Lead Data Scientist in Plymouth

About the Company

Our client is an established, globally operating SaaS business within the travel and hospitality technology space, supporting tens of thousands of customers worldwide. Following significant recent investment in product and platform evolution, the business is now entering a critical phase focused on embedding AI and machine learning at the core of its commercial and product strategy. This is a transformation role with direct visibility at executive level and real influence over how the business evolves.

The Opportunity

This is not a traditional data science role. You will operate at the intersection of AI strategy and hands-on execution, working directly with senior leadership to define, build, and deploy AI-driven capabilities across the organisation. The focus is on practical application, speed, and measurable impact — particularly in areas such as pricing optimisation, forecasting and intelligent automation. You will play a central role in shaping how modern AI technologies (LLMs, prompt engineering, ML models) are embedded into both the product and the broader business.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement AI-driven solutions across product, pricing, and internal workflows
• Apply LLMs and prompt engineering techniques to real-world business challenges
• Build and deploy machine learning / deep learning models, particularly within pricing and forecasting contexts
• Work with distributed data sources, APIs and emerging frameworks (including MCP where relevant)
• Influence product and engineering teams to adopt AI-first thinking
• Help modernise and evolve legacy systems into scalable, future-ready architectures
• Drive standardisation of data, language and structures across the business
• Deliver solutions that are production-ready and commercially impactful, not theoretical

Experience & Technical Background

We are looking for a strong blend of hands-on AI capability and applied commercial thinking, including:

• Core AI / LLM Expertise ~5+ years working with AI, including prompt engineering and LLM structures
• Strong understanding of how to manipulate and optimise LLM outputs
• Experience integrating AI into production environments via API-based architectures
• Data & Architecture Experience consuming and working with data via APIs
• Exposure to MCP (Model Context Protocol) or similar frameworks (desirable, not essential)
• Ability to work with complex, distributed and evolving data environments
• Machine Learning Strong grounding in machine learning and/or deep learning models
• Understanding of regression models and predictive modelling
• Interest or experience in price forecasting and predictive analytics

Who You Are

This role is as much about mindset as it is about technical capability. You are:

• A builder and operator — you lead by doing, not delegating
• A pace-setter — others follow your example
• A change agent — you challenge the status quo and improve how things are done
• Highly execution-focused — you can explain a solution clearly in minutes, not documents
• Equally comfortable with strategy and hands-on delivery
• Commercially driven — focused on revenue, growth, and real-world impact
• Resilient and adaptable — comfortable working with both modern and legacy systems
• Motivated by solving complex problems and seeing your work deployed at scale

You also bring:

• A strong appreciation for structured thinking, language, and data consistency
• A desire to bring clarity and standardisation to complex environments
• A collaborative mindset — able to work effectively across engineering and leadership teams

Package: Up to £150,000 base salary, 15% performance-based bonus, Fully remote working, Ability to make a real difference at executive level, Vast career opportunities, Many other perks...

Why This Role?

This is a rare opportunity to step into a high-visibility, high-impact AI role within a scaling SaaS business, where you will directly influence product direction, commercial outcomes and the adoption of AI across the organisation. If you’re looking for a role where you can build, shape, and deliver — not just advise — this is it.