Lead Data Scientist at leading applied AI consultancy for national security

As a Lead Data Scientist, you will spearhead technical direction for business-critical national security projects, spanning UAV automation, computer vision, and LLMs. You will manage cross-functional teams and act as a trusted advisor to senior military stakeholders, architecting production-grade AI solutions that provide a genuine edge in contested environments and real-world high-stakes scenarios.

• Set the technical strategy for complex projects, balancing speed and innovation while delivering production-grade AI architectures.
• Lead and mentor multi-disciplinary squads, managing other managers to ensure technical excellence across the data science craft.
• Interface directly with senior defense stakeholders to scope ill-defined problems and translate high-level requirements into actionable technical roadmaps.

• Deep expertise in machine learning domains such as Computer Vision, Signal Processing, or LLMs with a proven track record of shipping models.
• Extensive experience leading technical teams and managing commercial delivery within consulting, defense tech, or high-stakes product environments.
• Must be eligible for UK Security Clearance (SC) and willing to travel to client sites 2-4 days per week across the UK.

• Deploy AI that matters by working on mission-critical national security challenges with the MOD, Dstl, and major aerospace partners.
• Join a PhD-heavy technical culture that prioritizes rigorous, responsible, and explainable AI over hype cycles, backed by the scale of a global leader.
• Enjoy a high-autonomy environment with exceptional benefits, including an unlimited annual leave policy and specialized coaching for mental well-being.