Senior Optimization Data Analyst

The job

LIVE Live feed (private-sector employer) Source: The Muse public API · Data: listed 2026-09-04

Job description

This is Adyen

Adyen provides payments, data, and financial products in a single solution for customers like Meta, Uber, H&M, and Microsoft - making us the financial technology platform of choice. At Adyen, everything we do is engineered for ambition. 

For our teams, we create an environment with opportunities for our people to succeed, backed by the culture and support to ensure they are enabled to truly own their careers. We are motivated individuals who tackle unique technical challenges at scale and solve them as a team. Together, we deliver innovative and ethical solutions that help businesses achieve their ambitions faster.

Senior Optimization Data Analyst

We are looking for a Senior Optimization Data Analyst to take a defining role in how Adyen drives payment performance for its most complex merchants. As a senior member of the Performance Optimization team, you will bring the full breadth of payment optimization expertise expected at this level, across authentication, authorization, and cost, while going deeper in risk, fraud, and ML-driven decisioning than any other role on the team. You will combine hands-on technical capability with recognized domain expertise in risk to lead the team's most complex merchant engagements, shape PO's analytical methodology, and accelerate the adoption of Adyen's optimization capabilities across the merchant portfolio.

This role sits at the intersection of technical depth and commercial impact. You will work directly with large-scale transactional data, including ML output and labeled risk data, to generate comprehensive insights that connect to merchant strategy. You will do this in close collaboration with Adyen's product teams, through insights and feedback that drive product improvements, and an analytical layer that makes risk model behavior more interpretable and actionable for merchants and internal teams alike. You will build the frameworks, tools, and knowledge that allow the broader PO team and commercial stakeholders to operate with greater confidence and independence in this domain.

The ideal candidate has a track record of driving measurable outcomes through data analytics in payments or fintech, with deep hands-on experience working with large-scale transactional data, and ML-based risk data. They operate with a high degree of autonomy, owning complex analytical problems end to end from scoping through to recommendation, without requiring active direction to make progress. And they bring the ability to translate what the data reveals into strategies that merchants and internal teams can understand and act on.

What you'll do

• Domain-Led Merchant Engagement: Lead PO's most complex merchant engagements in the risk, fraud, and ML optimization domain. This includes designing and interpreting sophisticated analyses, advising merchants on how to safely operationalize ML-driven decisioning systems, identifying performance gaps that require domain-level expertise to diagnose, and driving strategic improvements in fraud strategy, risk rule configuration, authentication flows, and authorization performance across Adyen's largest customers.
• Risk Analysis and Insight Generation: Work directly with large-scale risk model data, including ML output and labeled risk data, to analyze model behavior, detect performance patterns, and generate insights across merchant segments, traffic types, and risk profiles. In close collaboration with Adyen's product teams, contribute to building an analytical layer that connects model behavior to merchant strategy, improving explainability and enabling more targeted optimization. This work requires the ability to go beyond standard analytics and work with raw, complex data to surface what is not yet visible.
• Product Collaboration and Portfolio Intelligence: Work closely with Adyen's risk product teams to contribute structured, data-backed insights based on patterns observed across the merchant portfolio. Identify where risk model configurations produce inconsistent outcomes across segments, where merchant strategies diverge from model behavior, and where analytical findings can inform product priorities, as well as ensure merchants are equipped to configure, trust, and act on model-driven recommendations. This contribution operates at the portfolio level, going beyond the level of individual merchant escalations, and is grounded in data, rather than isolated merchant observations.
• Analytical Excellence and Methodology Ownership: Drive the quality and rigor of PO's analytical work in the risk and fraud domain. Design and execute advanced data analyses, A/B tests, and statistical investigations that set the methodological standard for the broader team. Own the development of reusable analytical frameworks, experiment designs, and best practices that other ODAs and OMs can apply independently. Operate with a high degree of autonomy: this role is expected to self-direct from problem scoping through to insight and recommendation without requiring active management to progress.
• Automation and Scalable Technical Solutions: Lead or contribute to automation initiatives that expand PO's reach beyond direct merchant engagement. Build scalable data products, tools, and analytical workflows that allow commercial stakeholders, including Account Managers and Sales teams, to access and act on risk and fraud optimization insights without requiring PO involvement for every interaction. Identify where engineering effort creates the highest leverage and execute accordingly.
• Commercial Enablement and Knowledge Transfer: Develop playbooks, and reference frameworks that enable PO and commercial stakeholders to engage more confidently on risk and fraud optimization topics. Reduce PO's dependency on individual expertise by making domain knowledge transferable, documented, and accessible. Mentor and provide technical guidance to other analysts, fostering a culture of analytical rigor and continuous learning within the team.
• Emerging Optimization Domains: Develop and maintain a forward-looking perspective on where the risk and fraud optimization surface is evolving. This includes the implications of ML adoption curves, the declining value of scenario-based rules, and the emerging authentication and fraud challenges introduced by agentic commerce and agent-initiated payment flows. Translate this perspective into actionable frameworks for merchants and internal teams before these challenges become acute.
• What you'll do reflects a role that spans technical depth, merchant impact, and organizational multiplier effect. The expectation is not to do all of these with equal intensity at all times, but to operate across all of them with increasing ownership and impact over time.
  
