Lead Data Scientist

Lead Data & AI Scientist (BCB)

Salary: Competitive
* will be discussed at interview stage

Location: London or Edinburgh

Hours: Full time

Working Pattern: Our work style is hybrid, which involves spending at least two days per week, or 40% of your time, at our Edinburgh office.

In Business & Commercial Banking (BCB) we're developing our client value proposition, shaping our digital and data strategy, and driving commercial growth initiatives.

As a Lead Data & AI Scientist, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering ground breaking AI solutions that solve complex business challenges for BCB. From predictive and generative AI to agentic systems, you’ll lead initiatives that transform digital experiences, automate processes, and unlock data‑driven insights for colleagues and clients.

You’ll provide technical leadership, define our capability roadmap, and ensure the delivery of high‑quality, scalable models. This role also involves mentoring the Data Science & AI team, encouraging knowledge sharing, and embedding industry guidelines.

• Conceptualise and lead technology-based solutions that solve complex business problems. Improve digital experiences, automate processes, and provide data‑driven insights to support colleague and client journeys.
• Shape and define the capability roadmap for Data & AI, including cloud‑native solutions and scalable architectures.
• Provide technical leadership, coaching, and mentoring for data scientists and engineers.
• Ensure rigorous quality assurance in model development, testing, and deployment.
• Develop proofs‑of‑concept to demonstrate new capabilities and accelerate adoption.
• Partner with colleagues to understand business requirements and translate them into actionable AI solutions.
• Advocate for responsible AI practices and compliance with governance frameworks.
• Guide the team in solving complex AI use cases and improving existing approaches.
• Contribute to the design of training curricula and professional development paths for the Data & AI community.
• Drive measurable business outcomes through AI solutions aligned to strategic priorities.
• Ensure solutions are scalable, secure, and aligned with Group Data & AI standards.

We’re on an exciting journey to transform our Group and the way we’re shaping finance for good. We’re focusing on the future, investing in our technologies, workplaces, and colleagues to make our Group a great place for everyone.

• Set the strategic direction for Data & AI across BCB, aligning investment and priorities with business outcomes.
• Lead the design and delivery of enterprise‑level AI solutions across client journeys, automation, and insight generation.
• Own the Data & AI capability roadmap, ensuring scalable, cloud‑based architectures that support long‑term growth.
• Provide technical and thought leadership to the Data Science & AI team, building capability and setting engineering standards.
• Oversee the full lifecycle of AI solutions, ensuring robust development, deployment, monitoring, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with senior leaders to shape high‑value AI use cases and influence decision‑making at leadership level.
• Embed responsible AI practices, ensuring all solutions meet governance, risk, and regulatory requirements.
• Drive measurable commercial and operational outcomes, with clear accountability for impact, adoption, and value delivered.
• We know that great talent comes from many backgrounds. Whilst this job advert may reference specific years of experience, we recognise that skills are developed in many ways, so if you have relevant, transferable experience, we encourage you to apply.

Our ambition is to be the leading UK business for diversity, equity and inclusion supporting our customers, colleagues and communities, and we’re committed to creating an environment in which everyone can thrive, learn and develop.

We were one of the first major organisations to set goals on diversity in senior roles, create a menopause health package, and a dedicated Working with Cancer Initiative.

We offer reasonable workplace adjustments for colleagues with disabilities, including…