Lead Data Scientist - Operations Research

Moving your career forward

Our CEO, Angus spotted that many vans on the roads are half full or empty at any given time and so AnyVan was born in 2009 to create the world\’s most efficient technology logistics platform and help halve the number of miles driven.

We\’ve achieved incredible milestones since then, including securing the largest funding round for a UK tech logistics company from Vitruvian Partners. Today, AnyVan is the largest and fastest-growing company in the logistics space, with big ambitions for the future.

We\’re committed to moving that\’s miles better and have helped over 8 million customers across the UK, Ireland and Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain) and over 150,000 customers have rated us excellent on Trustpilot.

By using innovative technology, we\’re transforming the moving experience, cutting costs and doing our part for the planet to make sure moving doesn\’t cost the earth. We\’ve saved enough miles to travel 1,185 times around the world, reduce 8520 tonnes of carbon annually and are proud to be the only carbon neutral removals and delivery company in the UK!!!

We\’re looking for passionate individuals to join our talented team of approx. 300 AnyVanners in our London and Cape Town offices. If you\’re as driven as we are and want to be part of a forward-thinking company to make moving \’miles better\’ and moving your career forward at the same time – we\’d love to hear from you!

As part of our Routing and Optimisation team, you’ll play a crucial role in helping us deliver industry-leading products and services to our customers and delivery partners, while also reducing our cost to fulfil and minimising environmental impact.

What you\’ll be doing:

• Bring a strong commercial mindset and apply advanced scientific techniques, analytics, and statistics to solve high-impact decision problems.

• As a seasoned data or decision science practitioner, you’ll design and develop scalable, innovative algorithms and analytical solutions with a clear focus on business value.

• Collaborate closely with the Head of Routing and Optimisation, as well as engineering and product leaders, to conceptualise and deliver end-to-end solutions using heuristics, machine learning, and optimisation techniques.

• Work alongside, guide, and mentor both senior and junior data scientists to develop production-ready solutions, contributing hands-on where needed to write and deploy high-quality code.

• Partner with product and tech stakeholders to bring these solutions to life, ensuring they are scalable, sustainable, and commercially effective.

• Define key KPIs for each solution and take responsibility for tracking their performance post-launch to ensure they deliver measurable impact.

• Through your technical leadership and commercial focus, you’ll drive meaningful outcomes while maintaining a bias toward simplicity and speed.

What you\’ll need to succeed:

• A masters or PhD in Operations Research, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Machine Learning, Statistics or related algorithmic fields

• Proven experience developing optimisation or machine learning solutions in fast-paced logistics marketplaces or top-tier management consulting firms focused on logistics

• A commercial mindset – driven by business impact, not perfection. You find simple, scalable solutions that solve 80% of the problem quickly rather than chasing complex, unnecessary models

• Passion to drive end-to-end value creation – from shaping the problem to deploying usable solutions and measuring their impact

• Ability to work with ambiguity and bring clarity; you’re comfortable creating structure where there is none

• Deep understanding of techniques such as mixed-integer programming, heuristics/metaheuristics, approximate algorithms, constraint programming, and machine learning (incl. deep learning) – and you know when not to use them

• Hands-on experience in domains such as procurement planning, pricing, revenue management, routing, and forecasting

• Strong SQL and programming ability (Python essential; Java/C++ a plus)

• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) – you can explain complex ideas in simple terms, and push back on over-complication when needed

• Passion for data science, optimisation, and the logistics marketplace

• Working knowledge of agile methodologies and experience working in fast-moving cross-functional teams

• A bias to action – you value progress over perfection and can move quickly to deliver value

• Based in the UK, happy to commute to our Hammersmith office at least 3 days a week

Perks of the job:

• A great base salary that reflects your value

• Take a Break: 25 days of holiday plus public holidays, Christmas Eve on us and Long Term Service perks capped at 30days

• Keeping you healthy: In house gym, the opportunity to join Vitality with a hole host of wellbeing benefits and medical cover and enhanced sick pay

• Prepare for the future: The People\’s Pension with 5% employee and 3% employer contributions

• Family leave: enhanced maternity pay

• Travel: We\’re 2 mins walk from the tube, partner with Octopus Electric Vehicles and Evans Cycle to Work scheme, and have showers and towels if you cycle!

• Keeping you refreshed: Enjoy an in-house barista and free breakfast every day

• Social Scene: Thursday drinks and regular social activities

• Celebrating Success: 1/4 performance awards with prizes and an annual performance awards – last years winner enjoyed a 4 day all expenses paid trip to the French alps!

• Skills Booster: Opportunity to join a disruptive Technology Leader and be part of a fast-growing, innovative company reshaping the industry

Our company values are:

• Have fun, get it done (work hard play hard, satisfaction in results, do the right thing)

• Progress over perfection (Innovate and disrupt, Curious and adaptable, Work quick, learn quicker)

• One team thinking big (Collaborate and communicate, Celebrate wins, Embrace challenges)

DE&I

We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse workplace where every voice is heard, every perspective is valued, and every individual has the opportunity to thrive. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds to be part of our mission and contribute to our vibrant culture.

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