Data Science Team Lead (AI)

TL;DR

Data Science Team Lead (AI): Leading a team to develop and optimize search, retrieval, and evaluation systems leveraging lexical, vector, and generative AI technologies for academic and life sciences platforms with an accent on retrieval-augmented generation and robust evaluation frameworks. Focus on designing scalable AI-powered discovery experiences, advancing retrieval precision, and embedding ethical evaluation and fairness in AI systems.

Location: Amsterdam or London

Company

Global leader in information and analytics supporting science and healthcare through trusted content, data, and AI-driven discovery platforms.

What you will do

• Lead and mentor a team of data scientists focused on search, retrieval, and evaluation across research and health platforms.
• Define and execute enterprise-wide roadmap for search and retrieval excellence.
• Design and optimize lexical, vector, and hybrid retrieval systems including RAG architectures.
• Develop and maintain evaluation frameworks combining IR and generative AI metrics.
• Collaborate with product, engineering, and domain experts to integrate scientific taxonomies and metadata.
• Drive innovation in AI-powered discovery and evaluation systems ensuring responsible AI standards.

Requirements

• Location: Must be able to work in Amsterdam or London.
• PhD or MSc in Computer Science, Data Science, or related field.
• 6+ years experience in search, ranking, or retrieval systems with 2+ years in leadership.
• Expertise in lexical search, vector retrieval, and RAG system design.
• Strong programming skills in Python and experience with PyTorch, Hugging Face, LangGraph or Haystack.
• Proven ability to build scalable evaluation frameworks and improve retrieval/generation quality.
• English: Proficient (B2 or higher).

Nice to have

• Experience deploying retrieval-enhanced LLMs in production.
• Familiarity with scientific ontologies and metadata standards.
• Experience in academic publishing or enterprise-scale AI systems.

Culture & Benefits

• Flexible working hours to support work-life balance.
• Comprehensive pension plan and various leave options including sabbaticals.
• Home, office, or commuting allowance.
• Personal choice budget and employee assistance programs.
• Inclusive and supportive work environment with wellbeing initiatives.