Data Science Team Leader

Just Eat Takeaway.com; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Just Eat Takeaway.com is seeking a Senior Team Lead for Data Science specializing in logistics estimations in Greater London. This strategic leadership role involves mentoring a Data Science team and driving the development of predictive models for better delivery time accuracy.

Your expertise in data science methodologies and model deployment will be crucial in optimizing incentives and enhancing business outcomes. The position promotes a fast-paced, inclusive company culture where innovation is encouraged.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in leadership and mentoring of Data Scientists.
• Hands-on experience developing and deploying machine learning models.
• Strong understanding of data science and machine learning methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Mentor and manage the Data Science team.
• Own the data science strategy for real-time courier pay systems.
• Drive business outcomes by owning key courier supply metrics.
• Translate complex economic models for cross-functional teams.
• Design frameworks for real-time incentive engines.
• Oversee predictive model development addressing supply-demand imbalances.
• Ensure rigor and consistency in pay models.
• Collaborate closely with Machine Learning Engineers.
• Lead design and execution of marketplace experiments.
• Model courier behavior to maximize ROI.

Skills

Leadership and people management

Data science methodologies

Machine learning model development

Root cause analysis

Stakeholder management

Job description

Overview

Just Eat Takeaway.com (JET) is a leading global online food delivery marketplace. Our tech ecosystem connects millions of active customers with hundreds of thousands of connected partners in countries across the globe. Our mission is to empower every food moment around the world, whether it’s through customer service, coding or couriers.

About This Role

As the Senior Team Lead for Data Science - Logistics Estimations, you will be the strategic leader responsible for maximizing the impact of our predictive engine on the global delivery network. Your primary focus will be providing vision, strategic oversight, and leadership to a fully experienced team of Data Scientists specializing in Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) prediction and other critical logistics estimations. This is a strategic leadership role focused on defining data science solutions, collaborating on the roadmap, driving business outcomes, and managing and developing your team. Experience in model development and deployment is essential for providing effective technical guidance and strategy to the team. Your core mission is to elevate the accuracy of pre-purchase and post-purchase estimated delivery time models by translating business performance challenges into data science solutions.

Location: Berlin, London or Amsterdam office with 3 days in the office and 2 days working from home

Reporting to: Data Science Manager

Responsibilities

• Team Leadership: Mentor and manage a high-performing Data Science team, fostering a culture of speed, rigor, and courier-centric problem-solving.
• Strategy & Roadmap: Own the data science strategy for real-time courier pay systems, including dynamic earnings, surge pricing, and incentive programs.
• KPI Ownership: Drive critical business outcomes by taking ownership of key courier supply metrics like availability, acceptance rates, and earnings competitiveness.
• Root Cause Analysis & Communication: Diagnose structural and behavioral supply issues and translate complex economic models into actionable narratives for cross-functional stakeholders.
• Real-Time Architecture: Design the conceptual framework for real-time incentive engines, balancing advanced model sophistication with strict latency and reliability constraints.
• Dynamic Pricing: Oversee the development of predictive models that address local supply-demand imbalances and optimize real-time boost levels.
• Fairness & Technical Standards: Act as the senior technical guide to ensure pay models are rigorous, auditable, mathematically consistent, and free from unintended bias.
• MLE Collaboration: Partner closely with Machine Learning Engineers to ensure smooth, robust deployment and scaling of production-ready models.
• Causal Experimentation: Lead the design and execution of complex marketplace experiments to accurately measure the real-world impact of pay and incentive changes.
• Behavioral Modeling & ROI: Direct the modeling of courier behavior (elasticity, churn, engagement) and build frameworks to maximize the ROI of incentive spend using large-scale geospatial data.

What will you bring to the team?

• Proven, extensive experience in leadership and people management, with a demonstrated ability to mentor, guide, and develop Data Scientists.
• Prior hands-on experience developing, deploying, and maintaining machine learning models in a corporate environment. This experience is crucial for providing effective strategic and architectural guidance.
• Advanced conceptual proficiency in data science and machine learning methodologies, ideally with experience in logistics, geospatial analysis, and ETA prediction or routing problems. Experience with deep learning is considered a plus.
• Demonstrated experience in root-cause analysis of complex production model performance issues and the ability to translate those findings into effective business and technical solutions.
• Strong understanding of the model lifecycle and best practices, including testing, code reviews, and monitoring.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence technical peers and non-technical business leaders.

Company culture

At JET, we celebrate a fast-paced, people-first culture. We value movement, growth, teamwork, and celebrating wins while delivering on our strategy. Our values guide every interaction, decision, and innovation to earn our customers’ loyalty.

Inclusion, Diversity & Belonging

No matter who you are, what you look like, who you love, or where you are from, you can find your place at Just Eat Takeaway.com. We’re committed to creating an inclusive culture with diversity of people and thinking, where all employees feel they belong.