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Lead Data Scientist

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Employment
Full-time — employment source
Employment type in the employer’s posting: FULL_TIME
From the employer’s posting

What you’ll work on

Full posting

We are seeking a Lead Data Scientist to provide senior scientific leadership for Data Science and applied-model development within Digital Engineering, Digital & IT.

Based flexibly in Newbury or Paddington, UK, you will translate customer, commercial and operational challenges into testable analytical approaches, lead modelling and experimentation, and ensure models are statistically sound, reproducible, explainable and fair.

  • Frame customer and business problems as testable data science questions

  • Lead development and validation of predictive, forecasting, fraud and causal models

  • Set scientific standards for reproducibility, explainability, fairness and bias

  • Recommend whether models should proceed, be redesigned or stop

  • Measure post-launch performance and real-world impact of deployed models

From the employer’s posting
We are seeking a Lead Data Scientist to provide senior scientific leadership for Data Science and applied-model development within Digital Engineering, Digital & IT.
Based flexibly in Newbury or Paddington, UK, you will translate customer, commercial and operational challenges into testable analytical approaches, lead modelling and experimentation, and ensure models are statistically sound, reproducible, explainable and fair.
Frame customer, commercial and operational challenges as testable Data Science questions
Lead the development and validation of predictive, forecasting, propensity, anomaly and fraud, optimisation and causal models
Set and assure scientific standards for reproducibility, peer review, explainability, fairness, bias, uncertainty and model limitations
Evaluate model validity and recommend whether models should proceed, be redesigned or stop
Measure post-launch performance and real-world customer or business impact

What you’ll bring

All qualifications

Core experience

  • Experience selecting evaluation approaches, statistical tests, decision thresholds and validation techniques appropriate to different analytical problems.
  • Strong understanding of model evaluation, calibration, explainability, fairness, bias, uncertainty and reproducibility.
  • Experience with cloud analytics and machine learning environments, preferably BigQuery and Vertex AI, or equivalent technologies.
  • Experience assessing deployed models against real-world customer or business outcomes.
Qualification wording
Experience selecting evaluation approaches, statistical tests, decision thresholds and validation techniques appropriate to different analytical problems.
Strong understanding of model evaluation, calibration, explainability, fairness, bias, uncertainty and reproducibility.
Experience with cloud analytics and machine learning environments, preferably BigQuery and Vertex AI, or equivalent technologies.
Experience assessing deployed models against real-world customer or business outcomes.

About Vodafone Group

VOIS (Vodafone Intelligent Solutions) is a strategic arm of Vodafone Group Plc, creating value for customers by delivering intelligent solutions through Talent, Technology & Transformation.

In the employer’s words · Read in context

Apply at Vodafone Group

Posting record

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Actively hiringFirst seen by us 2 days ago, still listed, and not a repost of an earlier posting.

Status in our records
Live
First seen by us
Nov 5, 20262 days ago
Recorded sightings
3
Last seen by us
Nov 7, 2026

These dates show when we found the posting. Check the employer’s website to confirm it is still accepting applications.

How this job compares

Time since we first saw it

Day 2

Early. Similar jobs usually come down between day 7 and day 57.

At Vodafone Group, jobs usually come down by about day 23.

From 10,547 similar postings that came down, and 139 of Vodafone Group’s. Coming down is not always a hire.

Vodafone Group is hiring

40 open jobs

Open jobs by the week we first saw them, last 12 weeks.

  • Hiring at a steady pace
  • Takes jobs down at a usual pace
Hiring record

See how this role fits your experience

Add your resume and we’ll mark which of these tools you already use, and point out anything in the posting that could rule you out.

  • Python
  • BigQuery
Where the posting names them
- Extensive applied Data Science experience, including leadership of complex modelling and experimentation. - Advanced Python capability and experience with relevant statistical and machine learning libraries. - Advanced understanding of supervised and unsupervised machine learning, forecasting, causal inference and experimental methods.
- The scientific judgement to select proportionate approaches, communicate uncertainty clearly and recommend stopping or redesigning work where validity or measurable value cannot be demonstrated. - Experience with cloud analytics and machine learning environments, preferably BigQuery and Vertex AI, or equivalent technologies. - Strong working knowledge of production ML constraints and experience collaborating effectively with Data Engineers and ML & AI Engineers.
- Shape scientific standards for responsible modelling, including reproducibility, explainability, fairness, bias and uncertainty. - Work with cloud-based analytics and ML capabilities, including BigQuery and Vertex AI or equivalent technologies. - Contribute to Data Science solutions designed to deliver measurable customer and business impact.
- Responsible AI and model governance, with a focus on explainability, fairness, bias, uncertainty and reproducibility. - Cloud-based Data Science and ML practices, including exposure to BigQuery and Vertex AI or equivalent environments. - Production ML collaboration, working across Data Engineering and ML & AI Engineering to transition validated models into production.

