Senior Data Scientist - Financial Services - Outside IR35

Senior Data Scientist
Hybrid: Once per week into London

We are seeking a Senior Data Scientist to provide oversight and hands-on expertise for the build of an AI Agent within an automated insurance workflow. The project involves prompt engineering of LLMs, API development and integration, and deploying solutions in line with a defined solution design. The successful contractor will also provide day-to-day oversight and mentorship to a junior Data Scientist on the project.
Role & Responsibilities The Senior Data Scientist will be responsible for:

Designing, building, and deploying AI Agent solutions within an insurance workflow.
Developing and refining prompt engineering approaches for large language models (LLMs).
Building, testing, and integrating API calls to meet solution design specifications.
Deploying containerised applications in Azure (or other cloud environments).
Providing technical leadership, support, and oversight to a junior Data Scientist.
Collaborating with solution architects, developers, and stakeholders to ensure seamless integration.
Preparing performance evaluation reports and recommendations for next-phase development.Skills & Experience Essential:

Strong expertise in Python for AI/ML development.
Hands-on experience with Large Language Models (LLMs) and prompt engineering.
Experience deploying solutions in Azure (or equivalent cloud platforms).
Demonstrated ability to deliver AI/ML solutions from design through to deployment.
Proven ability to provide technical oversight and mentorship.Desirable:

Experience within Financial Services / Insurance environments.
Familiarity with API-first solution architectures.
Prior exposure to containerisation (Azure Container Apps, Kubernetes, Docker)