - Work with data engineering to ensure reliable pipelines and data availability - Unify data across growth, product, lending, finance, and operations into a consistent analytics layer - Establish standards for data quality, monitoring, and metric governance POWER ANALYTICS AND DECISION-MAKING - Define and maintain the company’s core metrics and analytical frameworks - Build dashboards used by leadership to monitor lending, product, and operational performance - Analyze loan portfolio performance, borrower behavior, underwriting outcomes, and operational workflows - Translate complex datasets into clear insights that drive better decisions PARTNER ACROSS THE COMPANY - Work closely with teams across credit, finance, product, and operations - Translate business questions into structured analytical solutions - Help teams adopt a data-driven approach to decision-making SHAPE PASSAGE’S DATA STRATEGY - Define the long-term architecture of Passage’s data platform - Implement best practices for modeling, documentation, and analytics workflows - Lay the foundation for the future data team, including tooling and infrastructure QUALIFICATIONS - Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, statistics, mathematics, or a related technical field - 6–10 years of experience in analytics engineering, data engineering, or advanced analytics roles - Deep expertise in SQL and experience working with large operational datasets - Experience designing and maintaining data warehouses and analytical data models - Strong experience building data pipelines and transformation workflows - Proficiency in Python for data processing and analysis - Experience working directly with business stakeholders to translate business problems into analytical solutions - Ability to operate independently in a startup environment where systems are still being built NICE TO HAVE - Experience working in fintech, lending, financial services, or international education - Experience analyzing loan or credit datasets - Experience with GraphQL-based systems or API-driven data pipelines - Experience with Metabase or other BI tools for dashboards and operational reporting - Experience building a data platform from scratch at a startup - Experience mentoring analysts or helping build a data function LOCATION Passage operates with an in-office working model. Candidates must be based in Toronto or open to relocating and working five days per week in our Toronto office. READY TO JOIN US? We are building a company designed to expand access to life-changing opportunities around the world. If you are excited about building systems, solving complex problems, and shaping how a company makes decisions, we would love to meet you. Note: Artificial intelligence may be used in the screening or assessment of applicants. If your experience does not match every requirement but you believe you can thrive in this role, we encourage you to apply. Compensation C$150K to C$200K + Offers Equity