  

Who you are

• 10+ years of relevant experience in data analytics, data science, risk, or fraud optimization, with a demonstrated track record of driving measurable impact in a payments or fintech environment.
• Deep expertise in risk and fraud analytics, including hands-on experience working with ML-based decisioning systems and large-scale risk model data. You are comfortable working with raw model output and labeled risk data to generate insights that go beyond standard analytics.
• Expert-level proficiency in Python, SQL, and PySpark, with hands-on experience in large-scale data processing, scalable ETL pipeline development, and production-grade analytical systems.
• Strong experience with data visualization and self-service analytics tools such as Looker or Tableau, with the ability to design dashboards and tools that non-technical stakeholders can use independently.
• Deep understanding of statistical methods including hypothesis testing, experiment design, regression modeling, and the ability to apply these rigorously in a business context where decisions have commercial consequences.
• Experience with big data technologies including Spark and Airflow, and version control systems including Git, with a standard of engineering quality that produces reliable, maintainable, and scalable outputs.
• Demonstrated ability to work at the boundary of technical and commercial: translating complex analytical findings into merchant-facing recommendations, product feedback, and strategic narratives that influence decisions at the senior level.
• Proven ability to lead high-impact, cross-functional initiatives independently, with the organizational credibility and communication skills to align stakeholders across commercial, product, and data functions.
• A forward-looking perspective on where payments risk and fraud optimization are heading, including familiarity with how ML adoption is reshaping risk strategy, how authentication frameworks are evolving under regulatory and commercial pressure, and how emerging payment patterns such as agentic commerce introduce new fraud and dispute challenges.
• Ownership mentality, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to operate in a fast-paced, cross-functional, global environment where ambiguity is the norm and impact is the measure.
• A track record of making the people and teams around you more capable: through mentorship, knowledge transfer, methodology development, and tooling that scales your expertise beyond your own direct output.
• Payments or fintech industry experience is required at this level, not a plus.

Total rewards & compensation

The annual base salary range for this role is $154,000 - $200,000. Compensation is based on factors including qualifications, experience, and location. Total compensation package includes equity (RSUs), 401(k), health, dental, vision, and more.

In-office expectations

This role is based in our Chicago office. We're an office-first company and expect employees to work in-office at least 3 days a week on average. This approach helps strike a balance between bringing people together for in-person collaboration and learning from each other, while also supporting flexibility.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Adyen

We actively seek different perspectives to sharpen our ideas. Our unique culture is a product of our diverse backgrounds and experiences. No matter who you are or where you’re from, you’re welcome to be your true self at Adyen. 

If you need accommodations or support during the recruitment process to perform at your best, you’ll have the opportunity to let our team know in your application. We encourage people from all backgrounds and abilities to apply.