Your next step

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Demand for Data Scientist roles

New Data Scientist postings at the employers we follow are down 3% over the last 5 weeks compared with the 5 before.

Weekly new Data Scientist postings at the same employers, from the week of August 17 to the week of October 26. The fewest in a week was 1,411, the most 2,973, and the latest week had 1,815.
August 17Last week

Each bar is one week of new postings. The darkest bars are the last 5 weeks.

Counted from the hiring pages we’ve followed for at least five weeks, so employers we add don’t look like growth. Updated weekly.

About the role

We file this job under Data Scientist, by the work the posting describes.

Data scientists use statistics and models to answer harder questions, such as whether a change worked, what demand will look like next quarter, or which customers are likely to leave.

Postings usually ask for Python or R, SQL, statistics, experiment design and common machine learning methods.

Unlike an ML engineer, a data scientist's main output is often an analysis or a first model, not software running inside a product.

US government figures for data scientists

Median yearly pay, May 2025
$120,230
Expected change, 2025 to 2035
34.6% more jobsagainst 3.5% for all jobs

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025) and Employment Projections (2025 to 2035). Occupation code 15-2051.

Job description

View original posting ↗

Who we are

VOIS (Vodafone Intelligent Solutions) is a strategic arm of Vodafone Group Plc, creating value for customers by delivering intelligent solutions through Talent, Technology & Transformation.
 
As the largest shared services organisation in the global telco industry with 30,000 FTE, our portfolio of next-generation solutions and services are designed in partnership with customers across Vodafone Group, local markets, and partner markets to simplify and drive growth. With our strategic partner Accenture, we work alongside our Vodafone customers, other Telco and tech companies to drive transformation, meet the challenges of our industry and ensure we stay relevant and resilient. This partnership is a unique, industry-first model which brings together the best of in-house and 3rd party capability.
 
We work with customers across 28 countries from 10 VOIS locations: Albania, Egypt, Hungary, India, Romania, Spain, Turkey, UK, Germany, Ireland, and with a network of teams in Czech Republic, Italy, Greece, and Portugal.
 
#VOIS #BeUnrivalled #CreateTheFuture

About this role

We are seeking a Lead Data Scientist to provide senior scientific leadership for Data Science and applied-model development within Digital Engineering, Digital & IT.
Based flexibly in Newbury or Paddington, UK, you will translate customer, commercial and operational challenges into testable analytical approaches, lead modelling and experimentation, and ensure models are statistically sound, reproducible, explainable and fair.
 
Reporting to the Data Products & Insights Lead, you will define what should be modelled and how scientific validity should be established. You will work closely with Product, Data Engineering and ML & AI Engineering, with the Senior ML & AI Engineer responsible for reliable production engineering.
 
This role has no direct or dotted-line reports and is focused on scientific leadership, technical judgement and measurable real-world impact.

What you’ll do

  • Frame customer, commercial and operational challenges as testable Data Science questions, defining outcomes, baselines, assumptions, decision thresholds and measures of value.
  • Lead the development and validation of predictive, forecasting, propensity, anomaly and fraud, optimisation and causal models for prioritised use cases.
  • Define appropriate experimental design, sampling approaches, feature strategies, evaluation methods and statistical tests based on the decision being supported and the available data.
  • Lead modelling, experimentation and scientific validation, ensuring analytical approaches are proportionate to the problem and evidence available.
  • Set and assure scientific standards for reproducibility, peer review, explainability, fairness, bias, uncertainty and model limitations.
  • Evaluate model validity and recommend whether models should proceed, be redesigned or stop where sufficient validity or value cannot be established.
  • Partner with Product, Data Engineering and ML & AI Engineering to ensure validated models are actionable and suitable for productionisation.
  • Measure post-launch performance and real-world customer or business impact to establish whether deployed Data Science solutions are achieving their intended outcomes.
  • Provide scientific input into data, tooling and experimentation choices.
  • Support effective transition of scientifically validated models into reliable production environments while maintaining clear accountability between Data Science and ML/AI Engineering.

Who you are

You are an experienced Data Science practitioner with the technical depth and scientific judgement to lead complex modelling and experimentation in production-oriented environments.
 
