Senior Data Scientist

Senior Data Scientist

Full-Time 60000 - 80000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
Carwow Group

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead data science projects, developing ML and AI solutions that drive real business outcomes.
  • Company: Join a rapidly growing online car-changing platform with a vibrant culture.
  • Benefits: Enjoy hybrid working, competitive salary, generous leave, and wellness support.
  • Other info: Be part of a diverse team that values innovation and collaboration.
  • Why this job: Make an impact in a dynamic marketplace while working with cutting-edge technology.
  • Qualifications: Experience in ML, strong problem-solving skills, and a commercial mindset.

The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.

OUR MISSION

To become the car-changing destination of choice. By combining technology, media and deep automotive expertise, we've turned how people buy, sell, advertise and lease cars on its head. What started as a simple reviews site is now one of the largest online car-changing destinations in Europe. Last year alone we grew over 50% with nearly £3bn worth of cars bought on site, while £1.8bn of cars were listed for sale through our Sell My Car service. In 2024 we went big and acquired Autovia - creators of AutoExpress and Evo magazines - doubling our audience overnight. Together we now have one of the biggest YouTube channels in the world with almost 10m subscribers and over 1.1 billion annual views, while we sell 1.2 million print copies of our magazines and have an annual web content reach over 350 million. And we’re a long way from done!

THE ROLE

We're looking for a Senior Data Scientist to join our award-winning Data Science team at a pivotal moment. Carwow operates a two-sided marketplace — connecting car buyers and sellers at scale — and data science sits at the heart of how we make that marketplace smarter, faster, and more valuable for everyone in it. In fact, we recently won GenAI initiative of the Year at the British Data Awards. This is a hands‑on, high‑ownership role working centrally across the business. You'll partner with teams spanning Commercial, Marketing, Product, Finance, Engineering and Operations — developing and deploying ML and AI solutions that drive outcomes across both sides of our marketplace.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

  • End-to-End ML & AI Delivery: Lead data science initiatives from problem framing through to deployment, monitoring, and iteration — delivering the full production lifecycle.
  • GenAI & LLM Application: Design and build LLM-powered solutions where they create genuine business value — document processing, intelligent search, content understanding, and beyond.
  • Commercial Impact: Connect your work directly to business outcomes.
  • Prototyping & Experimentation: Move fast to test ideas before committing to full‑scale development.
  • Cross‑Functional Partnership: Work closely with stakeholders to understand problems deeply before reaching for a solution.
  • Standards & Craft: Contribute to shared best practices, documentation, and ways of working that raise the bar for the data science function.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Please note: We know that no candidate will be the perfect match for all we've listed in this posting, so we’d encourage you to apply if you feel you're close to the brief but not an exact match.

  • Commercial Mindset: You think about business impact first.
  • Stakeholder Partnership: Proven ability to work with commercial, marketing, and product stakeholders.
  • Sound Judgement: You navigate the tooling landscape with clear eyes.
  • [Bonus] Marketplace or Two‑Sided Platform Experience: Understanding of supply/demand dynamics.

TECHNICAL SKILLSET

  • Proven ML Experience: A strong track record of building, deploying, and maintaining ML models in Python.
  • Full‑Lifecycle Delivery (MLOps): Comfortable delivering the end‑to‑end production lifecycle.
  • GenAI & LLM Expertise: Hands‑on experience building LLM‑powered solutions.
  • Technical Depth: Solid experience in a cloud ML environment.
  • Quantitative Rigour: Strong foundation in statistical evaluation and experiment design.
  • [Bonus] Experience with VertexAI

TOOLS & TECHNOLOGIES

  • Languages: Python, SQL
  • Data & Transformation: dbt, Snowflake, BigQuery
  • Visualisation & BI: Looker
  • Engineering & MLOps: Docker, GitHub
  • Workflow & Orchestration: Vertex AI Pipelines (GCP), Kubeflow
  • LLMs & GenAI: Gemini API, Claude API

INTERVIEW PROCESS

  • Step 1: People Team Screening Call (30 min)
  • Step 2: Hiring Manager Call: Experience (45 min)
  • Step 3: Technical Task: covering both Modelling & Production with Presentation (60 min + Task)
  • Step 4: Values Interview (45 min)

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU

  • Hybrid working
  • Competitive salary
  • Matched pension contributions
  • Share options
  • Vitality Private Healthcare
  • Life Assurance
  • Monthly coaching sessions with Spill
  • Enhanced holiday package
  • 28 days annual leave
  • 1 day for your wedding
  • 1 day off when you move house
  • For your third year anniversary, get 30 days of annual leave per year
  • For your tenth year anniversary, get 35 days of annual leave per year
  • Option to buy 3 extra days of holiday per year
  • Work from abroad for a month
  • Inclusive parental, partner and shared parental leave
  • Bubble childcare support and discounted nanny fees
  • The latest tech (Macbook or Surface)
  • Up to £500/€550 home office allowance
  • Generous learning and development budget
  • Regular social events
  • Refer a friend, get paid.

