Data Scientist in Belfast

Imagine catching criminals before they strike—that’s exactly what Napier’s AI‑powered platform does! By analysing transactions and customers in real time, Napier AI’s technology empowers financial institutions to spot suspicious activity, like money laundering, and stops it in its tracks. Napier AI’s technology works like a digital detective, combining AI with smart analytics to outthink criminals and protect people’s money from becoming criminal proceeds. It’s not just about stopping crime—it’s about making the financial world safer and more trustworthy for everyone. Collaboration, innovation and wonderful people are just some of the reasons to bring your career to Napier. Our culture is shaped by our core values that promote equality, creativity, and opportunity in everything we do.

After successfully securing PI investment to fuel our ongoing growth and to further invest in our AI products, we are currently building out our Tech Hub in Belfast – this is a super exciting time to join Napier in Belfast as we expand.

The Role:

You will already be an experienced data scientist, with a STEM background who has created novel AI solutions to complex problems. You will have experience in Python development / prototyping including pandas, numpy, sklearn, tensorflow, pytorch, pyspark and you will have engaged with clients to understand their data and requirements. In addition, you will have an in-depth understanding of Machine learning (supervised and unsupervised learning, classification, clustering) and explainability techniques.

Working with the Chief Data Scientist, data science team, other teams within Napier and Clients, you will install and tune existing AML models and develop new ones (supervised and unsupervised) to solve emerging problems in the anti‑money laundering landscape. Collaborating with clients, you will help them to improve efficiencies in their compliance processes, reduce false positives and false negatives in their risk identification processes by analysing their data and highlighting risks from automated analysis. You will also build prototypes aimed at ingesting clients’ data and running machine learning models. You will actively work with product and development teams to continuously build Napier’s platform.

Your day to day:

• Design, develop and deploy machine learning models to address complex challenges in the AML/financial crime space
• Install, configure and optimise existing AML models, ensuring strong performance and accuracy
• Build new models and approaches to tackle emerging risks and evolving regulatory requirements
• Work closely with clients to understand their data, challenges and compliance requirements
• Analyse client datasets to identify risk patterns, reduce false positives/negatives and improve detection outcomes
• Develop data science prototypes to ingest client data and run machine learning models
• Collaborate with the Chief Data Scientist and wider data science team to advance modelling capabilities
• Partner with product and engineering teams to continuously enhance Napier’s platform and data capabilities
• Apply machine learning techniques including classification, clustering and anomaly detection
• Ensure models are interpretable and leverage explainability techniques to support client and regulatory understanding
• Use Python and relevant libraries (e.g. pandas, numpy, scikit‑learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, PySpark) for development and experimentation
• Contribute to innovation by creating novel AI‑driven solutions to complex data problems

Do you have what it takes?

• Python/Go experience (at least 5 years)
• Understanding of the statistical underpinnings of data science
• Experience in data analytics, manipulation, and transformation (e.g. pandas, pyspark, etc.)
• Develop machine learning algorithms (supervised, unsupervised, clustering, etc.) to score data to identify patterns within an IDE
• Ability to produce production ready code deployed in containers (docker) in collaboration with a team
• Experience with PostGreSQL and efficient computation
• Experience in one or more of: time series modelling, graph knowledge base models, named entity recognition, RAG
• Ability to express complex ideas to a non‑data audience
• Knowledge and experience in Go would be very beneficial

Why Napier?

• Comprehensive private healthcare through AXA covering optical, audio & dental.
• 25 days of annual leave + bank holidays, your birthday and a wellness day.
• Dedicated pension plan through Aviva.
• Life Insurance 4x your annual salary.
• Enhanced Maternity & Paternity leave.
• Income protections policy.
• Work from anywhere for up to 1 month.
• Access to our employee wellbeing programme.
• Gym membership discounts.
• Flexibility in work schedules and locations, ensuring a work‑life balance.

This role can be fulfilled either with a hybrid approach or fully in‑office – depending on your preference. An open and flexible culture that allows you to work in the best way for you.

Please note applicants must have the right to work in the United Kingdom. We are unable to offer sponsorship or take over sponsorship of employment visas at this time.