You will bring:
  • Extensive applied Data Science experience, including leadership of complex modelling and experimentation.
  • Advanced Python capability and experience with relevant statistical and machine learning libraries.
  • Advanced understanding of supervised and unsupervised machine learning, forecasting, causal inference and experimental methods.
  • Experience selecting evaluation approaches, statistical tests, decision thresholds and validation techniques appropriate to different analytical problems.
  • Strong understanding of model evaluation, calibration, explainability, fairness, bias, uncertainty and reproducibility.
  • The scientific judgement to select proportionate approaches, communicate uncertainty clearly and recommend stopping or redesigning work where validity or measurable value cannot be demonstrated.
  • Experience with cloud analytics and machine learning environments, preferably BigQuery and Vertex AI, or equivalent technologies.
  • Strong working knowledge of production ML constraints and experience collaborating effectively with Data Engineers and ML & AI Engineers.
  • The ability to convert customer, commercial and operational requirements into measurable analytical outcomes.
  • Experience assessing deployed models against real-world customer or business outcomes.
  • A postgraduate qualification in a quantitative discipline or equivalent depth of applied experience.

Not a perfect fit?

Concerned you may not meet every requirement? Vodafone is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. If you are excited about this role but your experience does not align exactly with every aspect of the job description, you are encouraged to apply. You may be the right candidate for this or another opportunity, and the recruitment team will support you in exploring where your skills fit best.

What's in it for you

  • The opportunity to provide senior scientific leadership across Data Science and applied-model development.
  • Work on customer, commercial and operational use cases spanning predictive modelling, forecasting, propensity, anomaly and fraud detection, optimisation and causal modelling.
  • Influence whether Data Science use cases progress into production based on scientific validity, measurable value and real-world outcomes.
  • Collaborate across Product, Data Engineering and ML & AI Engineering, helping connect scientific development with production-ready solutions.
  • Shape scientific standards for responsible modelling, including reproducibility, explainability, fairness, bias and uncertainty.
  • Work with cloud-based analytics and ML capabilities, including BigQuery and Vertex AI or equivalent technologies.
  • Contribute to Data Science solutions designed to deliver measurable customer and business impact.

What skills you will learn

Through this role, you will have opportunities to further develop:
  • Applied scientific leadership across complex Data Science and AI use cases.
  • Advanced experimentation and causal inference, including experimental design, sampling, statistical evaluation and impact measurement.
  • Responsible AI and model governance, with a focus on explainability, fairness, bias, uncertainty and reproducibility.
  • Cloud-based Data Science and ML practices, including exposure to BigQuery and Vertex AI or equivalent environments.
  • Production ML collaboration, working across Data Engineering and ML & AI Engineering to transition validated models into production.
  • Post-launch model evaluation, connecting model performance with measurable customer and commercial outcomes.
  • Business translation and scientific judgement, strengthening the ability to turn complex operational or commercial questions into testable hypotheses and evidence-based decisions.

VOIS Equal Opportunity Employer Commitment

Vodafone recognises and celebrates the value of diversity in building a workforce that reflects the customers and communities it serves. No form of discrimination is tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to, discrimination based on race, colour, age, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, ethnicity, disability, religion or belief, political affiliation, trade union membership, nationality, citizenship, indigenous status, medical condition, HIV status, neurodiversity, social origin, cultural background, marital or civil partnership status, or socio-economic background.

Join Us

At Vodafone, we’re working hard to build a better future. A more connected, inclusive and sustainable world. As a dynamic global community, it's our human spirit, together with technology, that empowers us to achieve this.
 
We challenge and innovate in order to connect people, businesses, and communities across the world. Delighting our customers and earning their loyalty drive us, and we experiment, learn fast and get it done, together.
 
With us, you can be truly be yourself and belong, share inspiration, embrace new opportunities, thrive, and make a real difference.

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Apply for Vodafone jobs only through the official Vodafone Careers website to avoid job scams and fraud.” #JDEnhancedByTARA

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London, England, GB

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VOIS Equal Opportunity Employer Commitment Vodafone recognises and celebrates the value of diversity in building a workforce that reflects the customers and communities it serves. No form of discrimination is tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to, discrimination based on race, colour, age, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, ethnicity, disability, religion or belief, political affiliation, trade union membership, nationality, citizenship, indigenous status, medical condition, HIV status, neurodiversity, social origin, cultural background, marital or civil partnership status, or socio-economic background. Join Us

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