Shape the Future of AIJoin one of the UK's fastest-growing companies and become a Professional Development Expert in Artificial Intelligence.

View Roles

Data Scientist (Semantic Search/Recommender Systems)

Tesco UK
London
2 months ago
Applications closed

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Data Scientist

Data Scientist

Data Scientist

Data Scientist

Data Scientist

Data Scientist

Tesco UK • Welwyn Garden City • Hybrid • Full-Time • Permanent • Apply by 30-May-2025 About the role

As a Data Scientist within Semantic Search, you will influence the search experience on the Tesco website by utilising advanced technologies and collaborating with a team of seasoned Data Scientists, Machine Learning Engineers, and Software Engineers.

This role is based out of our London (Farringdon) office, offering the flexibility of hybrid working. Spend three days a week in the office and the remainder working from home.

About the Team

Join our world-class team of data professionals who are passionate about solving sophisticated business problems and deploying data products at scale. Our team works across various areas of our business, personalising our customers' experience across all touchpoints, both online and in-store. We are committed to personal and career development, providing on-desk training, support, and dedicating 10% of your working week to learning and professional growth. Additionally, there are opportunities to attend and speak at external and internal events, encouraging individuals growth as experts in the field. Our team values work-life balance, team days, and cultivates a relaxed yet engaging culture.

What is in it for you We're all about the little helps. That's why we make sure our Tesco colleague benefits package takes care of you - both in and out of work. Annual bonus scheme of up to 20% of base salary Holiday starting at 25 days plus a personal day (plus Bank holidays) Private medical insurance 26 weeks maternity and adoption leave (after 1 years' service) at full pay, followed by 13 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay or Statutory Adoption Pay, we also offer 4 weeks fully paid paternity leave Free 24/7 virtual GP service, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for you and your family, free access to a range of experts to support your mental wellbeing You will be responsible for Applying, modifying, and designing algorithms and models for information retrieval and re-rankingAdvising on the systems architecture, Machine Learning components, and associated technologies Using data to train and fine-tune models Developing efficient and high-quality code in Software Engineering Collaborating closely with Search Engineers, ML Engineers, and Data Scientists Promoting data science internally and effectively communicating sophisticated solutions to non-technical colleagues You will need

To excel in this role, we are seeking high-reaching individuals with a strong blend of Machine Learning and Software Engineering skills. The following requirements are important:

An experienced Data Scientist or a PhD graduate with Semantic Search, recommender systems or information retrieval or LLM experience. PhD in a relevant field such as Mathematics, Engineering or Computer Science Hands-on expertise with Deep Learning approaches, including modern language models based on transformer architecture Strong coding skills, preferably in Python and a solid grasp of effective methods in Engineering, including version control, development driven by testing, and Continuous Integration Desirable: Experience with Semantic Search approaches and Vector Databases combined with experience of working with Search Engine frameworks, preferably Elasticsearch

About us Our vision at Tesco is to become every customer's favourite way to shop, whether they are at home or out on the move. Our core purpose is'Serving our customers, communities and planet a little better every day'. Serving means more than a transactional relationship with our customers. It means acting as a responsible and sustainable business for all stakeholders, for the communities we are part of and for the planet. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) at Tesco means that whoever you are and whatever your background, we always want you to feel represented and that you can be yourself at work. In short, we're a place where Everyone's Welcome. We're proud to have been accredited Disability Confident Leader and we're committed to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We're a big business and we can offer a range of diverse full-time & part-time working patterns across our many business areas, which means that we can find something that works for you. We work in a more blended pattern -combining office and remote working. Our offices will continue to be where we connect, collaborate and innovate.

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

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

10 AI Recruitment Agencies in the UK You Should Know (2025 Job‑Seeker Guide)

Generative‑AI hype has translated into real hiring: Lightcast recorded +57 % year‑on‑year growth in UK adverts mentioning “machine learning”, “LLM” or “gen‑AI” during Q1 2025. Yet supply still lags. Roughly 18,000 core AI professionals work in the UK, but monthly live vacancies hover around 1,400–1,600. That mismatch makes specialist recruiters invaluable—opening stealth vacancies, advising on salary bands and fast‑tracking interview loops. But many tech agencies sprinkle “AI” on their website without an active desk. To save you time, we vetted 50 + consultancies and kept only those with: A registered UK head office (verified via Companies House). A named AI/Machine‑Learning or Data practice.

AI Jobs Skills Radar 2026: Emerging Frameworks, Languages & Tools to Learn Now

As the UK’s AI sector accelerates towards a £1 trillion tech economy, the job landscape is rapidly evolving. Whether you’re an aspiring AI engineer, a machine learning specialist, or a data-driven software developer, staying ahead of the curve means more than just brushing up on Python. You’ll need to master a new generation of frameworks, languages, and tools shaping the future of artificial intelligence. Welcome to the AI Jobs Skills Radar 2026—your definitive guide to the emerging AI tech stack that employers will be looking for in the next 12–24 months. Updated annually for accuracy and relevance, this guide breaks down the top tools, frameworks, platforms, and programming languages powering the UK’s most in-demand AI careers.

How to Find Hidden AI Jobs in the UK Using Professional Bodies like BCS, IET & the Turing Society

Stop Scrolling Job Boards and Start Tapping the Real AI Market Every week a new headline announces millions of pounds flowing into artificial-intelligence research, defence initiatives, or health-tech pilots. Read the news and you could be forgiven for thinking that AI vacancies must be everywhere—just grab your laptop, open LinkedIn, and pick a role. Yet anyone who has hunted seriously for an AI job in the United Kingdom knows the truth is messier. A large percentage of worthwhile AI positions—especially specialist or senior posts—never appear on public boards. They emerge inside university–industry consortia, defence labs, NHS data-science teams, climate-tech start-ups, and venture studios. Most are filled through referral or conversation long before a recruiter drafts a formal advert. If you wait for a vacancy link, you are already at the back of the queue. The surest way to beat that dynamic is to embed yourself in the professional bodies and grassroots communities where the work is conceived. The UK has a dense network of such organisations: the Chartered Institute for IT (BCS); the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) with its Artificial Intelligence Technical Network; the Alan Turing Institute and its student-driven Turing Society; the Royal Statistical Society (RSS); the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and its Mechatronics, Informatics & Control Group; public-funding engines like UK Research and Innovation (UKRI); and an ecosystem of Slack channels and Meetup groups that trade genuine, timely intel. This article is a practical, step-by-step guide to using those networks. You will learn: Why professional bodies matter more than algorithmic job boards Exactly which special-interest groups (SIGs) and technical networks to join How to turn CPD events into informal interviews How to monitor grant databases so you hear about posts months before they exist Concrete scripts, portfolio tactics, and outreach rhythms that convert visibility into offers Follow the playbook and you move from passive applicant to insider—the colleague who hears about a role before it is written down.