Principal Data Scientist

Job Description:

Your impact

Are you an experienced Data Scientist ready to lead the development of innovative, secure, and high-integrity data solutions? At Leonardo UK, Principal Data Scientists play a key role in shaping and delivering data science capabilities across critical national infrastructure and defence programmes. You’ll lead technical work packages, manage a small team, and apply advanced analytics and machine learning to solve complex, real-world problems. 

Your work at Leonardo UK will see you take the lead in solving customer problems in an agile, innovative and team-centric manner. The role may involve a blended hybrid working model, with a mixture of working from home and working on site at one of our Leonardo offices to ensure close collaboration with the wider team and with our customers. 

As a Principal Data Scientist you will:

Lead on the continual development of Automation, Orchestration and Machine Learning capabilities Be a People Leader and manage 4-6 individuals Undertake pre-processing of structured and unstructured data Lead the end-to-end development of predictive models and machine-learning algorithms Coach/mentor junior members of the team

What you’ll bring

Proven experience in a similar delivery focused role Excellent data science and analytics experience Strong knowledge in advanced analytics methods Strong knowledge across statistical models, machine learning and AI algorithms Experience with programming languages such as Java, Python, R, SQL Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS and Azure Ability to communicate complicated technical and analytical information to a nontechnical audience A degree in Computer science, Statistics, Data Science or equivalent field would be advantageous but is not essential

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit:

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year. Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution. Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity). Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme. Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning. Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme. Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more. Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Be part of something bigger - apply now