Head of Data Science

Interim Head of Data Science – London (Hybrid)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.Ideal Candidate Profile: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.Please send profiles to joflynn@nscg.com