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Lead Data Scientist
We are looking for a Lead Data Scientist to lead the design and delivery of machine learning, statistical modelling and experimentation solutions that solve complex business problems and drive measurable outcomes across our client base.
You will combine strong hands-on technical expertise with consulting, delivery leadership and stakeholder management skills, guiding project teams and translating data into clear, actionable insights.
Focus areas of this role:
- Leading end-to-end data science delivery
- Developing scalable data science solutions
- Validating performance through robust experimentation
- Supporting technical best practice
- Partnering with client stakeholders to ensure analytical outputs deliver clear commercial impact
About the Role
As Lead Data Scientist, you will be a hands-on technical leader, responsible for:
- Research and development of machine learning and statistical models generating meaningful value for our clients
- Collaborating with stakeholders to understand complex business challenges
- Shaping analytical approaches and guiding delivery while translating sophisticated outputs into actionable recommendations
An ideal candidate would:
- Own high-impact projects across commercial sectors
- Lead small, cross-functional teams
- Strengthen our Advanced Data capability
Key Responsibilities
- Leading development and implementation of machine learning and statistical models to solve high-value business problems
- Partnering with stakeholders to align on objectives, shape analytical strategies, and influence decision-making with clear communication
- Translating complex technical outputs into commercially relevant recommendations
- Identifying value opportunities via advanced analytics, experimentation, and data-driven innovation for customer, operational, and commercial outcomes
- Leading multi-disciplinary teams (data science, engineering, strategy, and design) for high-quality and scalable results
- Implementing Large Language Models (LLMs) and beyond, translating them into client-ready solutions
- Mentoring data scientists, peer reviewing analytical work and embedding best practices
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Requirements
Qualifications
✔ Strong academic background in:
- Mathematics
- Statistics
- Science/Education
- Engineering (or other numerate discipline)
✔ Minimum requirement: Upper-second-class (2:1) degree in STEM ✔ Beneficial: Postgraduate qualification in a quantitative field
Experience
✔ Expertise in statistics and techniques:
- Experimental design
- Uncertainty quantification
- Causal inference
- Predictive modelling
✔ Significant hands-on machine learning experience (supervised/unsupervised) in commercial or client-facing environments
Technical Skills
✔ Advanced proficiency in Python and/or R ✔ Experience operationalizing data science tooling and solutions
Soft Skills & Leadership
- Strong consulting expertise
- Ability to clearly explain technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Exceptional problem-solving, commercial judgement, and leadership skills
✔ Experience in:
- Guiding project delivery and supporting high-performing teams
- Understanding commercial value drivers (e.g., revenue, costs, profitability, customer behavior, operational performance)
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- Experience mentoring and guiding data science teams
- Contributions to technical standards, reusable assets, and best practices
About Us
Optima Partners is a rapidly expanding professional services firm specialising in customer engagement transformation at the intersection of marketing, technology, and data. Our clients include industry giants like:
- Lloyds Banking Group
- NatWest
- Nationwide
- Aviva
- Virgin Media O2
- BT
- Centrica
- GSK
growing our Advanced Data team as we scale from 80 to 200 employees.
Our culture combines collaboration, curiosity, and strategic insights—helping organisations make better decisions. We pride ourselves on a practitioner-led approach, fostering a strong data science community where advanced analytics meet real-world challenges.
Benefits
You’ll work on diverse, impactful projects while contributing to our Advanced Data growth. Here’s what we offer:
Compensation & Employment
- Competitive salary + bonus (up to 15%)
- 37 holidays (including Christmas shutdown)
Perks
- Private medical insurance
- Life and income protection
- Pension scheme entitlement
- Unlimited perks across 1,000+ available benefits
Development
- Full support for learning, training, and certifications
Career Growth
- Career progression in a supportive, collaborative setting
- Leadership role to strengthen data science delivery
- Opportunities to mentor and develop others while building long-term career pathways
Ready to take the helm?
If you're an experienced data scientist looking to drive impact through applied analytics in meaningful projects, we’d love to hear from you.
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