Lead Data Scientist

Publicis Groupe UK; London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading communications firm in London is seeking a Technical Lead Data Scientist to oversee advanced analytics and machine learning solutions. The ideal candidate will mentor a team, define data science strategies, and collaborate with various stakeholders to deliver scalable solutions. Experience in Python, machine learning frameworks, and cloud platforms is essential. The firm promotes a hybrid work model, supporting a diverse work environment.

Benefits

Inclusive Benefits

Supportive work environment

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in data science and machine learning, ideally in a leadership role.
• Proven expertise in Python and ML frameworks like PyTorch and TensorFlow.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of data scientists in technical excellence.
• Define and own the data science roadmap aligned with business strategy.
• Architect and deliver end-to-end machine learning pipelines.

Skills

Leadership

Machine Learning

Python

Statistical Analysis

SQL

Cloud Platforms

Communication

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Databricks

AWS

Job description

BRAND: Publicis Media
Job Function: Data Sciences
Location: London, United Kingdom
Experience Level: Specialist
Workplace Type: Hybrid

Company description

OVERVIEW
Publicis Groupe is one of the world's largest communications holding companies, present in over 110 countries and employing about 100,000 professionals.. The Groupe is positioned at every step of the value chain, from consulting to execution, combining marketing transformation and digital business transformation.

HELPING OUR CLIENTS UNLOCK GROWTH IN THE PLATFORM WORLD
Our clients compete in the platform world, a horizontal marketplace between creators and consumers, between speakers and listeners, between buyers and sellers. To thrive in the platform world, companies must continue to innovate their products and business models. Four imperatives (1. Real Identity, 2. Dynamic, Diverse and Disruptive Creativity 3., Smart Media and 4. Direct Relationships) via our suite of world-class agencies, are necessary for modern brands to win in the platform world. At Publicis Groupe, we've invested in capabilities across these four imperatives our clients need to unlock growth. As the only one who can architect, build and orchestrate end to end solutions, not only do we have a proven record of building bespoke models for clients and leading expertise across all major industry categories, we are able to offer our talents more opportunities to grow and benefit from a richer learning experience. We call this Power of One. Powered by a 100,000-strong network via Marcel, our AI-based platform, we are also able to provide our clients and talents instant access to resource, knowledge for any need, any time, in any market.

THE SPIRIT OF VIVA LA DIFFERENCE
Viva La Difference is deeply rooted in everything we do. It has always been in our DNA. From the birth of Publicis, 94 years ago, when Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, our founder, invented French advertising. Viva La Difference expresses how we value and respect each individual and recognize what makes us distinctive. This is the charge that inspires our teams to celebrate the differences in identity, background, culture, and experience of all of us. It is how we behave with each other and our clients, and it is deeply rooted throughout our work, to elevate and bring to life our differences throughout the platform world..

Overview

We are seeking a Technical Lead Data Scientist to lead the design and delivery of advanced analytics and machine learning solutions that power our data-driven products and decision-making processes. Whilst this role will be hands-on in nature and will require experience and skills for model development, you will also set the technical vision for data science, mentor a team of data scientists, and work closely with data engineering, product, and business stakeholders to ensure scalable, production-ready solutions.

Your primary focus will be on defining and implementing end-to-end data science strategies, developing machine learning models, and building robust data-driven solutions that integrate into our production platforms to enhance forecasting, personalization, and operational visibility. You will play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between business strategy and technical execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of data scientists, driving technical excellence and best practices
• Define and own the data science roadmap, aligning machine learning and analytics initiatives with business and product strategy
• Architect and deliver end-to-end ML pipelines (from data acquisition to model deployment) in collaboration with data engineering and MLOps teams
• Design, validate, and deploy machine learning models and advanced analytics solutions that support production forecasting, recommendation, and automation
• Guide the technical direction for statistical modeling, NLP, computer vision, and LLM-based solutions where applicable
• Partner with engineering teams to ensure data science solutions are scalable, production-grade, and cost-efficient across cloud platforms
• Establish and enforce standards for model reproducibility, monitoring, documentation, and governance
• Act as a thought leader within the organization, staying current with emerging AI/ML technologies and evaluating their strategic value

Qualifications

Experience

• Extensive experience in data science, machine learning, or advanced analytics, ideally in a technical leadership role
• Proven expertise in Python and ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, Scikit-learn) and experience across NLP, computer vision, and LLMs
• Strong statistical foundation, including A/B testing, causal inference, and experimental design
• Proficiency in SQL and working with large-scale, cloud-based datasets
• Deep understanding of MLOps principles and integrating ML solutions into production environments
• Demonstrated ability to translate ambiguous business problems into scalable, production-ready data science solutions
• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and tools such as Databricks, Snowflake, and BigQuery
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence decision-making across technical and non-technical teams

Desirable skills

• Familiarity with real-time model serving, monitoring, and performance optimization
• Experience with LLM frameworks (e.g., LangChain, Hugging Face, Chroma, Mistral) and generative AI applications
• Domain expertise in areas like operations, personalization and marketing
• Passion for AI research, R&D, and exploring innovative applications of ML/AI within the business

Additional information

Publicis Groupe operates a hybrid working pattern with full time employees being office-based three days during the working week.

We are supportive of all candidates and are committed to providing a fair assessment process. If you have any circumstances (such as neurodiversity, physical or mental impairments or a medical condition) that may affect your assessment, please inform your Talent Acquisition Partner. We will discuss possible adjustments to ensure fairness. Rest assured, disclosing this information will not impact your treatment in our process.

Please make sure you check out the Publicis Career Page which showcases our Inclusive Benefits and our EAG's (Employee Action Groups).