At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic data science team to drive impactful projects and commercial success.
- Company: Join an innovative insurtech company with a flat structure and collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, hybrid work, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Be part of a team that values innovation and continuous improvement.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in the fintech space while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Strong leadership, data science expertise, and excellent stakeholder management skills.
The predicted salary is between 75600 - 92400 £ per year.
Head of Data Science (12m fixed-term contract)
Location: London
Employment Type: Full time
Department: Data Science
Work Arrangement: Hybrid, 3 days a week
Data Science at Marshmallow
Our data science team supports various business functions across our Product teams and within Pricing and Claims. Working across the full spectrum of data science problems, from traditional machine learning for risk-based decisioning through to generative AI and the automation of complex operational journeys, all within a regulated insurtech/fintech domain. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can bring a team together and ensure it delivers at pace while its foundations strengthen: leading and developing the people, personally holding the bar on technical quality, and partnering closely with engineering and product. It suits a leader who is strong both leading and growing teams as well as a technical decision-maker.
About the team
The Data Science team operates as a primary commercial engine for Marshmallow, using data and machine learning to drive tangible business outcomes, from pricing strategy to operational efficiency. The team works closely with senior stakeholders and partners across data, engineering, product and commercial functions to identify the right opportunities and make thoughtful technical trade-offs. We operate with a flat structure, so leaders stay close to the people doing the work and support colleagues at different levels of experience. Our ambition is to keep raising the bar for how data science delivers impact across the business.
What you’ll be doing
- Drive commercial impact at every turn: Proactively identify and prioritise data science opportunities that offer the highest leverage for the business, ensuring every project is measured by its bottom-line contribution and strategic commercial alignment.
- Lead the people and culture agenda for data science: set goals, manage performance and development conversations, and keep an evolving team engaged and delivering high-impact projects.
- Provide hands-on technical leadership: set and hold a consistent bar on technical standards across the full modelling and data lifecycle.
- Represent data science in cross-functional conversations, partnering closely with engineering, product and pricing on technical direction and trade-offs.
- Build collective ownership of technical standards across Data Science, coaching people to look beyond their own domain and drive function-wide improvements to shared standards, tooling and best practice.
Who you are
You bring an inherently commercial-first mindset: you don't just build models, you build solutions that directly influence the P you adapt to change well (and in fact relish it!). You like to take real ownership of your work, drive yourself forward, and work well both autonomously but also collaboratively with the team and your stakeholders.
What we’re looking for from you
- Must have: Excellent leadership and team management skills. A strong background as a senior data science individual contributor, with commercial experience delivering ML solutions end to end. Proven ability to influence technical direction across Data Science and Engineering, including shaping scalable model/service integration patterns and challenging proposals to drive robust, long-term solutions. Strong stakeholder management skills, with confidence communicating trade-offs and pushing back constructively to C-suite and senior stakeholders across different functions to ensure high-quality outcomes.
- Nice to have: Experience in insurance, fraud, or another regulated decisioning domain. Experience of contributing towards the strategy for Gen AI within an organisation, and leading data scientists to deliver Gen AI solutions that drove measurable business value.
Hiring: Interim Head of Data Science employer: Gofractional
Gofractional is an exceptional employer that prioritises a positive candidate experience and fosters a collaborative work culture in the heart of London. With a strong focus on employee growth, you will have the opportunity to enhance your skills while working with cutting-edge recruitment technologies. Join us to be part of a team that values kindness, innovation, and the continuous improvement of hiring practices.
