Data Scientist I - QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey

QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey; Greater London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Talantir in London seeks a Data Scientist I to collaborate with clients and interdisciplinary teams on impactful analytics solutions. You will translate business problems into analytical challenges, build models, and evaluate them with relevant metrics while contributing to internal tools and R&D.

You will work with cutting-edge projects across industries, attend conferences, and help clients transform operations using math, statistics, and machine learning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD in a technical field related to CS/ML/Statistics.
• Up to 2 years of professional ML/data mining experience with substantial data sets.
• Proficient in Python or R, and SQL; familiarity with ML libraries.
• Ability to prototype statistical analysis and modeling algorithms.
• Strong analytics, problem solving, and communication skills.
• GenAI experience is a strong plus; travel willingness.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with clients and cross-disciplinary teams to develop analytics solutions.
• Translate business problems into analytical tasks and build models.
• Contribute to internal tools and R&D projects; present at conferences.
• Help clients improve operations and drive data-driven decisions.

Skills

Python

R

SQL

PySpark

Machine learning

Statistics

Communication skills

Time management

GenAI experience

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor’s/Master’s/PhD in CS/ML/Statistics/Engineering/Physics

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Airflow

Databricks

Kedro

PyData stack

SQL

AWS GCP Azure

Job description

Who You'll Work With

Driving lasting impact and building long-term capabilities with our clients is not easy work. You are the kind of person who thrives in a high performance/high reward culture - doing hard things, picking yourself up when you stumble, and having the resilience to try another way forward.

In return for your drive, determination, and curiosity, we'll provide the resources, mentorship, and opportunities you need to become a stronger leader faster than you ever thought possible. Your colleagues—at all levels—will invest deeply in your development, just as much as they invest in delivering exceptional results for clients. Every day, you'll receive apprenticeship, coaching, and exposure that will accelerate your growth in ways you won’t find anywhere else.

When you join us, you will have:

• Continuous learning: Our learning and apprenticeship culture, backed by structured programs, is all about helping you grow while creating an environment where feedback is clear, actionable, and focused on your development. The real magic happens when you take the input from others to heart and embrace the fast-paced learning experience, owning your journey.
• A voice that matters: From day one, we value your ideas and contributions. You’ll make a tangible impact by offering innovative ideas and practical solutions, all while upholding our unwavering commitment to ethics and integrity. We not only encourage diverse perspectives, but they are critical in driving us toward the best possible outcomes.
• Global community: With colleagues across 65+ countries and over 100 different nationalities, our firm’s diversity fuels creativity and helps us come up with the best solutions for our clients. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from exceptional colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• World-class benefits: On top of a competitive salary (based on your location, experience, and skills), we provide a comprehensive benefits package to enable holistic well-being for you and your family.

Your Impact

As a Data Scientist I, you will collaborate with clients and interdisciplinary teams to develop impactful analytics solutions, optimizecode, and solve real-world business problems across diverse industries. You’ll grow as a technologist by contributing to cutting-edge projects, R&D, and global conferences while working alongside world‑class talent in a dynamic, innovative environment.

In this role, you will partner with clients to understand their needs and develop impactful analytics solutions. You will translate business problems into analytical challenges, build models to solve them, and ensure they are evaluated with relevant metrics. You’ll also contribute to internal tools, participate in R&D projects, and have opportunities to attend and present at conferences like NIPS and ICML.

Your work will create real-world impact. By identifying patterns in data and delivering innovative solutions, you will help clients maintain their competitive advantage and transform their day‑to‑day operations. Your contributions will directly influence business outcomes and drive lasting improvements across industries.

You will be based in London and collaborate closely with Data Scientists, Data Engineers, Machine Learning Engineers, Designers, and Product Managers worldwide, working on interdisciplinary projects that use math, statistics, and machine learning to derive insights from raw data. You will help global companies transform their businesses and enhance performance across industries such as healthcare, automotive, energy, and elite sports.

At McKinsey, you’ll thrive in an unparalleled environment for growth. You’ll develop a sought‑after perspective by connecting technology and business value, tackle real‑life challenges across diverse industries, and collaborate with inspiring multidisciplinary teams, gaining a holistic understanding of AI and its potential to drive transformation.

Your Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Applied Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, Physics, or other technical fields
• Upto 2 years of professional experience applying machine learning and data mining techniques to real‑world problems with substantial data sets
• Programming experience (focus on machine learning): R and/or Python, with SPSS, SAS, or similar tools considered nice‑to‑have
• Ability to prototype statistical analysis and modeling algorithms and apply them to develop data‑driven solutions in new domains
• Ability to independently own and drive model development while balancing competing demands and deadlines
• Demonstrated aptitude for analytics and a passion for solving complex data challenges
• While we advocate using the right tech for the right task, we often leverage the following technologies: Python, PySpark, the PyData stack, SQL, Airflow, Databricks, Kedro (our open‑source data pipelining framework), Dask/RAPIDS, Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud solutions such as AWS, GCP, and Azure
• Experience with Generative AI (GenAI) and agentic systems would be considered a strong plus
• Excellent time management and organizational skills to succeed in a complex and largely autonomous work environment
• Good presentation and communication skills, with the ability to explain complex analytical concepts to people from other fields
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, in English and local office language(s), with the ability to adapt to different audiences and seniority levels
• Willingness to travel