The mortgage machine · Stage 3 of 7
03 Data & analytics
Reading the numbers: credit, pricing and prepayment models. What this team does, why it matters to your loan, and who's hiring for it.
19 open roles · updated October 23, 2026
The short answer
Mortgages are a data business. Analysts and data scientists build the models that predict which loans will default, which borrowers will refinance (prepay) and when, what a home is worth without a full appraisal, and which applications look like fraud. They also run the reporting regulators require, such as Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data, and the dashboards that tell a lender how fast loans are moving.
A closer look at the work
The biggest data teams sit at Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and large servicers, where small model improvements apply to millions of loans. Typical work includes credit and default models, prepayment models (which feed capital markets and servicing valuations), automated valuation models, fraud detection, and the data pipelines that make all of it reproducible for auditors and regulators.
Because lending decisions are covered by fair lending laws, model work comes with documentation and testing for disparate impact, and model risk teams independently validate important models.
Why it matters to you as a borrower
Models shape what you're offered: whether an appraisal waiver is available, how your credit score and down payment change the price, and how quickly a file gets approved. Fair lending testing of those models is part of the job.
Typical job titles
Data analyst, data engineer, data scientist, quantitative analyst, BI developer, modeling lead, AI/ML engineer.
All open roles in this stage (19)
About these listings. Listings are pulled automatically from each company's public careers page and may be out of date. MortgageInfo.us isn't a recruiter, doesn't accept applications and isn't affiliated with these companies. Apply on the company's own site.
Fannie Mae 6
- AI Product Innovation Lead - Single Family Market Engagement
- Lead Business Intelligence & AI Solutions Analyst - Single Family
- Principal, AI Solutions
- Principal--Data, Analytics & AI Architect
- Senior Director of Modeling and Analytics, Platforms/Products
- Senior Director, Mortgage Forecasting & Analytics
Freddie Mac 4
- Quantitative Analytics Senior
- Quantitative Analytics Senior Director - Multifamily Model Research
- Quantitative Analytics Senior Tech Lead - Multifamily Model Research
- Senior Data Engineer
Newrez 4
- Senior Analyst - Strategic Analytics
- Sr Data Analyst (On-site)
- TRAIL Rising Leaders Program - Data & Analytics
- TRAIL Rising Leaders Program - Data Product Engineering
Pennymac 3
Valon 2
Frequently asked questions
What do data scientists do at mortgage companies?
They model credit risk, prepayment (when borrowers refinance or sell), home values and fraud, and they build the reporting and pipelines that feed pricing, servicing and regulatory filings such as HMDA.
Is quantitative finance experience useful in mortgage?
Yes. Mortgage-backed securities behave differently from ordinary bonds because borrowers can prepay, so prepayment and interest rate modeling are core quantitative skills at lenders, servicers and the GSEs.