Lead Data Scientist

Salary: £29,000 - 69,000 per year

Requirements:

• We are looking for a commercially minded Data Science Lead with strong technical leadership and commercial judgement.
• You have successfully delivered Data Science solutions that created measurable commercial value, such as increased revenue, customer engagement, profitability or operational efficiency.
• You think about business outcomes first and use Data Science to solve customer and commercial challenges.
• You are comfortable working with ambiguity and can translate complex business questions into well-defined, high-value Data Science opportunities.
• You know how to prioritise work based on customer impact, commercial value and strategic importance.
• You have successfully led, coached or mentored Data Scientists and can create an environment where people learn, experiment and perform at their best.
• You are an experienced hands-on Data Scientist with strong Python and SQL skills and a track record of delivering production-ready Machine Learning solutions.
• You have experience across customer, marketing or commercial Data Science, including recommendation systems, experimentation, pricing, propensity modelling, uplift modelling or similar use cases.
• You can communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• You enjoy working collaboratively with Product Owners, Engineers, Analysts and business stakeholders.
• Experience with cloud-based Machine Learning platforms, MLOps, LLMs or Agentic AI is advantageous.

Responsibilities:

• Lead a team of Data Scientists while remaining hands-on in the design and delivery of production-ready Machine Learning solutions.
• Spend around half of your time on technical delivery, coaching the team, setting technical standards and ensuring Data Science focuses on the business problems that matter most.
• Work closely with Product Owners, Analysts, Engineers and stakeholders across Commercial, Marketing, Customer, Finance and Digital to translate complex business challenges into high-value Data Science use cases.
• Build and prioritise a commercially driven backlog, balancing customer value, strategic priorities and technical complexity.
• Ensure every solution has clear success measures and demonstrable commercial outcomes.
• Champion experimentation, continuous learning and responsible AI.
• Raise the technical bar across the Data Science community and help shape the future direction of Data Science at IAG Loyalty.
• Play a key role as a member of the Data Products Leadership Team, influencing the direction of the function and developing future capability.
• Help ensure Data Science is recognised as a strategic driver of business growth.

Technologies:

• Agentic AI
• AI
• Cloud
• Machine Learning
• Marketing
• MLOps
• Python
• REST
• SQL

More:

We are IAG Loyalty, one organisation with two ambitious, growing divisions across Loyalty and Holidays. Our Loyalty division is home to Avios, the global loyalty currency, enabling millions of members to collect and spend rewards across travel, retail and financial services. Our Holidays division, including British Airways Holidays and Iberia Vacaciones, connects customers to thousands of destinations worldwide through seamless end-to-end travel experiences. This role sits within our Loyalty Division and is based in our London office. We work in a hybrid model called The Blend, with at least two days per week in the office and the rest from home. You will collaborate across both Loyalty and Holidays to help create more rewarding travel experiences for millions of customers. We are committed to diversity, inclusion and building a workplace where people feel they belong and are valued for their perspective.

last updated 34 week of 2026