Lead Data Scientist - Healthcare

Kainos; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK technology company is looking for a Lead Data Scientist to architect and deliver cutting-edge AI solutions. The role involves driving the adoption of modern AI frameworks and mentoring junior team members. Ideal candidates will possess a strong background in AI and machine learning, as well as excellent interpersonal skills. The company promotes a people-first culture, valuing diversity and inclusion, while challenging its employees to innovate and grow within a dynamic environment.

Benefits

Flexible work environment

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of AI/ML models, including supervised/unsupervised learning.
• Experience with modern AI engineering approaches like prompt engineering.
• Expertise in handling large-scale, unstructured data.

Responsibilities

• Architect and deliver advanced AI solutions leveraging state-of-the-art technologies.
• Drive adoption of AIOps best practices and scalable architectures.
• Manage, coach, and develop junior team members.

Skills

AI/ML model development

Python programming

Data engineering

Interpersonal skills

Education

2.1 degree in Computer Science, AI, Data Science, Statistics or similar

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

scikit-learn

XGBoost

Job description

Join Kainos and Shape the Future

At Kainos, we’re problem solvers, innovators, and collaborators - driven by a shared mission to create real impact. Whether we’re transforming digital services for millions, delivering cutting-edge Workday solutions, or pushing the boundaries of technology, we do it together.

We believe in a people-first culture, where your ideas are valued, your growth is supported, and your contributions truly make a difference. Here, you’ll be part of a diverse, ambitious team that celebrates creativity and collaboration.

Ready to make your mark? Join us and be part of something bigger.

JOBPROFILE DESCRIPTION

Kainos is recognised as one of the UK’s leading AI and data businesses, with a decade-longtrack recordof delivering impactful, production-grade AI solutions for clients across government, healthcare,defence,and commercial sectors. Kainos is at the forefront of AI innovation,trusted by Microsoft,AWS,andothersto deliver advanced AIand datasolutions atcitizenscale.

Our 150-strong AI and DataPracticebringstogether deepexpertisein machine learning, generative AI, agenticAIand data. We are pioneers in responsible AI, having authored the UK government’s AI Cyber Security Code of Practice implementation guideand we partner with leading organisations to ensure AI is deployed ethically, securely and with measurable business value. Our teams are at thecutting edgeof AI research, and delivery, it is truly an exciting team to join Kainos as we further grow our AI capability.

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE ROLE&RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE BUSINESS:

As a Lead Data Scientist at Kainos, you will architect,design,and deliver advanced AI solutionsleveragingstate-of-the-artmachine learning,generativeand agenticAI technologies. You will drive the adoption of modern AI frameworks,AIOps best practicesand scalable cloud-native architectures. Your role will involve hands‑on technical leadership, collaborating with customers to translate business challenges into trustworthy AI solutions and ensuring responsible AI practices throughout.As a technical mentor, you will foster a culture of innovation, continuouslearning,and engineering excellence.

It isa fast-pacedenvironment,so it is important for you to make sound, reasoned decisions.You willdo this whilst learning aboutnew technologiesand approaches, with talented colleagues that will help you to develop and grow.You willmanage,coach,and develop a small number of staff, with a focus on managing employee performance andassistingin their career development.You willalso provide direction and leadership for your team as you solve challenging problems together.

MINIMUM(ESSENTIAL)REQUIREMENTS:

• A minimum of a 2.1 degree in Computer Science, AI, Data Science, Statistics or in a similar quantitative field.
• Have a deep understandingand developingof AI/ML models, including time series, supervised/unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning and LLMs.
• Experience with the latest AI engineering approaches such as prompt engineering, retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG), and agentic AI.
• Strong Python skills with a grounding in software engineering best practices(CI/CD, testing, code reviews etc).
• Expertisein data engineering for AI: handling large‑scale, unstructured, and multimodal data.
• Understandingof responsible AI principles, modelinterpretability,and ethical considerations.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to lead client projects andestablishrequirements in non-technical language.
• We are passionate about developing people, you will bring experience in managing,coaching,and developing junior members of a team and wider community.

DESIRABLE:

• Demonstrable experience with modern deep learning frameworks (e.g.PyTorch, TensorFlow), fine‑tuning or distillation of LLMs (e.g., GPT, Llama, Claude, Gemini), machine learning libraries (e.g. scikit-learn,XGBoost).
• Experience with data storage for AI, vector databases, semanticsearch,and knowledge graphs.
• Contributions to open-source AI projects or research publications.
• Familiarity with AI security, privacy, and compliance standardse.g. ISO42001.

EMBRACING OUR DIFFERENCES

At Kainos, we believe in the power of diversity, equity and inclusion. We are committed to building a team that is as diverse as the world we live in, where everyone is valued, respected, and given an equal chance to thrive. We actively seek out talented people from all backgrounds, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or any other characteristic that makes them who they are. We also believe every candidate deserves a level playing field.

Our friendly talent acquisition team is here to support you every step of the way, so if you require any accommodations or adjustments, we encourage you to reach out.

We understand that everyone's journey is different, and by having a private conversation we can ensure that our recruitment process is tailored to your needs.