Head of Data Science & AI

AXA UK; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 114,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading health insurance company in the UK is searching for a Head of Data Science and AI to lead innovative projects aimed at improving healthcare outcomes. This role involves strategic leadership and collaboration to enhance data capabilities and team management. Candidates must have experience in data science and AI in large organisations. The position offers a competitive salary up to £135,000 and various benefits, including a pension scheme and private medical cover.

Benefits

Competitive salary up to £135,000

Annual bonus

Contributory pension scheme

Life Assurance

Private medical cover

28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays

Option to buy/sell leave days

Wellbeing services

Employee discounts

Qualifications

• Proven experience in data science roles within large organisations.
• Experience in developing data science solutions.
• Previous leadership experience.
• Understanding of data governance and security.

Responsibilities

• Lead AXA Health’s Data Science team through project lifecycle.
• Drive a data-driven decision-making culture.
• Develop Data Science strategies aligned with AXA goals.
• Collaborate with stakeholders on tools and initiatives.
• Support establishment of Data and Analytics function.
• Build and inspire a high-performing data science team.
• Engage with industry as a thought leader.

Skills

AI and machine learning

Data management

Strategic thinking

Problem-solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in data science or related

Tools

Python

SQL

Hadoop

Spark

Job description

Description

Are you passionate about harnessing the power of data and AI to make a real difference in healthcare? The Health Data and Analytics team is dedicated to transforming health outcomes through innovative data-driven solutions. Our goal is to optimise operations, improve patient care, and deliver measurable value across the organisation by leveraging advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI techniques. We're committed to building a culture where data is at the heart of decision-making, enabling us to achieve better efficiency, cost savings, and customer outcomes.

As the Head of Data Science and AI, you'll be at the forefront of this mission, providing strategic leadership and shaping the future of our data capabilities. You'll set the vision for how AI and machine learning can unlock value across the organisation, develop a clear roadmap to turn that vision into reality, and lead a talented team of data scientists. Your role involves building end-to-end data science solutions, leveraging our cloud-based data lake, and working closely with stakeholders to embed a data-driven approach into every aspect of our work. This is a fantastic opportunity to drive meaningful change and help position AXA as a leader in health data innovation.

At AXA we work smart, empowering our people to balance their time between home and the office in a way that works best for them, their team and our customers. You'll work at least two days a week (40%) away from home, moving to three days a week (60%) in the future. Away from home means either attendance at one of our office locations, visiting clients or attending industry events. We're also happy to consider flexible working arrangements, which you can discuss with Talent Acquisition.

What you’ll be doing:

• Lead AXA Health’s Data Science team across the full project lifecycle, from ideation to deployment and value realisation, whilst setting strategic vision and developing roadmaps for AI and ML initiatives that maximise customer value and support business objectives.
• Drive a data‑driven decision‑making culture within the organisation, promoting understanding of the benefits of data and AI, and championing advanced analytics to improve processes and outcomes.
• Develop and implement Data Science and AI strategies aligned with AXA UK and Group goals, fostering innovation through iterative, fail‑fast approaches to quickly validate use cases before scaling.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to identify new opportunities for tools, platforms, and initiatives that enhance the business, while actively promoting best practices, reuse, and collaboration within the data science community.
• Support the establishment of the Data and Analytics function, including governance, integration, and alignment with wider business strategies, contributing to its development and maturity.
• Build, lead, and inspire a high‑performing data science team by setting objectives, supporting talent development, performance management, and retention.
• Act as a thought leader in the UK and globally, engaging with industry and academia to stay at the forefront of data science advancements and fostering a community of expertise within AXA.
• Advocate and communicate the value of data science to stakeholders, making data‑driven recommendations to enhance business processes and strategic decision‑making.

Due to the number of applications we expect to receive for this role, we reserve the right to close this advert earlier than the listed closing date to ensure we’re able to effectively manage interest.

What you’ll bring:

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in data science, computer science, mathematics, statistics, operations research, or a related technical field.
• Proven experience in AI, machine learning, data management, or data science roles within large organisations, with a track record of delivering tangible value.
• Significant practical experience in developing data science solutions that have generated meaningful business impact.
• Previous leadership experience, with the ability to inspire and guide a diverse team of data professionals.
• Extensive knowledge of machine learning, statistics, and optimisation techniques.
• Strong strategic thinking, problem‑solving skills, and an aptitude for identifying business opportunities through data.
• Understanding of data governance, privacy, and security best practices.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Experience working with large datasets and distributed computing tools such as Python, SQL, Hadoop, Spark, and optimisation software.
• As a precondition of employment for this role, you must be eligible and authorised to work in the United Kingdom.

What we offer:

• Competitive annual salary of up to £135,000 dependent on experience
• Annual company & performance‑based bonus
• Contributory pension scheme (up to 12% employer contributions)
• Life Assurance (up to 10 × annual salary)
• Private medical cover
• 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Opportunity to buy up to 5 extra days leave or sell up to 5 days leave
• Wellbeing services & resources
• AXA employee discounts

To apply, click on the ‘apply for this job’ button, you’ll then need to log in or create a profile to submit your CV.

We’re proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer and don’t discriminate against employees or potential employees based on protected characteristics. If you have a long‑term condition or disability and require adjustments during the application or interview process, we’re proud to offer access to the AXA Accessibility Concierge. For our support, please send an email to [e-mail].

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Who we are:

At AXA Health, we’re passionate about helping our members to put their health first, whether that’s individuals and families, small businesses, or huge corporates. From fast access to diagnosis and treatment, to guidance and tools that can help them manage their health every day, not just when there’s a problem, our members can be confident we’ll guide them, every step of the way.