Lead Data Scientist in Leeds

We’re seeking a passionate Data Scientist to lead the end-to-end implementation and design of data science applications for various clients. You will join a growing practice and play a leading role in the ongoing development of the data science discipline, driving innovation, best practice adoption and motivating and empowering domain practitioners to create a positive and creative culture for our people to perform well, learn and grow. You’ll join a talented team of dynamic and driven professional problem solvers; creative thinkers and solutions builders who thrive on helping clients meet the most exciting digital transformation challenges. Make a difference and advance your career by helping deliver some of the UK’s most important #tech4good projects, making the world a smarter, safer, greener, and healthier place.

About Us: Founded in 1992, we are a successful, growing International digital transformation consultancy. We deliver multi-Queen’s Award for innovation winning platforms and services that support large-scale digital transformation. Our digital, data and technology solutions are used by globally recognised public and private sector brands operating in a variety of sectors including Civil Defence, Healthcare, Sustainable Environment and Land Asset Management, and Digital Democracy.

Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities:

• Lead Data Scientists lead the planning, design, development, integration and testing of complex, high quality data science solutions and services to meet user needs, continually improving the application of best practice patterns, methods and tools.
• Build effective working relationships with clients/3rd party counterparts, leading interaction in your domain.
• Own the end-to-end implementation and design for larger data science services, assuring the development and maintenance of high-quality documentation and ensuring that designs are translated into implementation.
• Take overall technical responsibility for data science in larger engagements, across all stages (design, build, test, deploy, operate and continually improve).
• Collaborate with practitioners from other disciplines (e.g. UCD, Engineering) to ensure the solution meets user and business needs.
• Help structure and provide technical assurance for the work of teams of less experienced practitioners, supporting Senior practitioners to help maximise overall quality and velocity.
• Support the growth of Informed’s data science capability by helping to recruit technical staff (interviews, assessments), and contributing to training materials to achieve curriculum outcomes.

Requirements:

• Experience working with cloud-based solutions and technologies (Google Cloud Platform, AWS, Azure).
• Hands‑on knowledge of designing and implementing Data Science solutions capable of handling sensitive data (e.g., Personally Identifiable Information).
• Strong knowledge of a programming language for data science (Python, R, etc.) including best practices using this language to write robust software.
• An awareness of data governance and best practices to ensure data protection.
• Experience planning data science activities, including how teams and work should be structured.
• Being able to provide robust estimates of activities.
• Experience having a leading role in developing data science applications.
• Having operationalised and deployed various data science applications into a live environment.
• Experience structuring the work of data science teams based on requirements at the time, working to deadlines and practitioner’s strengths and providing support to less experienced colleagues.
• Background in Agile delivery environments, delivering software solutions in controlled increments (e.g., following Scrum, Agile Delivery phases, GDS Service Manual, etc.).
• A bachelor’s degree in a STEM field.

Desirable skills and experience:

• Experience working in a professional services/consultancy environment preferred.
• Experience solving natural language processing problems.
• Experience creating generative AI applications, such as chatbots or RAG retrieval systems.
• Understanding of general computer science concepts (test‑driven development, object‑oriented programming, complexity and optimisation).
• Ability to work effectively across multiple teams and projects.
• Ability to explain and simplify complex information to stakeholders, gathering and translating business requirements, anticipating any obstacles to information flow.
• A master’s degree or PhD in a STEM field.

Personal Qualities:

• You are hands on, working within a team to solve complex software and feature problems.
• Inquisitive, using critical thinking to ask lots of questions, overcome biases, break assumptions and consider different perspectives.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Detail‑oriented with a focus on accuracy.
• Able to plan and organise your own work, effectively negotiating priorities crossing multiple teams across the business.
• Able to collaborate with other areas of the business to solve problems.
• Able to quickly learn and adapt to new technologies.

Benefits:

Our benefits package complements our highly competitive salaries and our great working environment. We believe that our people should be properly rewarded for their commitment to the continued success of our business through a comprehensive and flexible range of benefits. These can include:

• InformedACADEMY© – We offer excellent career development opportunities through our award‑winning personal and professional development programmes, including support with professional certifications.
• Industry leading health and wellbeing plan – We partner with several wellbeing support functions to cater to each individual’s need, including 24/7 GP services, mental health support and physical health support.
• Hybrid working*
• Private Health Care Cover*
• Generous life assurance cover*
• Gym Membership*
• Monthly office lunch
• Onsite massage sessions
• 25 paid working days holiday per year plus bank holidays*
• Sabbatical Leave Scheme*
• Enhanced Maternity Leave and Pay*
• Enhanced Paternity Leave and Pay*
• Company Pension Contribution
• Profit Share Scheme
• Payment of professional subscriptions
• Generous referral scheme with no limits on the number of referrals
• Salary Sacrifice scheme*

*Qualifying period applies