Lead Data Scientist

Anson McCade; England; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading AI consultancy in the UK is seeking a Lead Data Scientist to transform cutting-edge data science and AI into impactful real-world solutions for Defence and Security. Candidates should possess over 7 years of experience in the data science lifecycle, strong programming skills in Python or R, and the capability to communicate complex insights effectively. This hybrid role offers a competitive salary package between £85,000 and £105,000, along with opportunities to work on meaningful projects.

Benefits

Pension & medical care

Fully Expensed Travel

Discretionary bonus

Qualifications

• 7+ years in data science lifecycle.
• Strong programming skills in Python or R.
• Experience with data visualisation and exploratory data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Build statistical and machine-learning models.
• Turn data into insights and predictive systems.
• Lead projects and mentor junior colleagues.

Skills

Data collection & engineering

Data cleaning and processing

Statistical models

Programming in Python (or R)

Experience in statistical analysis

Communicating analytical results

Understanding of ethical considerations

Job description

Lead Data Scientist – Defence & Security

£85,000 – £105,000 | London / Gloucester | Hybrid (2–3 days on-site as required)

To be eligible, candidates must hold sole British nationality

Do you want to take cutting‑edge data science and AI out of the lab and into real‑world systems that strengthen security? This is an opportunity to join a fast‑scaling AI consultancy that is redefining how advanced data science and machine learning are deployed across Defence.

As a Lead Data Scientist, you’ll work with multi‑source data (structured and unstructured), build statistical and machine‑learning models, and turn data into insights and predictive systems that solve some of the most challenging problems in Defence and Security.

What We’re Looking For

• Strong experience (7+ in data science lifecycle : data collection / engineering, cleaning and processing large datasets, feature engineering, and building predictive / statistical models.
• Solid programming skills, especially in Python (or R), and familiarity with data science libraries / frameworks
• Experience in statistical analysis, exploratory data analysis, hypothesis testing, data visualisation, and translating data patterns into actionable insight.
• Familiarity with databases, data pipelines, and ideally experience handling large‑scale, heterogeneous datasets
• Ability to communicate complex analytical results clearly to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders
• (For senior level) Ability to lead projects, scope work, mentor junior colleagues, and deliver data‑driven solutions at pace.
• Understanding of ethical, security and privacy considerations relevant to working with sensitive data, and the ability to operate within relevant frameworks.

The Package

• £70,000 – £100,000 depending on experience
• Fully Expensed Travel (for client engagements)
• Pension & medical care
• Discretionary bonus
• Opportunities to work on some of the most impactful applied data science / AI projects in the UK

To hear more about the Senior Data Scientist opportunity, get in touch with Connor Smyth at Anson McCade on 020 7780 6706.