Lead Data Scientist in London

Why Valtech? We’re the experience innovation company - a trusted partner to the world’s most recognized brands. To our people we offer growth opportunities, a values-driven culture, international careers and the chance to shape the future of experience.

The opportunity At Valtech, you’ll find an environment designed for continuous learning, meaningful impact, and professional growth. Whether you're pioneering new digital solutions, challenging conventional thinking or building the next generation of customer experiences, your work will help transform industries.

We are proud of:

• The work we do and innovation we drive
• Our Values of share, care and dare
• A workplace culture that fosters creativity, diversity and autonomy
• Our borderless, global framework, which enables seamless collaboration

The Role: As a Lead Data Scientist, you bring strong commercial experience applying data science to solve real-world business challenges. You are comfortable working across classical machine learning and emerging AI techniques, particularly in LLM/Agentic AI space. You can move between hands-on modelling, exploring new approaches (e.g. LLMs), and explaining insights clearly to non-technical stakeholders. With a pragmatic, problem-solving mindset, you help shape opportunities and deliver impactful solutions.

You will thrive in this role if you are:

• A curious problem solver who challenges the status quo
• Comfortable bridging the gap between technical data science and client business needs
• Passionate about innovation and exploring “what’s next” in AI and ML
• Experienced in working within Agile methodologies and consultancy environments
• Keen to take ownership while supporting and guiding others

Role Responsibilities:

• Work with structured and unstructured data to support model development and analysis
• Design and implement ML and AI solutions, including LLM-based and traditional approaches
• Apply techniques such as RAG, embeddings, and fine-tuning where appropriate
• Contribute to development and optimization of AI applications using established and emerging agentic patterns (e.g. tool use, orchestration, multi-step reasoning)
• Apply evaluation frameworks to assess model and system performance
• Contribute to deploying models and supporting them in production using engineering and MLOps best practices
• Stay up to date with emerging AI techniques and experiment with new approaches, tools, and frameworks

Problem Scoping & Client Engagement:

• Translate business questions into clear data science approaches
• Communicate results and insights to technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Contribute to identifying opportunities where data science and AI can add value
• Support project scoping and provide guidance to less experienced team members when needed

Must have Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in Data Science or Analytics
• Strong foundation in machine learning and predictive modelling
• Exposure to Generative AI concepts (e.g. LLMs, RAG, fine-tuning, prompt engineering)
• Strong programming skills in Python and SQL
• Familiarity with cloud-based solutions (e.g. GCP, Azure, AWS)
• Experience working with real-world, production data problems
• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders

Nice to have Qualifications:

• Experience in consulting or client-facing environments
• Hands-on experience designing and deploying Generative AI solutions, including Agentic AI systems.
• Experience with MLOps practices and taking models into production environments
• Exposure to modern data engineering practices and integration with data pipelines
• Awareness of Responsible AI practices (bias, evaluation, safety)

If you do not meet all the listed qualifications or have gaps in your experience, we still encourage you to apply. At Valtech, we recognize that talent comes in many forms, and we value diverse perspectives and a willingness to learn.

Commitment to reaching all kinds of people We design experiences that work for all kinds of people - and that starts with our own teams. At Valtech, we’re intentional about building an inclusive culture where everyone feels supported to grow, thrive and achieve their goals. No matter your background, you belong here.

Your application process Once you apply, our Talent Acquisition team will review your application. If your skills and experience align with the role, we’ll reach out for next steps.

⚠️ Beware of recruitment fraud: Only engage with official Valtech email addresses ending in @valtech.com. We are committed to inclusion and accessibility. If you need reasonable accommodations during the interview process, please either indicate it in your application or let your Talent Partner know.

About Valtech Valtech is the experience innovation company that exists to unlock a better way to experience the world. By blending crafts, categories, and cultures, we help brands unlock new value in an increasingly digital world. At the intersection of data, AI, creativity, and technology, we drive transformation for leading organizations, including L’Oréal, Mars, Audi, P&G, Volkswagen Dolby, and more. At Valtech, we don’t just talk about transformation. We make it happen. Our people are the heart of our success, and we foster a workplace where everyone has the support to thrive, grow and innovate.

Are you ready to create what’s next? Join us.