Data Science Lead

Harnham; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Base salary up to $200,000

Annual bonus

Founding Data Science capacity

Roadmap ownership and influence

Hybrid work – Chicago, 3 days on-site

Job summary

Harnham in Chicago is seeking a Data Science Lead to join at an early stage and shape the function. You will be a founding technical leader, hands-on, defining the approach, and delivering end-to-end data science projects that influence commercial and operational decisions.

You will partner with senior stakeholders, tackle ambiguous business problems, build scalable models with Python and SQL, and help shape the team as the data science capability grows.

Qualifications

• Significant professional experience delivering Data Science and ML solutions in commercial environments.
• Advanced Python and SQL skills.
• Experience building predictive or ML models from concept to implementation.
• Ability to tackle ambiguous business problems and define analytical approaches.
• Experience partnering with senior stakeholders and translating technical concepts for non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end Data Science and ML projects from discovery to deployment and measurement.
• Identify high-value opportunities for predictive analytics, ML, and AI across the business.
• Build models and analytical solutions influencing commercial and operational decisions.
• Translate business challenges into technical strategies with senior stakeholders.
• Establish best practices across modeling, experimentation, deployment, and DS development.
• Influence future technical roadmap, tooling, and architecture of the function.
• Remain hands-on with Python, SQL, and modern DS tooling while guiding the team.
• Help shape the team as the DS capability scales.

Skills

Python

SQL

Data science

Machine learning

Stakeholder management

Job description

An established and growing professional services organization is making a significant investment in Data Science and AI and is looking for a Data Science Lead to become a foundational member of the function.

This is an opportunity to join at an early stage and have a meaningful say in what gets built, how it gets built, and where Data Science can create the greatest impact across the business.

Sitting at the intersection of advanced analytics, machine learning, AI, and business strategy, you’ll have the autonomy to identify high-value use cases, build solutions from the ground up, and help define the technical direction of the function.

You’ll work closely with senior stakeholders across the organization, giving you significant visibility and the opportunity to directly influence commercial and operational decision‑making.

THE ROLE

As the Data Science Lead, you’ll act as a founding technical leader within the Data Science function while remaining highly hands‑on.

Rather than stepping into an established roadmap, you’ll help create it.

You’ll take ambiguous business challenges, identify where Data Science, predictive analytics, ML, or AI can make a meaningful difference, and own initiatives from initial discovery and experimentation through implementation and measurement.

You will be responsible for:

• Leading end-to-end Data Science and machine learning projects, from discovery and experimentation through deployment and measurement
• Identifying and prioritizing high-value opportunities for predictive analytics, ML, and AI across the business
• Building models and analytical solutions that directly influence commercial and operational decision‑making
• Partnering with senior stakeholders to translate complex, open-ended business challenges into technical strategies
• Establishing best practices across modeling, experimentation, deployment, and Data Science development
• Influencing the future technical roadmap, tooling, and architecture of the function
• Acting as a senior technical voice while remaining highly hands‑on with Python, SQL, and modern Data Science tooling
• Helping shape the team as the Data Science capability continues to scale

YOUR SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

The successful Data Science Lead will have:

• Significant professional experience delivering Data Science and machine learning solutions in commercial environments
• Advanced Python and SQL skills
• Strong experience building predictive and/or machine learning models from concept through implementation
• A track record of tackling ambiguous, open-ended business problems and determining the right analytical approach
• Experience partnering directly with senior business stakeholders and communicating technical concepts to non-technical audiences
• Strong understanding of modern Data Science, ML, and AI technologies
• Experience working within professional services, consulting, or similarly stakeholder-intensive environments is highly desirable
• A builder mentality and an interest in creating a Data Science capability rather than simply inheriting an established function

THE BENEFITS

• Base salary up to $200,000
• Additional annual bonus
• Opportunity to join in a founding Data Science capacity
• Significant ownership and influence over the Data Science and AI roadmap
• High visibility across senior leadership
• Opportunity to build and scale a function from the ground up
• Chicago-based hybrid working – 3 days per week on-site