Head of Data Science

Data Science Festival; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 115,000 - GBP 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading data-focused organization in the UK seeks a Head of Data Science to lead a team of data scientists and drive machine learning initiatives. This role involves setting technical directions and ensuring alignment with company objectives while fostering a collaborative environment. Ideal candidates will have proven leadership experience, strong skills in deploying ML models, and the ability to mentor and develop a high-performing team. This position offers a salary of £115K – £125K plus bonus, with hybrid work options.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience in data science or machine learning.
• Strong background in building and deploying ML models in production.
• Ability to structure and lead data science teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead a growing team of 6+ data scientists.
• Set technical direction and align with company-wide OKRs.
• Drive the transition towards machine learning engineering.

Skills

Leadership in data science or machine learning

Building ML models at scale

Leading embedded data science teams

Technical expertise in Databricks, Python, Spark

Engineering mindset and best practices

Providing direction and mentorship

Tools

Databricks

Python

Spark

GCP/BigQuery

Job description

Head of Data Science

Salary: £115K – £125K + bonus

Location: Manchester 2-4 days a month

The Opportunity

We’re working with a high-growth business that is scaling its data function to the next level. Data scientists here have traditionally combined reporting with predictive modelling, but the business is now creating a dedicated leadership role to bring focus, structure and engineering rigour to the discipline.

As Head of Data Science, you’ll lead a growing team of 6+ scientists embedded across product and functional teams, while also setting the technical direction and ensuring alignment with company-wide OKRs. You’ll drive the transition towards machine learning engineering, championing end-to-end model ownership from research through to deployment in production. This is a fantastic opportunity to shape the data science strategy, support the career growth of talented scientists, and deliver measurable impact in areas such as search, pricing, personalisation, vouchers, marketing, operations and finance.

Skills and Experience

• Proven leadership experience in data science or machine learning, ideally within product-led or consumer-facing organisations
• Strong background in building and deploying ML models at scale in production environments
• Ability to structure and lead embedded data science teams, partnering effectively with senior stakeholders across multiple domains
• Hands-on technical expertise with tools such as Databricks, Python, Spark, and GCP/BigQuery
• Engineering mindset, with experience moving teams toward machine learning engineering best practices
• Credibility to lead long-tenured individual contributors while providing direction, mentorship and career development

If you are looking for a new challenge, then please submit your CV for initial screening and more details.