Principal Data Scientist (AI)

TL;DR

Principal Data Scientist (ML/AI): Designing and building large-scale recommendation systems for hirify.global iPlayer, Sounds, and other platforms with an accent on discoverability and personalization. Focus on prototyping, experimenting, and deploying robust ML solutions at hirify.global scale to improve audience engagement.

Location: Hybrid (Must be based in Salford, Glasgow, Newcastle, or London, UK)

Salary: £73,000 - £83,000

Company

The hirify.global is a world-leading public service broadcaster dedicated to educating, informing, and entertaining millions of people daily.

What you will do

• Shape the technical direction of large-scale recommender systems used by millions of people.
• Act as a hands-on contributor by prototyping and experimenting with complex ML solutions.
• Collaborate within a cross-functional team of engineers and product managers to deliver high-impact systems.
• Solve complex user and business problems using scalable machine learning algorithms.
• Contribute to the wider hirify.global Data Science community through knowledge sharing and mentoring colleagues.

Requirements

• Extensive hands-on experience in data science and machine learning with a proven track record.
• Specific experience in developing and deploying recommender systems.
• Strong coding skills in Python.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Must be based in the UK and able to work in a hybrid setup (Salford, Glasgow, Newcastle, or London).

Nice to have

• Experience with MLOps, including model deployment, versioning, and monitoring.
• Knowledge of cloud services, particularly AWS.
• Understanding of software best practices such as testing and code management.
• Experience in mentoring or supervising other team members.

Culture & Benefits

• Competitive salary package with a flexible 35-hour working week.
• 25 days annual leave with the option to purchase an additional 5 days.
• Defined pension scheme and discounted dental, healthcare, and gym memberships.
• Support for flexible working arrangements discussed at the offer stage.
• Strong focus on diversity, inclusion, and professional growth opportunities.

Hiring process

• Introductory call with the hiring manager to discuss role background and motivations.
• A 1.5-hour panel interview featuring a technical presentation and competency-based questions.