Principal Data Scientist

Digital Futures; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tailored professional development plan

Employee benefits and discounts

Pension contributions

Wellbeing budget

Competitive salary

Job summary

Digital Futures is seeking a Principal Data Scientist to lead high-value analytical work in Greater London. The role involves hands-on modeling and technical leadership, facilitating advanced analytics and machine learning solutions for complex problems. Candidates should have extensive data science experience, excellent statistical skills, and proficiency in Python and SQL. The position offers a competitive salary, hybrid working, and a structured professional development plan.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience working on end-to-end data science projects.
• Strong analytical and statistical skills.
• Proficiency in Python, SQL, and data science tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and delivery of analytics and machine learning solutions.
• Frame problems and guide experimentation.
• Collaborate with teams to translate business questions into models.

Skills

End-to-end project management

Statistical skills

Machine learning skills

Python proficiency

SQL proficiency

Data narrative storytelling

Tools

Data science libraries

Job description

Digital Futures is seeking a Principal Data Scientist to lead high‑value analytical and modelling work, turning complex data into insights and AI models that drive client outcomes. The role combines hands‑on modelling with technical leadership and thought leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of advanced analytics and machine learning solutions for complex client problems.
• Frame problems, select appropriate modelling approaches and guide experimentation from hypothesis through to validated solution.
• Collaborate with product, transformation and engineering leads to translate business questions into analytical projects and production‑ready models.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to data scientists and analysts across projects.
• Communicate findings, insights and model implications clearly to senior stakeholders.
• Contribute to the development of reusable assets, accelerators and best practices in data science.

Skills & experience

• Extensive experience as a data scientist working on end‑to‑end projects, from discovery to deployment.
• Strong statistical, analytical and machine learning skills, with solid foundations in experimentation and evaluation.
• Proficiency in relevant tools and languages (e.g. Python, SQL, common data science libraries) and working with large and diverse datasets.
• Experience collaborating with engineers to transition models into production environments.
• Ability to scope and lead multiple concurrent initiatives, managing priorities and expectations.
• Strong storytelling skills, able to translate technical results into clear business narratives.

Behaviours & mindset

• Acts as a scientist‑practitioner, balancing rigour with pragmatism.
• Curious and experimental, comfortable exploring uncertainty and iterating quickly.
• Supportive mentor, invested in developing the skills of more junior team members.
• Collaborative and open to challenge from peers in engineering, product and business.
• Outcome‑oriented, focused on impact rather than just model sophistication.

What’s in it for you?

• Tailored professional development plan and upskilling
• Ability to make an impact at Digital Futures while it is in a period of accelerated growth
• Access to our employee benefits, discounts and perks platform
• Pension contributions
• Wellbeing budget
• Competitive salary
• Hybrid working model with required office working days