Head of Data Science

Collinson; Greater London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A global travel solutions company based in Greater London is seeking a Head of Data Science. This role involves defining the data science strategy and managing a team to deliver innovative data-driven solutions. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in applied machine learning, predictive modelling, and strong leadership skills. Passion for mentoring team members and a track record of measurable business impact are essential. Join a diverse team dedicated to enhancing travel experiences for clients across the globe.

Qualifications

• Proven success leading large-scale data science initiatives.
• Expertise in applied machine learning and predictive modelling.
• Experience managing high-performing teams in fast-paced environments.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the enterprise data science strategy.
• Build and lead a high-performing data science team.
• Deliver robust machine learning and analytics solutions.

Skills

Leadership

Applied machine learning

Predictive modelling

Statistical analysis

Communication

Tools

Python

SQL

Job description

Collinson is the global privately‑owned company dedicated to helping the world travel with ease and confidence. The group offers a unique blend of industry and sector specialists who together provide market‑leading airport experiences, loyalty and customer engagement and insurance solutions for over 400 million consumers.

Collinson is the operator of Priority Pass, the world’s original and leading airport experiences programme. Travellers can access a network of 1,500 lounges and travel experiences—including dining, retail, sleep and spa—in over 650 airports in 148 countries, helping to elevate the journey into something special. We work with the world’s leading payment networks, over 1,400 banks, 90 airlines and 20 hotel groups worldwide.

We have been bringing innovation to the market since inception, from launching the first independent global VIP lounge access programme Priority Pass to the first to sell direct travel insurance in the UK through Columbus Direct and creating the first loyalty agency of its kind in the travel sector with ICLP. Today we still invest heavily in innovation to ensure that we continue to deliver superior customer experiences.

Key clients include Mastercard, American Express, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, LATAM, Flying Blue, Accor, EasyJet, HSBC, Chase and HDFC.

Our mission is focused on doing good beyond profit, which for us means seeking out opportunities for our people to share in our success and giving back to the communities and people within which we work.

Never short of ambition, the success of our business is delivered through the diverse and talented team of over 2,200 global colleagues.

We’re looking for an exceptional Head of Data Science to lead the next chapter of our data‑driven transformation. This is a rare opportunity to step into a high‑impact leadership role where you’ll define and execute a company‑wide data science strategy, drive innovation, enable intelligent products and deliver measurable business value.

As the bridge between business strategy and advanced analytics you’ll lead a team of talented data scientists, turning complex data into powerful insights and scalable solutions. You’ll help embed experimentation, machine learning and decision intelligence into the fabric of the organisation, powering smarter customer experiences, operational efficiency and sustainable growth.

What you will be doing :

Strategic Leadership

• Define and own the enterprise data science strategy and roadmap.
• Translate high‑level business goals into a portfolio of impactful data‑driven solutions.
• Collaborate with senior stakeholders across product, technology and commercial teams to align data science with strategic priorities.
• Shape and deliver the intelligent data product vision across the organisation.

Team & Delivery

• Build and lead a high‑performing data science team focused on innovation, rigor and measurable outcomes.
• Oversee the end‑to‑end data science lifecycle from problem framing and data exploration to model deployment and scaling.
• Champion a culture of experimentation, causal inference and evidence‑based decision‑making (A/B testing, uplift modelling).
• Ensure all initiatives drive clear commercial ROI contributing to customer growth, retention and cost efficiency.

Advanced Analytics & Innovation

• Deliver robust machine learning and analytics solutions across domains like:
  • Customer personalisation
  • Predictive forecasting
  • Fraud detection
  • Customer lifetime value and churn prediction
  • Stay ahead of emerging trends in AI/ML and analytics, introducing innovations that drive competitive advantage.
• Partner closely with Data Engineering and Platform teams to ensure seamless delivery of high‑quality pipelines and scalable deployments.

Governance & Ethics

• Embed best practices in data ethics, privacy and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure robust monitoring, lifecycle management and scalability of deployed models.
• Drive enterprise‑wide alignment on definitions, KPIs and data quality through strong cross‑functional collaboration.

What we are looking for :

• Proven success leading large‑scale data science initiatives in a commercial setting.
• Expertise in applied machine learning, predictive modelling, experimentation and statistical analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to deploy and maintain production‑grade models at scale.
• Experience managing and developing high‑performing teams in fast‑paced environments.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, comfortable presenting to C‑level audiences.
• Hands‑on proficiency with modern data science tools, languages (e.g. Python, SQL) and cloud platforms.

Desirable experience :

• Familiarity with data contracts, feature stores and real‑time/streaming analytics.
• Understanding of lakehouse architectures and modern data platforms.
• Experience enabling AI‑driven product capabilities or personalisation strategies.

You are likely to thrive if you :

• Combine deep technical know‑how with commercial acumen and strategic thinking.
• Enjoy balancing long‑term vision with short‑term impact.
• Thrive in fast‑moving environments where experimentation, innovation and adaptability are key.
• Are passionate about mentoring others, elevating team performance and scaling excellence.
• Are outcome‑focused with a bias toward measurable business value.

Collinson is an equal‑opportunity employer and welcomes differences in all their forms—including colour, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, neurodivergence, family status, age, individuals with disabilities and people from all backgrounds, cultures and experiences, as we strongly believe this contributes to our ongoing success.

We are focused on continually evolving our purpose‑driven high‑performing culture, providing an environment where our people have the opportunity to achieve their full potential and do interesting and meaningful work. Our company values are: Take Action, Do the right thing, One team, and Be insight‑led. These help guide everything we do internally in terms of how we think, act and interact, right through to how we deliver value to our customers and clients.

In your application please feel free to note which pronouns you use (For example – she / her / hers, he / him / his, they / them / theirs, etc.).

If you need any extra support throughout the interview process, please email usp>

Employment Type: Full Time

Experience: years

Vacancy: 1