Sardine Careers & Recruitment

Corporate Overview & History

Sardine, founded in 2020 by a team of former engineers from Stripe, Plaid and Square, is a next‑generation risk and compliance platform that empowers fintechs, neobanks, and digital lenders to make real‑time decisions on fraud, credit, and identity verification. The company began as a stealth‑mode startup in New York City, raising a $12 million seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz and General Catalyst. By 2022, Sardine had expanded its product suite to include Identity Verification, Transaction Monitoring, Credit Scoring, and AML/KYC compliance, serving over 150 fintech clients worldwide.

Recognising the talent pool and cost advantage in India, Sardine opened its first offshore engineering hub in Bangalore in 2021, followed by a data‑science centre in Hyderabad (2022) and a client‑success office in Mumbai (2023). Today, more than 40% of Sardine’s global engineering, analytics and support workforce is based in India, making it a critical pillar of the company’s growth strategy.

Core Business Operations & Divisions

• Risk Engine & Decisioning Platform – Real‑time API that scores transactions for fraud, credit risk and compliance.
• Identity & KYC Suite – Document verification, facial biometrics, and watch‑list screening.
• Credit & Underwriting Analytics – Machine‑learning models that assess creditworthiness using alternative data.
• Compliance & AML Monitoring – Automated SAR filing, transaction monitoring, and regulatory reporting.
• Product & Engineering – Core platform development, API design, cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP).
• Data Science & AI – Model research, feature engineering, model ops.
• Client Success & Partnerships – On‑boarding, integration support, and strategic fintech alliances.

Indian centres host the following functional hubs:

Career Opportunities & In‑Demand Roles

Sardine’s rapid expansion creates a wide spectrum of roles across experience levels. Below is a snapshot of the most sought‑after positions in India:

• Software Engineer (Backend) – 0‑2 years (freshers) and 3‑7 years; focus on API design, micro‑services, and cloud native development.
• Data Scientist / ML Engineer – 2‑5 years; build fraud detection models, credit scoring algorithms, and A/B testing frameworks.
• Product Manager – FinTech Solutions – 4‑8 years; define product roadmaps, work with engineering & compliance teams.
• Compliance Analyst – AML/KYC – 1‑4 years; monitor regulatory changes, support SAR filing, and liaise with Indian RBI.
• DevOps Engineer – 2‑6 years; CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code, cloud cost optimisation.
• Customer Success Manager – 2‑5 years; fintech onboarding, integration support, renewal management.
• Sales Development Representative (SDR) – 0‑2 years; prospect fintechs, qualify leads, schedule demos.

Hiring & Selection Process

Sardine follows a structured, four‑stage recruitment workflow designed to assess both technical competence and cultural fit:

1. Online Application & Resume Screening – Recruiters evaluate CVs against role‑specific criteria.
2. Aptitude & Coding Assessment – For engineering roles, candidates complete a 90‑minute online test on HackerRank/CodeSignal covering data structures, algorithms and system design. For data roles, a take‑home ML case study is provided.
3. Technical Interview(s) – 1‑2 rounds with senior engineers or data scientists. Topics include API design, cloud architecture, model evaluation, and problem‑solving on a shared whiteboard (virtual).
4. Leadership & Culture Fit Interview – Conducted by the hiring manager and a senior leader. Questions explore product sense, stakeholder management, and alignment with Sardine’s “trust‑first” culture.
5. HR & Compensation Discussion – Final offer, benefits overview, and relocation assistance (if applicable).

Typical timelines: 2‑3 weeks for freshers, 3‑5 weeks for senior hires.

Salary Structure, Compensation & Benefits

Compensation at Sardine is market‑aligned, with a mix of base salary, performance‑linked bonus, and equity (stock options) for full‑time employees. Below is a representative salary band (INR) for 2024:

Additional benefits include:

• Health & dental insurance for employee + immediate family.
• Flexible work‑from‑home policy (minimum 2 days in office per week).
• Annual learning & development stipend (₹30,000) and access to Coursera/Udemy.
• Paid parental leave (26 weeks for mothers, 12 weeks for fathers).
• Wellness allowance, gym membership, and quarterly team‑offsites.

Application Guidelines & Eligibility

To be considered for a role at Sardine, candidates should meet the following baseline criteria:

• Educational Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, Business Administration or related field. For senior roles, a Master’s or Ph.D. is preferred.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in the language stack relevant to the role (e.g., Java/Kotlin/Go for backend, Python/R for data). Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP) and CI/CD tools is a plus.
• Soft Skills: Strong analytical mindset, communication ability, and a collaborative attitude aligned with Sardine’s “trust‑first” ethos.
• Work Authorization: Indian citizens can work on a full‑time basis; for foreign nationals, a valid work visa (E‑2, H‑1B equivalent) is required.

Application steps:

1. Visit the Sardine Careers portal and filter by location “India”.
2. Upload an updated resume and a concise cover letter (max 300 words) highlighting relevant projects.
3. Complete the optional “Sardine Talent Survey” to help recruiters match you with suitable openings.
4. Track application status via the portal; recruiters typically respond within 5 business days.

For campus recruitment, Sardine partners with top Indian institutes (IITs, NITs, BITS Pilani) and conducts on‑campus hackathons focused on fraud‑detection challenges.

Job seekers interested in Sardine recruitment notifications can review key eligibility criteria, age limits, pay scales, selection procedures, and application deadlines listed in the active vacancies below.