Head of Data Science

NSCG is supporting a global financial services firm in the search for a Head of Data Science a strategic and delivery-focused leader who will drive enterprise-wide impact through advanced analytics, machine learning, and generative AI.

This is a high-profile opportunity to lead a global team and embed data science into the core of decision-making, product innovation, and operational excellence. The successful candidate will be a hands-on delivery leader, capable of translating complex business challenges into scalable, production-ready data solutions.

Key Focus Areas:

• Delivery Leadership: Own the end-to-end lifecycle of data science initiatives - from business case to model deployment and performance tracking.
• Team Building: Lead and grow a high-performing team of data scientists, ML engineers, and quantitative analysts.
• Cross-Functional Impact: Partner with stakeholders across trading, risk, product, marketing, and technology to deliver measurable outcomes.
• Innovation & Execution: Build next-gen data products including recommendation engines, pricing optimisation tools, and automated insight systems.
• Governance & Ethics: Ensure models meet regulatory standards and ethical guidelines.

• Proven track record of delivering data science solutions into production environments at scale.
• 8+ years in data science, including 3+ years in leadership roles.
• Advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in Data Science, Statistics, Machine Learning, Computer Science, Mathematics, or Physics.
• Deep expertise in supervised/unsupervised learning, time series forecasting, deep learning, and generative AI.
• Strong programming skills in Python and SQL; experience with ML frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch) and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Commercially minded, with the ability to connect technical solutions to business value.
• Experience in financial services, fintech, or trading environments is highly desirable.