What’s next?

Ensuring a smooth and enjoyable candidate experience is critical for us. We aim to get back to you regarding your application within 5 business days. Our interview process tends to take about 4 weeks to complete, but may fluctuate depending on the role. If you have specific time constraints, please communicate them with your recruiter, and we’ll do our best to accommodate them where possible.

EEO statement

Adyen is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, marital status or any legally protected status. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Explore around this job

Field: Technology Sub-niche: Data, analytics and AI All jobs at Adyen Jobs in Illinois Jobs in Chicago, IL Chicago city guide Illinois state guide Cook County economy

View this job and apply on The Muse →

You apply on The Muse or on the employer's page; AtiveSite does not receive or process applications and is not affiliated with The Muse. The description above is shown as the source published it.

About the role

This is a Senior Level role in the Technology field (Data, analytics and AI) at Adyen. Senior roles usually expect substantial experience, ownership of results and often the ability to guide others.

We could not match this job title to one occupation in the official wage statistics, so no pay estimate is shown. Pay is not in the source listing; ask the employer for the range and compare in the 240 job niches.

Does the pay work here? (estimate)

How to prepare and behave

This is editorial guidance, not information from the employer.

• Read the whole description and match your examples to its requirements; use the same words the posting uses where they are true for you.
• Research the employer before the interview: what it does, who its customers are and recent news; prepare two or three questions about the work.
• Arrive early (or log in early for a video call), dress one step above the daily dress code, and test your camera and audio beforehand.
• Answer with short stories: the situation, what you did and the result. Give numbers when you have them and never invent them.
• Be honest about gaps; say what you did to learn and how fast you can close them.
• Ask about the team, the first 90 days, how success is measured and the schedule; do not open with salary and time off.
• When pay comes up, know the market range for the occupation and your lowest acceptable offer before you answer; ask for the full package in writing.
• Send a short thank-you message within a day, mentioning one thing you discussed.
• Have code, data work or projects you can show, and be ready to think aloud: many technical interviews test how you reason, not only the answer.

Know your rights as a candidate and an employee:

• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: prohibited employment practices
• U.S. Department of Labor: Wage and Hour Division
• CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor): job search help, interview tips and resumes
• USA.gov: avoiding job scams

The city

The job is in Chicago, IL. Below is what the official statistics say about living and working there.

How Chicago compares. Among the 100 largest places in Illinois, Chicago is #1 by population, #96 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #87 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #22 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Cook County, is #2 of 102 counties for average pay ($86,931).

The place in numbers

Chicago has 2,711,226 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 21.4% of the population of Illinois. It covers 228 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 11,904 people per square mile. The median age is 35.8, 8% younger than the state median (35.8 against 39.0).

Housing

The median gross rent is $1,440 a month (rent plus utilities), 13% above the state median ($1,440 against $1,274). Over a year that is 22.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $334,100, which is 4.3 times the median household income ($77,902). 46.0% of households own their home, 31% below the state average (46.0% against 67.1%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.

Work and pay

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area has 4,513,280 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $54,720 a year, 7% above the national median ($54,720 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (488,940 jobs, median $48,840); transportation and material moving (484,580 jobs, median $45,920); management (404,010 jobs, median $131,890). The area is most specialised in management (1.2 times) and transportation and material moving (1.2 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($131,890) and legal ($112,440). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Cook County was 4.7%. 67.5% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Cook County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.

Getting around

Among workers, 44.8% drive alone, 17.7% use public transit, 5.8% walk, 21.0% work from home. 27.5% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 39% above the state average (27.5% against 19.7%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.

People and education

44.3% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 17% above the state share (44.3% against 37.9%). 20.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 42% above the state share (20.9% against 14.8%). The poverty rate is 16.8%, 43% above the state rate (16.8% against 11.8%).

Climate

The warmest month is Aug, averaging 73°F (22.6°C), and the coolest is Jan at 28°F (-2.5°C). About 981 mm (39 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (117 mm) and Jan the driest (48 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.