Diversity and inclusion is an integral part of our culture. We know that diverse teams are strong teams, so we welcome those with alternative identities, backgrounds, and experiences to apply for this position.

Senior Data Scientist employer: Carwow Group

Carwow Group is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters creativity and collaboration within its in-house agency, Moshi. Employees benefit from robust growth opportunities, competitive compensation, and the chance to lead innovative projects that directly impact OEM partnerships across diverse markets. Located in a vibrant area, the company promotes a healthy work-life balance and encourages professional development, making it an ideal place for those seeking meaningful and rewarding careers.

Carwow Group

Contact Details:

Carwow Group Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Senior Data Scientist

Get Involved in Data Science Meetups

Tap into local data science meetups or workshops to connect with fellow enthusiasts and professionals. These events are goldmines for networking, and sometimes even lead directly to job openings at companies like Carwow Group!

Show Off Your Projects

Start building a public portfolio showcasing your data science projects on platforms like GitHub or personal websites. Highlight unique analyses or models you've developed. This not only demonstrates your skills but also gets your name out there for roles like Senior Data Scientist at Carwow Group.

Leverage Professional Networks

Join professional bodies related to data science, like the Data Science Society or similar organisations. Getting involved can lead to mentorship opportunities and insider knowledge about full-time positions at companies like Carwow Group.

Apply Directly through Our Website

When you find a suitable opening like Senior Data Scientist at Carwow Group, make sure to apply directly through our website. It gives you an edge and shows you're keen to join our team. Plus, who doesn’t love a direct application? It’s easier than navigating through job boards!

We think you need these skills to ace Senior Data Scientist

Machine Learning (ML)
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Python
SQL
MLOps
GenAI
LLM Expertise

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Off Your Projects:In the world of data science, your projects can speak volumes about your skills. Make sure to showcase a few key projects in your CV or portfolio, especially those that highlight your ability to work with data sets, build models, or use relevant tools like Python, R, or SQL. Don’t forget to include links to any GitHub repositories if applicable!

Quantify Your Achievements:Employers love numbers! When drafting your CV, highlight your achievements with quantifiable results. For instance, mention how your data analysis led to a certain percentage increase in efficiency or revenue at a previous job or project. These details can really make your application pop!

Craft a Tailored Cover Letter:For a full-time role at Carwow Group, your cover letter should reflect your passion for data science and your excitement about the specific projects or values of the company. Dive into why you’re a good fit, how your skills align with their needs, and any unique perspectives you can bring to the team.

Stand Out with Relevant Courses and Certifications:Although experience talks, relevant courses or certifications can be your ticket to impressing hiring managers at Carwow Group. Mention any standout courses you've completed that equipped you with essential skills, such as machine learning certifications or data visualisation courses. This shows your commitment to continuously developing your skills in the field!

How to prepare for a job interview at Carwow Group

Brush Up on Your Statistics

For a data science role, we need to seriously sharpen our statistics skills. Get ready to tackle technical questions on probability distributions, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis. These are often the bread and butter of data science interviews, so don't just skim over them!

Showcase Your Projects

Prepare a killer portfolio showcasing your data science projects. We should include details about the datasets used, the tools and techniques applied, and the impact of your findings. If we can walk them through a particularly challenging project or a cool visualisation that had real-world implications, it’ll really make us stand out!

Get Comfortable with Python and R

Most data science positions require us to be proficient in programming languages like Python and R. We should practice common libraries like pandas, NumPy, and scikit-learn, and be ready for live coding exercises or algorithm questions. Showing off our coding chops can really impress the interviewers at Carwow Group!

Prepare for Case Studies

Expect to encounter real-world case studies during the interview. We might be asked how we’d approach a data problem or analyse a dataset to extract insights. It's essential to think out loud and demonstrate our problem-solving process so that the interviewer can see our logical thinking in action.