Senior Data Scientist | S4 | Chief Data & AI Office | Milton Keynes

Description

The company is moving from a well-known global brand toward a technology-led organisation, and its people are central to that shift.

The data and AI office sets direction for data, analytics and AI across the business, treating data as a trusted company asset and applying advanced technology responsibly and securely.

This role is based in Milton Keynes and focuses on customer-facing AI for contact centres, chat and digitally assisted channels.

You would lead the building and delivery of these solutions, pairing technical leadership with a clear view of customer journeys, operations and value.

The UK business needs a senior AI and product leader to own its conversational AI product, shape its vision and roadmap, influence group platform development and oversee rollout and improvement. You would guide multidisciplinary teams and work with UK teams, group teams and technology partners in a regulated setting.

All staff at every level are expected to manage risk proactively and responsibly.

Responsibilities

• Act as UK product owner for the conversational AI product, setting the vision, strategy, roadmap and prioritised backlog for customer-facing AI across contact centres, chat and digital channels, built on the product and its underlying technologies, including Sierra and OpenAI.
• Turn UK business priorities, user feedback and colleague needs into prioritised AI use cases, product requirements, acceptance criteria and delivery plans, while building a detailed understanding of customer journeys and operational needs.
• Represent the UK business in group product forums, working with group platform teams and technology partners to shape feature proposals and push agreed capabilities through build and launch.
• Own end-to-end delivery and UK rollout, covering experimentation, business readiness, testing, deployment, adoption, maintenance and handover to business-as-usual support.
• Own the ongoing running and improvement of live solutions: define customer, model, operational and financial success measures, then use production monitoring, experiments and benefits tracking to improve results and prove value.
• Give technical direction to data scientists, engineers, MLOps specialists and product owners so that solutions are scalable, reliable, secure, maintainable and production-ready.
• Manage priorities, governance, dependencies and risks in a regulated setting, embedding responsible AI, model governance and risk and control requirements across the full product lifecycle.
• Align senior stakeholders across business, operations, technology, data, risk and control in the UK and group, report clearly on progress, outcomes, risks and decisions, and escalate issues with practical recommendations.

Requirements

• 6-8 years in data science, applied AI or advanced analytics, including leading complex AI solutions from concept to production (Required)
• Experience in customer-facing or conversational AI, which is strongly preferred (Required)
• Undergraduate degree in computer science, data science, statistics, engineering or a related field, or equivalent work experience backed by professional certification or licences (Required)
• English (Required)
• Spanish or experience working across international teams (Preferred)
• Solid knowledge of machine learning, natural language processing, generative AI, experimentation, statistical analysis and model evaluation (Required)
• Track record running a digital, data or AI product from strategy through to live service, covering roadmap, backlog prioritisation, release planning, rollout and optimisation (Required)
• Experience designing and delivering conversational or customer-facing AI, with direct Sierra experience or a comparable enterprise platform (Preferred)
• Understanding of contact-centre and digital channel operations, UK rules such as Consumer Duty, customer journeys, production AI monitoring and value measurement (Preferred)
• Technical leadership: run solution walkthroughs and monitor the quality of development and delivery work (Required)
• Manage several priorities and write concise management reports on progress, outcomes, risks, dependencies and the decisions needed (Required)
• Shape vision and priorities, challenge business cases, quantify costs and benefits, and track value realised (Required)
• Strong product and stakeholder leadership: balance competing priorities, make evidence-based decisions, align UK, group and external partners, explain complex technical topics, and escalate challenges constructively to senior audiences (Required)

Conditions

Based in Milton Keynes on a hybrid pattern, attending the office at least 12 days per month (pro-rata for part-time roles).

Standard working week of 35 hours.

Salary of £76,000 to £114,000 a year, depending on experience, with the actual offer based on skills, experience, qualifications and location.

Consider the travel distance, time and cost to the office when applying.

No relocation package may be available. The company pays the mandatory government fees for visa sponsorship, while you may be liable for your own immigration and relocation costs.

You must have the right to work in the UK to start employment.

The company is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes applicants of any age, gender, disability, civil status, race, religion or sexual orientation, and makes adjustments to support candidates with disabilities.

Benefits

• 30 days' holiday plus bank holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years' service, with the option to buy up to 5 extra contractual days a year.
• £6,000 car allowance per year.
• Company-funded individual private medical insurance.
• Company-funded death-in-service benefit and income protection, with discounted rates for extra life assurance and critical illness cover.
• Share plans to save or invest in the company's success.
• Staff versions of products, including no-fee current accounts and credit cards on request, plus other deals and discounts.
• Rewards linked to the impact and value you bring.
• Wellbeing support across physical, mental, social and financial health, including apps, discounted gym access, weekly online classes, flexible healthcare and mental health support.
• Family support at every life stage, including enhanced family leave, childcare options and tailored wellbeing support.
• Volunteering time to support the communities the company serves.
• Global growth opportunities across the company's international network.