Principal Data Scientist

SPG Resourcing; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Pension contributions

Generous annual leave

Flexible working arrangements

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

A global insurance firm is seeking a Principal Data Scientist to lead high-impact data science initiatives. You will provide strategic direction, develop advanced analytics and machine learning solutions, and mentor junior data scientists. Required qualifications include a degree in a quantitative field and extensive experience in data science. This role offers competitive salary, flexible working arrangements, and opportunities for professional growth.

Qualifications

• Proven track record delivering complex and impactful data science solutions.
• Strong experience applying machine learning and statistical modelling techniques.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams including engineering and product.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of high-impact data science projects.
• Develop and implement machine learning models to generate insights.
• Mentor junior data scientists to foster skill development.

Skills

Machine learning

Statistical modelling

Python

SQL

Natural Language Processing

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a quantitative discipline

Tools

Cloud platforms

Job description

Principal Data Scientist - Global Insurance Firm

London | Hybrid

Company Overview

Our client is a global organisation operating within the insurance and financial services sector, recognised for its strategic investment in data, analytics, and emerging technologies. The business leverages advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to enhance decision‑making, optimise operational processes, and deliver innovative solutions across its global operations.

With a strong commitment to building a data‑driven culture, the organisation brings together multidisciplinary teams of data scientists, engineers, and technology specialists to develop scalable analytics solutions that drive measurable business impact. Employees are encouraged to collaborate across functions, contribute innovative ideas, and continuously develop their technical and leadership capabilities.

Job Summary

Our client is seeking a Principal Data Scientist to lead the delivery of complex, high‑impact data science initiatives across multiple business functions. In this role, you will provide technical leadership and strategic direction for advanced analytics and machine learning solutions that support key business priorities.

You will be responsible for guiding the end‑to‑end development of data science projects, from translating complex business challenges into technical solutions through to delivering scalable models and analytical frameworks. In addition to hands‑on technical work, you will play a key role in mentoring data scientists, setting technical standards, and strengthening the organisation’s analytics capability.

Working closely with cross‑functional teams across engineering, data, and business functions, you will help ensure data science solutions deliver measurable value and are effectively embedded into operational processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Apply industry best practices, emerging methodologies, and research‑driven approaches to develop data science solutions that support business innovation.
• Provide technical leadership across the end‑to‑end lifecycle of complex data science initiatives, from problem definition through to deployment and evaluation.
• Translate complex business challenges into structured analytical and modelling approaches.
• Work with large and diverse datasets, including both internal and third‑party data sources.
• Develop and implement advanced machine learning and statistical modelling techniques to generate actionable insights and deliver measurable business impact.
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to junior and mid‑level data scientists, promoting best practices and continuous skill development.
• Collaborate closely with data engineers, analysts, and business stakeholders to ensure successful delivery and adoption of analytical solutions.
• Contribute to the development of analytical frameworks that measure the commercial impact and efficiency of data science solutions.
• Support the growth of the organisation’s data and analytics community by sharing knowledge and promoting advanced analytical capabilities.

Required

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a quantitative discipline such as Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Extensive professional experience in data science or advanced analytics, including a proven track record delivering complex and impactful data science solutions.
• Strong experience applying machine learning, statistical modelling, and advanced analytical techniques to solve business problems.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical delivery of complex analytics initiatives from concept through to production deployment.
• Experience mentoring or supporting the technical development of data scientists.
• Strong understanding of Agile development methodologies and software engineering best practices relevant to data science.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex analytical findings into clear, actionable insights for both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Experience collaborating with cross‑functional teams including engineering, product, and business stakeholders.

Preferred

• Experience applying data science within financial services or insurance environments.
• Experience implementing frameworks to measure the commercial impact of machine learning and analytics initiatives.
• Familiarity with deploying scalable machine learning models in cloud or production environments.

Key Technical Skills

• Advanced proficiency in Python (and optionally R) for data science and analytics
• Strong SQL capabilities for data extraction and manipulation
• Deep expertise across a range of machine learning and statistical modelling techniques, including classical models, ensemble methods, and deep learning
• Experience with Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), Natural Language Processing (NLP), or Computer Vision applications
• Strong understanding of statistics, experimental design, and model evaluation techniques
• Familiarity with cloud platforms and scalable data environments

Impact and Achievements

Success in this role will be measured by your ability to:

• Lead the development and deployment of high‑impact machine learning and AI‑driven solutions that generate measurable commercial value.
• Translate complex analytical insights into tangible improvements across business processes and performance metrics.
• Elevate the technical maturity and capability of the data science function by introducing industry‑leading methodologies, tools, and best practices.
• Support the growth and development of the wider analytics team through mentorship and technical leadership.
• Competitive salary and performance‑related incentives
• Pension contributions
• Generous annual leave allowance
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• Professional development and leadership growth opportunities
• Collaborative and innovative technical environment
• Opportunity to shape enterprise‑level data science strategy and capabilities

Equal Opportunity Statement

SPG Resourcing is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace which values and benefits from the diversity of the workforce we hire. We offer reasonable accommodation at every stage of the application and interview process.