Lead Data Scientist

Babcock Mission Critical Services España SA.; Bristol; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering firm in England seeks a Lead Data Scientist to develop innovative analytics and software solutions for the Royal Navy. This full-time role offers a chance to lead a talented team, prioritize workloads, and engage with stakeholders. Candidates should have a relevant degree, strong Python skills, and experience in team leadership. The position includes a robust benefits package, including a pension scheme and health support. Join us to contribute to national security and public infrastructure.

Benefits

Matched contribution pension scheme

Access to a Digital GP

Employee share scheme

Employee shopping savings portal

Payment of Professional Fees

Holiday Trading benefits

Excellent development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience writing Python for analytical challenges.
• Proven leadership delivering software and analytics projects.
• Strong communication skills for explaining complex concepts.
• High ownership and reliability in delivering outcomes.
• Experience using Power BI is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of data analysts.
• Manage development workflows and analytical workloads.
• Deliver software, modelling and analytical solutions in Python.
• Build deep business knowledge of submarine operations.
• Engage stakeholders and visualize outputs clearly.

Skills

Python

Leadership

Problem-solving

Communication

Excel

Power BI

Education

Relevant degree (Maths, IT, Computer Science, etc.)

Job description

Lead Data Scientist

Location: Stoke Gifford, Bristol, BS16 1EJ

Onsite or Hybrid: OnSite

Job Title: Lead Data Scientist

Role Type: Full time / Permanent

Role ID: SF70936

Shape Data-Driven Insight That Strengthens the UK’s Naval Future

The role

As a Lead Data Scientist, you’ll play a pivotal role in delivering innovative modelling, analytics and software solutions that directly support the Royal Navy’s strategic submarine maintenance and disposal programme.

Day-to-day, you’ll lead and mentor a small team of data analysts, managing development workflows, prioritising analytical workloads and designing and implementing robust Python‑based capabilities.

• Leading and motivating a high‑performing team to design, deliver and operate advanced analysis services aligned to programme requirements.
• Prioritising and coordinating software development and data analytics workloads to meet evolving customer demands.
• Developing high‑quality software, modelling and analytical solutions in python using modern development practices and toolsets.
• Building deep business knowledge of submarine operations to design innovative modelling, optimisation and algorithmic approaches.
• Engaging stakeholders, operating models, visualising outputs clearly and ensuring validated, coherent master data.

This role is full time, 35 hours per week and is based on site at Babcock Technology Centre.

Essential Experience

• Experience writing Python to deliver integrated solutions to complex analytical challenges.
• Proven leadership of small teams delivering software and analytics projects in fast‑paced environments.
• Strong problem‑solving and communication skills, able to explain complex concepts to diverse stakeholders.
• Strong ownership and reliability, delivering high‑quality outcomes and adapting to shifting priorities.
• Highly collaborative, with strong Excel problem‑solving skills and proficiency visualising complex data to stakeholder. Experience using Power BI is preferred.

Qualifications

• A relevant degree such as Maths, IT, Software, Computer Science, Data Science, Physics or Computing.

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must be a sole UK National who is able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role.

Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held.

What we offer

• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
• Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+
• Employee share scheme
• Employee shopping savings portal
• Payment of Professional Fees
• Reservists in the armed forces receive 10-days special paid leave
• Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows UK Babcock employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement. There is an annual Window to request this benefit. ‘Be Kind Day’ enables employees to take one working day's paid leave a year (or equivalent hours) to undertake volunteering work with their chosen organisation or registered charity
• Excellent development opportunities and benefits package including an employee assistance programme supporting physical, mental and financial wellbeing.

Babcock

We’re Babcock — a global FTSE 100 organisation with over 26,000 people working together to make a difference.

Here, you’ll be part of something bigger. From initial design to final decommissioning, your work will contribute to products and services that are essential to national security and public infrastructure. Together, we’re building a future that lasts — not just through the impact we make, but through meaningful careers that respect your work-life balance.

We call that lifetime engineering.

Join us and see how far we can go, together.

We are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please email [e-mail] with the subject header ‘Reasonable adjustments requirement’. We’re committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone’s free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working – please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.