Principal Data Scientist (AI)

TL;DR

Principal Data Scientist (AI): Defining the long-term technical vision and architecting business-critical AI programs with an accent on organizational strategy and technical excellence. Focus on scaling ML capabilities, coaching senior leadership, and translating complex technical thinking into commercial outcomes for C-suite clients.

Location: Hybrid in London, UK

Company

An AI firm specializing in human-centric AI to transform performance for global customers across government, finance, retail, and life sciences.

What you will do

• Define and own the long-term technical vision and standards for the AI practice.
• Architect and oversee the delivery of flagship, business-critical programs across multiple teams and client organizations.
• Drive organization-wide adoption of innovation, tooling, and data science best practices.
• Coach and develop senior talent, including leads and managers, to build capability pipelines.
• Act as the primary technical authority in C-suite and executive client engagements to shape strategic direction.
• Lead technical strategy for high-value sales opportunities to differentiate the company's proposition.

Requirements

• Recognized expertise across multiple machine learning domains.
• Proven track record of shaping technical strategy at an organizational level.
• Experience leading the delivery of large-scale, high-ambiguity programs.
• Skilled in coaching and developing senior technical personnel and managers.
• Ability to operate as a trusted advisor at the executive and C-suite level.
• Visible external profile through publications, conferences, or open-source leadership.

Culture & Benefits

• Unlimited Annual Leave Policy.
• Private healthcare and dental insurance.
• Enhanced parental leave.
• Family-friendly flexibility and hybrid working arrangements.
• Access to Sanctus Coaching.

Hiring process

• Talent Team Screen (30 minutes).
• Introduction to the team (30 minutes).
• Take-home technical assessment.
• Technical Interview (90 minutes).
• Commercial Interview (60 minutes).