Lead / Principal Consultant (AI & Data Science)

Harnham - Data and Analytics Recruitment
London, United Kingdom
Last week
£90,000 – £125,000 pa

Salary

£90,000 – £125,000 pa

Job Type
Permanent
Work Location
Hybrid
Seniority
Lead
Education
Degree
Security Clearance
Required
Posted
22 May 2026 (Last week)

I'm hiring multiple senior hires to join a growingAI and Digital Transformation consulting practice within a premium consultancy. This team has recently secured significant investment and is scaling quickly, withmultiple hires across Lead and Principal level.

This is a role for people who want toown and deliver real AI transformation, not just advise on it.

The company

A high-end consultancy working acrossdefence, consumer, and public sector clients, known for delivering complex, high-impact programmes.

They've built a strong reputation on deliveringmeasurable commercial outcomes, not just strategy - and are now investing heavily in expanding theirAI capability to stay ahead of competitors.

Where you fit

You'll sit within theDigital / AI Consulting practice, working directly with clients to:

  • Identify opportunities for AI and advanced analytics
  • Design and deliver solutions end-to-end
  • Embed those solutions into real business operations

This is ahands-on leadership role - combining delivery, client engagement, and mentorship of other consultants.

What you'll be doing
  • Lead the design and delivery ofAI and data science solutions (LLMs, NLP, ML, etc.)
  • Work directly with senior client stakeholders to shape and deliver solutions
  • Build and deployend-to-end AI products, not just prototypes
  • Apply technologies such asLLMs, RAG systems, and agentic workflows to real business problems
  • Translate technical outputs intoclear commercial value and measurable impact
  • Mentor and develop consultants, helping build capability across the team
  • Help shape the consultancy'sAI offering and go-to-market approach
Example work
  • Using LLMs to improve decision-making and workflow automation in complex environments
  • Delivering predictive analytics in healthcare to improve outcomes and efficiency
  • Building AI-driven optimisation tools in retail to improve pricing and margins
  • Supporting large-scale programmes across defence and public infrastructure
What you bringCore requirements
  • Strongdata science / machine learning background
  • Experience deliveringAI / GenAI solutions (LLMs, NLP, etc.)
  • Proven ability to take solutions fromconcept through to real-world deployment
  • Experience leading projects, workstreams, or teams
  • Strongstakeholder engagement skills - client-facing and commercially focused
  • Evidence ofmeasurable impact (revenue uplift, cost savings, efficiency gains, etc.)
Nice to have
  • Consulting experience (highly preferred)
  • Experience acrossregulated or complex sectors (defence, public sector, retail, etc.)
  • Familiarity with modern stacks (Python, cloud, Databricks, APIs, etc.)
  • Experience mentoring or leading junior team members
Why this role
  • Shape and scale a growingAI consulting capability
  • Work oncomplex, high-impact projects across multiple industries
  • Strong blend oftechnical delivery, commercial impact, and leadership
  • High visibility internally and with clients
  • Opportunity to progress topartner level over time
Working style
  • London base (or nearest office)
  • Hybrid working, withregular client travel
  • 3 days total per week
  • Flexible, project-led environment
Interview process
  • Online assessment (incl. logical / aptitude test)
  • Informal first conversation (director-level, including short presentation)
  • Final stage onsite in London (presentation + discussion)

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