Head of Data Science, AI-Driven Lending & Risk

Harnham - Data and Analytics Recruitment; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Harnham - Data and Analytics Recruitment in London is seeking a Head of Data Science to lead a rapidly growing fintech data science function. You will shape strategy, deploy production ML models, and directly influence commercial outcomes.

The role requires strong credit risk modelling experience in UK consumer lending, hands-on ML with Python/SQL, and a track record in cloud/MLOps environments. You will collaborate with senior stakeholders to drive business impact and governance of AI

Qualifications

• Strong commercial experience in credit risk modelling within UK consumer lending.
• Hands-on expertise in machine learning, Python, and SQL.
• Experience deploying production-ready models and working within modern cloud and MLOps environments.
• Knowledge of Open Banking data and affordability assessment.
• Exposure to LLMs, agentic AI, or AI-powered decisioning solutions.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to a range of stakeholders and balance commercial objectives with risk management.

Responsibilities

• Own the data science strategy across risk, affordability, and lending decisioning.
• Design, build, and deploy machine learning models using credit risk, Open Banking, and customer data.
• Work closely with Product, Engineering, Credit Risk, and Operations teams to deliver measurable business impact.
• Drive best practice across AI, model governance, deployment, monitoring, and performance reporting.

Skills

Credit risk modelling

Machine learning

Python

SQL

Open Banking data

Affordability assessment

Cloud

MLOps

LLMs

Agentic AI

AI-powered decisioning

Stakeholder communication

Tools

Cloud platforms

Production deployment

Job description

Harnham - Data and Analytics Recruitment in London is seeking a Head of Data Science to lead a rapidly growing fintech data science function. You will shape strategy, deploy production ML models, and directly influence commercial outcomes.

The role requires strong credit risk modelling experience in UK consumer lending, hands-on ML with Python/SQL, and a track record in cloud/MLOps environments. You will collaborate with senior stakeholders to drive business impact and governance of AI