Data Science Lead

About the position

You'll be responsible for managing, developing, and inspiring a high-performing team of data scientists, machine learning engineers, and Generative AI developers. Operating within a squad model, the role focuses on fostering technical excellence across the team by ensuring the quality, scalability, and integrity of their output, rather than directly directing the work. You'll work closely with our Head of Global Data & Analytics & Head of Data Science to establish best practices, provide technical oversight, and act as a guardian of quality assurance across all Advanced Analytics projects and deliverables. You will also play a key role in enabling innovation, supporting professional growth, and aligning the team's capabilities with organisational goals. By fostering a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and technical rigour, you'll ensure that the team is empowered to deliver impactful solutions that drive business outcomes and create value.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a multidisciplinary team of data scientists, machine learning engineers, and GenAI developers, ensuring they are empowered to deliver high-quality, scalable solutions.
• Establish and enforce best practices for coding, model development, and deployment processes to ensure all outputs meet organisational standards.
• Conduct regular 1:1s, performance reviews, and provide constructive feedback to support individual and team growth.
• Act as a bridge between squads and stakeholders, ensuring alignment and collaboration across teams to maximise impact.
• Develop and execute training plans to enhance the team's technical capabilities.
• Provide technical mentorship and career guidance to team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional development.
• Encourage and facilitate the sharing of knowledge, tools, and techniques within the team and across the organisation.
• Contribute to the development and execution of the organisation's advanced analytics strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Identify and drive opportunities for applying advanced analytics, machine learning, and Generative AI to solve complex business challenges.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to define and prioritise the roadmap for analytics initiatives, balancing innovation with delivery timelines.
• Stay ahead of industry trends and emerging technologies, assessing their relevance and potential impact on the organisation.
• Ensure the team's processes, tools, and solutions are scalable and can support organisational growth.
• Champion robust data governance practices, ensuring compliance with legal, ethical, and organisational standards in all analytics initiatives.
• Establish and monitor KPIs to measure the team's performance and the business impact of advanced analytics solutions.

Requirements

• 7+ years' leadership experience leading, managing or influencing multiple functions, geographies and stakeholders (ideally in a Global Digital Program).
• Experience managing a large, multi-cultural, diverse team.
• Significant previous experience creating and leading cross functional and multi-country business change programmes.
• Familiarity with modern data science tools and technologies such as continuous integration, build, deliver, test-driven development and automated acceptance testing.
• Experience of managing a portfolio of programmes and initiatives within a matrix structure, creating/delivering customer value propositions, and leading technology related programmes.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in multi-facility, international organisations with diverse multi-cultural, corporate cultures.
• Agile (SCRUM) Certification.
• Development Coach Certification.

Benefits

• Hybrid Work Model
• Diverse and inclusive work environment