Lead AI Data Scientist in London

Lead AI Data Scientist in London

London Temporary 54000 - 66000 £ / year (est.) Hybrid
P

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead AI projects, prototype solutions, and monitor performance in a dynamic environment.
  • Company: Join a forward-thinking organisation focused on embedding AI at scale.
  • Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, hybrid work, pension scheme, and numerous perks.
  • Other info: Opportunity for career growth and to shape the future of AI in the company.
  • Why this job: Be a pioneer in building a data science team and make a real impact.
  • Qualifications: 5+ years in data science with leadership experience and strong technical skills.

The predicted salary is between 54000 - 66000 £ per year.

Lead AI Data Scientist

Our client is urgently looking for an experienced Lead AI Data Scientist, with good demonstrable experience with AI to join their team on an 18-month Fixed-Term basis.

Our client is looking to get AI embedded at scale – a more structured and measurable manner, into the delivery of our client’s services across the group.

This is a new role created to lead data science within that programme.

Working closely with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), business analysts and engineers, you’ll identify where within legal workflows automation/AI can deliver the greatest benefits, prototype solutions and guide them into Production.

Once in use, you’ll then help to monitor them to ensure they continue to perform.

Finally, you will be the founding member of the Data Science team but there is a lot to do so one of your first tasks will be to recruit a colleague to work for and alongside you.

So this is also an excellent opportunity to build and manage a small, and hopefully, growing team.

You will be rewarded with an excellent salary, as well as a brilliant benefits package including, hybrid 2 days on-site, pension scheme (4% matched), 3x life cover, cash plan, sick pay, salary sacrifice and many, many more perks!

Lead AI Data Scientist – Key Skills

  • Substantial experience (5+ years) as a data scientist, including time leading or setting direction for data science work, with a track record of taking models from prototype into Production and keeping them running.
  • Experience managing, mentoring, or informally leading data scientists or analysts, including supporting hiring, setting priorities, and developing others, or a demonstrated interest in moving into people management.
  • Hands-on building and evaluating LLM-based solutions, including prompt design, retrieval-augmented generation, and structured evaluation approaches such as human-in-the-loop review and LLM-as-Judge.
  • Collaborating to define AI system architecture and design, along with emerging techniques such as MCP, agent skills, AI harness design and context engineering.
  • Definition of success metrics and baselines for a programme or product, and designing before-and-after analysis to show measurable impact, ideally in terms the business cares about (productivity, quality, cost, margin).
  • Monitoring models or AI-enabled workflows in Production and identifying quality degradation or drift, with the ability to recommend and drive fixes.
  • Strong data skills: assessing data quality and fitness for purpose across multiple source systems, mapping how data moves between them, and contributing to target data models.

Proficiency in Python and SQL, and experience working on a cloud data platform (e. g.

Azure, Databricks, Snowflake).

  • Built dashboards and automated reporting for non-technical stakeholders.
  • Worked closely with engineers and architects to define paths to Production, including cost-to-run considerations such as consumption, licensing and cost per task.
  • Ability to effectively leverage AI coding tools to accelerate prototyping, experimentation and development.
  • Strong stakeholder skills: the ability to work with subject matter experts and business analysts, translate
  • Lead AI Data Scientist

Due to the volume of applications received for positions, it will not be possible to respond to all applications and only applicants who are considered suitable for interview will be contacted.

Proactive Appointments Limited operates as an employment agency and employment business and is an equal opportunities organisation

We take our obligations to protect your personal data very seriously.

Any information provided to us will be processed as detailed in our Privacy Notice, a copy of which can be found on our website

Lead AI Data Scientist in London employer: Proactive Appointments

Join a dynamic team as an IT Support Analyst in the vibrant area near Stamford, where you will benefit from a supportive work culture that prioritises employee growth and development. With a competitive salary and an impressive benefits package including hybrid working options, private medical and dental care, and a subsidised gym membership, this role offers a fulfilling and rewarding career path in a company that values its employees.

P

Contact Details:

Proactive Appointments Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Lead AI Data Scientist in London

✨Tap into Online Data Science Communities

Join online communities focused on data science like Kaggle, LinkedIn groups, or Reddit threads. These are goldmines for temporary gigs, as you can network with professionals and potentially hear about opportunities at companies like Proactive Appointments before they're even advertised!

✨Show Off Your Skills With Projects

Got some cool data science projects? Showcase them on platforms like GitHub or create a personal portfolio website. This visibility is crucial for landing temporary roles—let recruiters see your actual skills in action, which can set you apart from the crowd.

✨Check Out Specialist Job Boards

For temp roles, hit up job boards dedicated to tech and data science, like Stack Overflow Jobs or DataJobs. These platforms often feature openings that you won’t find on general job sites, including contracts with companies like Proactive Appointments.

✨Leverage University Resources

If you're currently at uni or recently graduated, tap into your school's career services. They often have connections with companies looking for temporary data science interns or contract workers, and they might even host job fairs with employers like Proactive Appointments.

We think you need these skills to ace Lead AI Data Scientist in London

Data Science Leadership
AI Model Prototyping
Production Deployment
Team Management
LLM-based Solutions Development
AI System Architecture Design
Success Metrics Definition

Some tips for your application 🫡

Highlight Your Data Projects:When applying for a temporary data science role at Proactive Appointments, make sure to showcase any relevant projects you've worked on. Whether it's a personal project, an academic undertaking, or contributions to an open-source initiative, detailing these experiences can really set you apart and demonstrate your practical skills.

Emphasise Your Analytical Skills:In your CV and cover letter, focus on the specific analytical skills that are key to data science. Mention any experience with statistical tools, programming languages like Python or R, and data visualisation software. Don't forget to include any certifications that may bolster your expertise!

Show Your Flexibility:Since this is a temporary role, it's important to convey your adaptability and willingness to learn. In your cover letter to Proactive Appointments, emphasise how quickly you can get up to speed with new tools or projects. Highlight any previous experiences where you've had to adjust to new environments or challenges.

Craft a Unique Data-Driven Cover Letter:Instead of the usual generic cover letter, spice it up with some data! Maybe you’ve improved a process by 20% in a past role or cleaned a dataset with over a million entries. Use these stats to your advantage to grab Proactive Appointments’s attention and show the tangible impact of your work.

How to prepare for a job interview at Proactive Appointments

✨Showcase Your Analytical Skills

For a data science gig, it's crucial to demonstrate your analytical abilities. Be ready to discuss previous projects and the methodologies you used. Think about how you can quantify your impact—did your analysis improve efficiency or save costs? These are the stories that will stick with interviewers at Proactive Appointments.

✨Brush Up on Technical Skills

You might face technical questions on tools relevant to data science, like Python, R, or SQL. Prepare to solve a problem live—perhaps they'll ask you to write a simple query or code snippet. It’s cool to talk about them, but we need to show we can do it in practice, especially in a temporary role where quick results matter.

✨Highlight Your Adaptability

Since this is a temporary position, emphasise your ability to learn quickly and adapt to new tools or workflows. Share examples of how you've thrived in fast-paced environments before, and how you can hit the ground running at Proactive Appointments.

✨Prepare a Portfolio of Your Work

Bring your portfolio to the table—showcase projects where you've leveraged data science techniques to solve problems. Whether it’s a GitHub repository or a set of case studies, having tangible examples of your work will help you stand out and show what you bring to the team at Proactive Appointments.