Principal Data Scientist

London, United Kingdom
3 weeks ago
£100,000 – £125,000 pa
Applications closed

Related Jobs

View all jobs
Spotlight

Forward Deployed Engineer

SolveAI London, United Kingdom
Hybrid

Principal Data Scientist

Faculty AI London, United Kingdom
Hybrid

Principal CFD Engineer

PhysicsX North Tyneside, NE29 8EP, United Kingdom
£200,000 pa Hybrid Clearance Required

Principal Machine Learning Engineer

PhysicsX United Kingdom
Hybrid

Principal Research Scientist - AI Safety

Faculty AI London, United Kingdom
Hybrid Clearance Required

Principal Research Scientist

PhysicsX London, United Kingdom

Principal Scientist, Biologics Drug Discovery

Relation Therapeutics London, United Kingdom
On-site

Salary

£100,000 – £125,000 pa

Job Type
Permanent
Work Pattern
Full-time
Work Location
Hybrid
Seniority
Lead
Education
Degree
Security Clearance
Required
Posted
30 Apr 2026 (3 weeks ago)

Principal Data Scientist

London - UK Wide Travel Expected

If you're a hands-on Data Science / AI specialist who loves solving real operational problems, this role puts you right at the heart of client delivery. You'll shape the problems, design and build the solutions, and see your models deployed into live environments - not parked as endless POCs.

THE COMPANY

This fast-growing consulting firm helps organisations across the public sector, defence and commercial markets deliver measurable improvements in performance through data, AI and digital solutions. They are building a modern AI & Digital capability that sits at the front of transformation programmes, working shoulder-to-shoulder with clients on their toughest operational challenges.

THE ROLE

As a Lead Data Scientist, you will blend hands-on technical work with consulting, stakeholder management and practice-building.

  • Identifying high-impact Data Science, Machine Learning, AI and simulation opportunities on client engagements
  • Scoping and shaping problems, designing experiments and roadmaps, and then building and deploying models end-to-end
  • Leading technical workstreams, managing small teams and ensuring projects are delivered on time and to a high standard
  • Translating complex technical concepts into clear, compelling narratives for non-technical senior stakeholders
  • Coaching and mentoring consultants to build their capabilities in DS/ML/AI and modern analytics

YOUR SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

  • Strong background in Data Science, Machine Learning, AI, simulation or advanced analytics, with clear examples of end-to-end delivery
  • Proven ability to shape, not just execute: from defining the problem and designing the solution, through to delivery and measurement of impact
  • Consulting capability - comfortable running client workshops, identifying opportunities, influencing senior stakeholders and supporting pitches
  • Evidence of measurable commercial or operational impact (e.g. revenue growth, cost reduction, efficiency gains, service improvement)
  • Hands-on experience building models and turning prototypes into robust, production-ready solutions
  • Experience leading teams or technical workstreams in a project environment
  • UK citizenship (for security clearance purposes) and willingness to travel across the UK 3 days per week, depending on client needs

Nice-to-have experience:

  • Background in a consulting environment or a high-performing in-house DS/AI team
  • Exposure to sectors such as defence, public sector and consumer/retail
  • Familiarity with modern data and AI tooling such as Python, Spark, Databricks, Azure cloud, and Generative AI platforms (experience with specific tools is helpful but not essential)
  • A mix of technical, product and operational experience - comfortable talking both code and business outcome

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Where to Advertise AI Jobs in the UK (2026 Guide)

Where to advertise AI jobs UK in 2026: the specialist boards and communities that reach AI engineers, ML scientists and applied research talent in the UK. The candidate pool is small, highly informed and in demand across multiple sectors simultaneously. General job boards reach a broad audience but lack the specificity that AI professionals expect — and the filtering mechanisms they rely on. Specialist platforms, direct outreach and academic channels each serve a different part of the market. This guide, published by ArtificialIntelligenceJobs.co.uk, covers where to advertise AI roles in the UK in 2026, how the main platforms compare, what employers should expect to pay, and what the data says about time-to-hire across different role types.

AI Jobs UK 2026: What to Expect Over the Next 3 Years

AI Jobs UK 2026: roles, salaries and the generative AI, machine learning and applied AI hiring trends shaping UK artificial intelligence careers. Artificial intelligence is creating jobs faster than the market can name them. New roles are appearing every quarter, existing titles are splitting into specialisms, and the technologies underpinning it all are evolving at a pace that makes even last year's job descriptions feel dated. For job seekers, this presents a genuinely unusual challenge. In most industries, career planning means understanding a relatively stable landscape and working out where you fit within it. In AI, the landscape itself is being redrawn in real time. The roles with the most hiring activity in 2028 may not yet have a widely agreed job title in 2026. That's not a reason to feel overwhelmed — it's a reason to get informed. The candidates who thrive in this market aren't necessarily those with the longest CVs or the most credentials. They're the ones who understand the direction of travel: which skills are gaining value, which technologies are driving employer decisions, and how the definition of an "AI job" is expanding well beyond the tech sector. This article breaks down what the UK AI jobs market is likely to look like over the next three years — covering emerging job titles, the technologies reshaping hiring, the skills employers are prioritising, and how to position yourself ahead of the curve rather than behind it.