Principal Data Scientist in London

Overview

Sponsorship: Unfortunately we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

This role in 3 words: Ownership, Innovative, Impactful

Top 3 qualities for this role: Communication, Leadership, Drive

Where you’ll work: Depending on the needs of your business area, we expect hub based people to be in the office at least once a week, and to go to OVO Connection events in-person. You’ll be assigned to the closest one of our three hub offices, Bristol, Glasgow, or London; unless your role requires field-based work. Each hub has accessible spaces to park your laptop, is designed to inspire people, help them connect and bring big ideas to life.

Everyone belongs at OVO: At OVO, we are on a mission to solve one of humanity's biggest challenges, the climate crisis. And we know it takes all of us to change the world. That’s why we need diverse people from all abilities, gender identities, ethnicities, ages, sexual orientations, life experiences and backgrounds to join us.

Teamworking for the planet: Everything we do here spins around Plan Zero. So, naturally, the team you’ll be joining plays a gigantic role in making that happen. Here’s how:

• You will be joining one of our Core AI teams, tackling issues central to OVO’s business and customer experience. We are building out new tools to support our back-office teams resolve customer bill issues more easily and swiftly. In our attempts we will be trialling the use of new AI capabilities to transform how our business operates and meets customer demands.

This role in a nutshell: As a Principal Data Scientist you’ll play a key strategic role in shaping the future of our data science practice. You’ll lead innovative, high-impact projects, define our technical direction, and champion best practices across the organisation. Working closely with cross-functional teams, you’ll drive forward research and experimentation to keep OVO at the forefront of data science, ensuring our work is not only cutting-edge but also aligned with our mission to build a more sustainable future.

Your key outcomes will be:

• Technical Leadership and Vision: Shape and communicate the technical direction of OVO’s data science function, guiding the team through expert mentorship and driving the adoption of modern tools, technologies, and approaches to elevate our capabilities.
• Leading Cutting-Edge Initiatives: Drive high-impact data science projects that solve complex business challenges and align with OVO’s strategic goals. Champion innovation and deliver scalable, forward-thinking solutions.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with engineering, product, and business teams to embed data science into products and decisions. Communicate insights clearly to diverse audiences and build trusted partnerships across the organisation.
• Defining Technical Strategy: Develop a strategic roadmap for data science, informed by emerging trends and evolving business needs. Identify areas for innovation and lead the continuous evolution of our data science practice.
• Driving Research Initiatives: Lead research into advanced techniques and applications, publishing findings and representing OVO at industry events. Grow a culture of experimentation and learning within the team.
• Ensuring Best Practices: Establish standards for model development, validation, and deployment while ensuring data quality, compliance, and security. Promote scalable, reliable infrastructure and ethical data use.
• Community of Practice: Lead and grow the data science Community of Practice, sharing knowledge, mentoring peers, and contributing to learning pathways that support development and career growth across the team.

You’ll be a successful Principal Data Scientist at OVO if you…

• Proven ability to lead complex, high-impact data science initiatives that drive strategic outcomes
• Deep expertise in advanced machine learning, statistical methods, and algorithm development
• Proficient in Python or R, and advanced SQL, with strong research and analytical skills
• Demonstrated experience evaluating and applying emerging tools, technologies, and methodologies
• Skilled in defining and executing data science strategies aligned with business objectives
• Strong communicator, able to clearly explain technical concepts to diverse technical and non-technical audiences
• Effective collaborator with cross-functional teams, building trusted relationships across the organisation
• Recognised for technical leadership, mentorship, and fostering a culture of continuous innovation
• Committed to best practices in data science, ensuring quality, compliance, and scalable infrastructure

Let’s talk about what’s in it for you: We keep our pay ranges broad on purpose to give us, and you, flexibility to match your experience to our zero carbon mission. You’ll be eligible for an on-target bonus of 15%. We have one OVO bonus plan that focuses on the collective performance of our people to deliver our Plan Zero goal. We also offer plenty of green benefits and progressive policies to help you feel like you belong at OVO…and there’s flex pay. We’ll give you 9% Flex Pay on top of your salary – 4% of this is auto enrolled into your pension, and the remaining 5% is yours to do what you like with. You can use this to buy from our extensive range of flexible benefits, including our green benefits which we’ve put at the heart of our offering, add to your pension or even take it as cash.

Here’s a taster of what’s on offer: For starters, you’ll get 34 days of holiday (including...