Senior Data Scientist

Faculty; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading AI consultancy in Bristol is seeking a Senior Data Scientist to lead high-impact AI projects. The successful candidate will possess strong programming skills, particularly in Python, and have experience in data science methodologies. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the technical direction of bespoke AI solutions while mentoring a talented team.

Qualifications

• Senior experience in a professional data science position or a quantitative academic field.
• Strong programming skills, especially in Python with core libraries.
• Deep expertise in core data science paradigms, including innovative algorithm development.

Responsibilities

• Lead high-impact AI projects and shape the technical direction of bespoke solutions.
• Define data science approaches and design robust software architectures.
• Mentor junior colleagues and ensure delivery rigor across projects.

Skills

Senior data science experience

Fluent Python programmer

Deep-learning framework expertise

Core data science paradigms

Leadership mindset

Commercial awareness

Project planning skills

Job description

About Faculty

At Faculty, we transform organisational performance through safe, impactful and human‑centric AI.

With more than a decade of experience, we provide over 350 global customers with software, bespoke AI consultancy, and Fellows from our award‑winning Fellowship programme.

Our expert team brings together leaders from across government, academia and global tech giants to solve the biggest challenges in applied AI.

Should you join us, you’ll have the chance to work with, and learn from, some of the brilliant minds who are bringing Frontier AI to the frontlines of the world.

About the team

Our Defence team is focused on building and embedding human‑centered AI solutions which give our nation a competitive edge in the defence sector. We collaborate with our clients to bring ethical, reliable and cutting‑edge AI to high‑stakes situations and maintain the balance of global powers essential to our liberty.

Because of the nature of the work we do with our Defence clients, you will need to be eligible for UK Security Clearance (SC) and willing to work up to three days per week on site with these customers, which may require travel to locations outside of our London base.

About the role:

As a Senior Data Scientist, you will lead high‑impact AI projects and shape the technical direction of bespoke solutions. This role requires hands‑on technical excellence combined with crucial team leadership.

You will define data science approaches, design robust software architectures, mentor junior colleagues, and ensure delivery rigor across projects all while building deep client relationships and solidifying our reputation as a leader in practical, measurable AI.

What you'll be doing:

• Mapping the end‑to‑end data science approach and designing the associated software leading project teams that deliver bespoke algorithms and high‑stakes AI solutions to clients across the sector.
• Conceiving the core data science approach and designing the associated robust software architecture for new engagements.
• Mentoring a small number of data scientists and supporting the professional growth of technical team members on projects.
• Partnering with commercial teams to build client relationships and shape project scope for technical feasibility.
• Contributing to Faculty’s thought leadership and reputation through delivering courses, public speaking, or open‑source projects.
• Ensuring best practices are followed throughout the project lifecycle to guarantee high‑quality, impactful delivery.

Who we're looking for:

• You possess senior experience in a professional data science position or a quantitative academic field.
• You demonstrate strong programming skills, with the ability to be a fluent Python programmer, using core libraries (NumPy, Pandas) and a deep‑learning framework (e.g., PyTorch).
• You have a deep expertise in core data science paradigms (supervised/unsupervised, NLP, validation), demonstrating a proficiency across the standard data science toolkit, including the ability to develop new, innovative algorithms.
• You bring a leadership mindset, focused on growing the technical capabilities of the team and nurturing a collaborative culture.
• You exhibit commercial awareness, with experience in client‑facing work and the ability to translate business problems into a rigorous mathematical framework.
• You are skilled in project planning, assessing technical feasibility, estimating delivery timelines, and leading a team to deliver high‑quality work on a strict schedule.

The Interview Process

• Talent Team Screen (30 minutes)
• Take Home Technical Test
• Technical Interview (90 minutes)
• Commercial Interview (60 minutes)

What we can offer you:

The Faculty team is diverse and distinctive, and we all come from different personal, professional and organisational backgrounds. We all have one thing in common: we are driven by a deep intellectual curiosity that powers us forward each day.

Faculty is the professional challenge of a lifetime. You’ll be surrounded by an impressive group of brilliant minds working to achieve our collective goals.

Our consultants, product developers, business development specialists, operations professionals and more all bring something unique to Faculty, and you’ll learn something new from everyone you meet.