At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and deploy innovative AI solutions to transform business processes and improve decision-making.
- Company: Optima Partners, a leading data and business consultancy based in Edinburgh.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous holiday, private medical insurance, and professional development opportunities.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on knowledge sharing and career growth.
- Why this job: Join a dynamic team and work with top brands on cutting-edge AI technologies.
- Qualifications: Experience in AI applications, strong Python skills, and excellent communication abilities.
The predicted salary is between 81000 - 99000 £ per year.
Who We Are
Optima Partners is an advanced data and business consultancy headquartered in Edinburgh, UK.
We are a practitioner-led organisation that collaborates with top consumer brands to drive transformation and foster customer-centricity through our expertise in customer strategy, innovative design, and advanced data science and engineering.
We work with leading consumer brands to tackle and overcome complex business and customer problems, drive transformation and champion customer-centric agendas.
We are proud to include leading UK and global brands among our current clients, including Lloyds Banking Group, Nat West Group, Bank of Ireland, Nationwide, Aviva, Biogen, Eon Next, OVO, Virgin Media O2, BT, HMD Global, Centrica and GSK.
We are obsessive about delivering value for our clients and work in a collaborative, engaged and creative way with our colleagues and clients.
We strive to support the transition of knowledge and capability into strategic teams.
The opportunity
We are looking for a Senior AI Specialist to design, build and deploy practical AI solutions that help clients transform business processes, improve decision-making and increase efficiency.
With a strong focus on generative AI, agentic AI and retrieval-augmented generation, this role combines hands-on technical delivery with the ability to understand commercial challenges and turn them into scalable, robust solutions.
As part of Optima’s growing AI capability, you will work closely with colleagues across data science, data engineering, consulting and client engagement to identify high-impact use cases and deliver AI-enabled solutions that embed effectively into clients’ operating environments.
- What You Will Be Doing
- Design, develop and deploy AI solutions, including LLM applications, RAG-based systems, intelligent automation workflows and agentic AI solutions.
- Build and optimise end-to-end AI pipelines, APIs and services using Python, integrating with enterprise platforms, databases and third-party systems.
- Work with clients and business stakeholders to identify high-impact use cases and translate requirements into scalable AI-driven solutions.
- Evaluate and improve solution performance, accuracy, reliability, scalability, governance and operational effectiveness.
- Contribute to accelerators, prototypes and proof-of-concept initiatives that demonstrate measurable business value.
- Collaborate with Optima’s wider community to embed AI-enabled thinking into business processes and delivery methodologies.
- Support client workshops, knowledge sharing, training and AI adoption initiatives, acting as a trusted advisor on emerging AI capabilities.
- What Skills We Would Like You To Have
- Experience designing, building or deploying AI applications, LLM solutions, RAG solutions, AI agents or intelligent automation workflows.
- Strong Python and SQL skills, with experience using frameworks such as Lang Chain, Lang Graph or similar technologies.
- Knowledge of vector databases, prompt engineering, API integration, AI orchestration platforms and cloud environments, with Azure experience preferred.
- Familiarity with Docker, CI/CD, MLOps, enterprise system integration and AI governance principles would be advantageous.
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Commercial curiosity, a proactive mindset and a passion for emerging AI technologies and identifying opportunities to create business value.
This is an exciting opportunity to work directly with clients, delivering innovative AI solutions and helping organisations realise the potential of generative and agentic AI at scale while developing your career in a specialist data and AI consultancy.
What We Offer
- Competitive base salary.
- Inclusion in our annual discretionary bonus plan with an on-target performance bonus of up to 15%.
- Up to 37 days holiday inclusive of personal and public allocations.
Seven are fixed days for Christmas and New Year, and 30 are floating days taken at your discretion, subject to client scheduling and line manager approval.
- Private medical insurance, single cover.
- Group life and income protection insurance.
- Salary sacrifice pension scheme after three months’ employment.
- Access to over 1,000 perks and discounts via an employee discount portal.
- Dedicated development time plus tools and funding to support personal and professional development.
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Senior AI Specialist employer: Optima Partners
Optima Partners is an exceptional employer located in the vibrant City of Edinburgh, offering a collaborative work culture that fosters innovation and professional growth. As a Senior Data Scientist, you will not only lead impactful projects but also have the opportunity to mentor junior colleagues, ensuring a supportive environment for continuous learning. With a focus on delivering actionable insights across various sectors, you'll be part of a dynamic team dedicated to making a real difference in the field of machine learning.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior AI Specialist
✨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 Optima Partners!
✨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 AI Specialist at Optima Partners.
✨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 Optima Partners.
✨Apply Directly through Our Website
When you find a suitable opening like Senior AI Specialist at Optima Partners, 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 AI Specialist
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 Optima Partners, 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 Optima Partners. 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 Optima Partners
✨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 Optima Partners!
✨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.