Nearby cities to compare

Closest cities in this guide: Cicero (4 miles, rent 20% lower); Berwyn (5 miles, rent 16% lower); Oak Park (6 miles, rent 11% higher); Burbank (8 miles, rent 12% lower). Rent differences are against Chicago; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.

Full guide to Chicago →Illinois guideAll jobs in Chicago

Official links for Chicago

• Census Bureau data profile for Chicago
• Official state website: illinois.gov
• BLS Economy at a Glance: Illinois

These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.

Where to live

CITY Official statistics Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year (via Census Reporter) · Data: ACS 2020–2024

Places within 50 miles (straight line) of Chicago, IL that have a guide, with what living there costs. No pay estimate is shown because the title did not match one occupation.

Career paths

We could not match this title to one occupation, so here are the other sub-niches in Technology, where your skills may carry over:

Cybersecurity (366) Software engineering (1880) Cloud, IT and infrastructure (504) Product management (412)

Distances

CITY Calculation (straight line) Source: U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer (coordinates) · Data: 2024

How far Chicago, IL is from the 20 largest US cities, in straight-line miles (not driving distance). Click a column to sort.

Nearby cities with open jobs (within 120 miles)

The employer

Adyen is the employer in this listing. See all its open jobs here →

Company description (from The Muse): We are the financial technology platform of choice for the world’s leading brands. By providing end-to-end payments capabilities, data-driven insights, and financial products in a single global solution, Adyen helps businesses achieve their ambitions faster. With offices around the world, Adyen works with the likes of Facebook, Uber, H&M, eBay, and Microsoft.

size: Large Size; industries: Financial Services, Fintech, Software, Technology; locations on The Muse: Amsterdam, Netherlands, Chicago, IL, New York, NY, San Francisco, CA.

We do not hold headcount or revenue for this employer. Check its careers site and, if it is listed on a stock exchange, its public filings (SEC EDGAR search).

The employer's profile on The Muse →

What it is like to work at a company (culture, schedules, benefits) is not in the source data, so we do not describe it. Read the description and ask the questions under "How to prepare".

Other open jobs at Adyen

Similar jobs

Same sub-niche: Data, analytics and AI

More jobs in Chicago, IL

All Data, analytics and AI jobs → · All Technology sub-niches →

FAQ

What is the Senior Optimization Data Analyst job at Adyen?

A senior level role in technology (data, analytics and ai) listed 65 days ago. The full description is on this page and on The Muse.

Where is this job?

Chicago, IL.

How do I apply?

Use the "View this job and apply on The Muse" button. AtiveSite does not receive applications.

How much does it pay?

The listing does not publish pay, and we could not match the title to one official occupation.

What is the cost of living there?

Median rent in Chicago is $1,440 a month and median household income $77,902 (ACS 2020–2024).

How old is this listing?

It was posted on 2026-09-04 (65 days ago). Jobs older than 90 days are not shown.

Are there similar jobs?

Yes: browse data, analytics and ai jobs in Illinois.

Sources and terms

• Job data: The Muse public API (listing dated 2026-09-04). The job disappears from this site when it disappears from the source.
• Wages and projections: BLS OEWS (May 2025) and Employment Projections 2025–35.
• City and county figures: Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024, BEA, BLS QCEW and LAUS, NASA POWER climatology; distances from Census Gazetteer coordinates.

AtiveSite is not affiliated with or endorsed by The Muse, the employer or any government agency, and does not process applications. Verify every detail with the employer before acting.

Sources

• BLS OEWS (wages and employment by occupation, May 2025)
• BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
• BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
• BLS JOLTS
• BLS State and Metro Area Employment
• Census Bureau American Community Survey (via Census Reporter)
• BEA GDP by state and Regional Price Parities
• IRS 2026 tax adjustments
• U.S. Department of Labor, minimum wage by state
• Tax Foundation state income tax rates 2026
• USAJOBS
• USCIS
• U.S. Department of State, visas
• NASA POWER climatology
• GeoNames / Census Gazetteer (coordinates)