Xpertise Recruitment
Lead Operational Research Data Scientist
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Lead Operational Research Data Scientist | FTSE 100
Operational Research | Optimisation | Decision Science | Mathematical Modelling | Analytics Leadership
Lead Operational Research Data Scientist (Contract)
Contract: Initial 18-Month Contract
Location: Hybrid, London (European candidates considered)
Rate: Excellent Day Rate
IR35 Status: Inside IR35
Overview
We're partnering with a FTSE 100 organisation undergoing a major transformation of its operational, analytical, and decision-making capabilities. As part of this journey, we're seeking a Lead Operational Research Data Scientist to spearhead the development of advanced optimisation and decision-support capabilities across the enterprise. This is a high-impact leadership role for someone who combines deep Operational Research expertise with the ability to influence senior stakeholders, shape strategic direction, and drive adoption of data-driven decision-making at scale.
You'll operate at the intersection of business strategy, advanced analytics, and operational execution, partnering with executive leaders, domain experts, and technical teams to solve some of the organisation's most complex challenges.
The Opportunity
This role goes beyond model development. We're looking for an experienced OR leader who can help define how optimisation and decision science create value across the organisation, identifying opportunities, influencing investment decisions, and ensuring analytical solutions translate into measurable business outcomes. You will be instrumental in shaping the future of Operational Research capabilities while remaining close enough to the technology and modelling to provide expert guidance and leadership.
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What You'll Be Doing
- Leading the vision, strategy, and delivery of Operational Research and optimisation initiatives across multiple business domains
- Partnering with senior leadership teams to identify, prioritise, and solve high-value operational and strategic challenges
- Designing and overseeing the development of advanced optimisation, simulation, and decision-support solutions
- Translating complex business objectives into scalable analytical frameworks and actionable recommendations
- Acting as the subject matter expert for Operational Research, championing best practice methodologies and modelling approaches
- Providing technical leadership and mentorship to Data Scientists, OR Analysts, and cross-functional delivery teams
- Driving the adoption of optimisation and decision science capabilities across the business
- Influencing investment, product, and operational strategy through data-driven insights and scenario modelling
- Ensuring solutions are robust, scalable, and embedded effectively within operational processes
- Contributing to the long-term analytics and decision science roadmap, helping shape future capability and maturity across the organisation
What We're Looking For
Deep expertise across Operational Research disciplines, including:
- Linear Programming (LP)
- Mixed Integer Programming (MIP)
- Constraint Programming
- Heuristic and Metaheuristic Optimisation
- Simulation Modelling
- Network Optimisation
- Decision Analytics
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Experience and Leadership
- Proven track record of leading large-scale Operational Research or optimisation programmes within complex environments
- Strong commercial awareness and the ability to connect analytical solutions to business value and strategic outcomes
- Advanced Python skills and experience with tools such as Gurobi, CPLEX, OR-Tools, Pyomo, or equivalent optimisation frameworks
- Experience delivering production-grade optimisation and decision-support solutions into live operational environments
- Ability to influence stakeholders at all levels, including senior leadership and executive teams
- Strong communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business recommendations
- Experience mentoring, coaching, or leading analytical teams and driving best practice adoption
- Comfortable operating in ambiguity, defining problems, and creating structured approaches to solving them
Experience within large-scale operational environments such as transport, logistics, supply chain, utilities, infrastructure, aviation, retail, or manufacturing would be highly advantageous.
Why Apply?
This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of decision science and optimisation within a FTSE 100 organisation. You'll influence strategic decisions at the highest levels, lead high-profile initiatives with enterprise-wide impact, and help build the next generation of Operational Research capability while solving complex real-world challenges at scale.
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