Head of Data Science and AI

TLC Worldwide
London
1 day ago
Create job alert
Overview

WE ARE HIRING A DIRECTOR OF DATA SCIENCE AND AI

Ever opened a new bank account and got a weekend away? Spent on fashion and received a personal styling session? Picked up groceries and walked away with cinema tickets?

If so, you’ve probably experienced a TLC Worldwide campaign - without even knowing it.

At TLC, we help the world’s biggest brands drive customer acquisition, loyalty and engagement with emotionally engaging, experience-led rewards. From global banks to high street retailers, our programs are designed to shift behaviour, boost ROI and build genuine brand love – at the fraction of the cost of discounting and cash offers. Backed by COSMOS, our all-in-one program platform, we deliver personalised campaigns at scale with live data, smart insights, and seamless customer journeys.

We’ve spent 30 years mastering what moves customers; combining deep consumer insight, a global network of 100,000+ rewards, and a unique ability to drive measurable ROI for brands.

We’re 400+ people strong, across 15 global hubs. A collective of marketers, creatives and strategists who care about doing great work - and having fun while we do it. We celebrate bold thinking, empower growth, and champion the kind of culture that helps people thrive.

What you’ll be doing

Strategic Leadership

You will define a data and AI strategy aligned to TLC’s commercial priorities. You will translate business goals into prioritised AI use cases, create delivery roadmaps, and embed data‑driven decision making across the business.

Delivery Excellence

You will oversee the delivery of AI and data science solutions from design to deployment, ensuring strong performance monitoring, clear success metrics, and high‑quality delivery frameworks.

Advanced AI Innovation

You will lead the development of personalisation models, predictive analytics, and generative AI features that enhance customer journeys, campaign performance, and operational efficiency. You will partner with Product and Engineering to ensure these capabilities are seamlessly integrated into COSMOS.

Global Team Leadership

You will build high‑performing teams across multiple geographies, including leadership of offshore hubs in India. You will oversee hiring, capability development, team operating models, and leadership coaching.

Data Engineering Leadership

You will guide data engineering teams responsible for pipelines, integrations, and infrastructure. You will ensure high data quality, governance, scalability, and optimisation across the modern data stack, including Snowflake, ThoughtSpot, Fivetran, and Azure.

Data Monetisation and Enrichment

You will develop strategies to monetise data assets responsibly and profitably, using both theoretical frameworks and practical methods. You will lead enrichment and augmentation initiatives to improve data completeness and analytical value.

Client Engagement and Thought Leadership

You will operate as a trusted advisor to senior‑level clients. You will shape AI‑driven solutions, support strategic pitches, contribute to workshops, and represent TLC at industry events.

Technical Ownership

You will oversee data infrastructure and analytics tools, ensuring cost efficiency, governance, strong data modelling, and the democratisation of insights across the business.

What we’re looking for
  • Extensive leadership experience in data science and AI, with a strong record of implementing production‑grade AI solutions tied to commercial outcomes
  • Expertise in Snowflake, DBT, ThoughtSpot, Fivetran, and Azure services
  • Proven ability to define a data and AI strategy and execute against measurable business targets
  • Experience leading data engineering teams and building scalable data foundations
  • Experience building and managing offshore teams, ideally in India
  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or a related field
  • Hands‑on experience with generative AI, automation frameworks, and agentic AI systems
  • Strong proficiency in Python, SQL, data modelling, and data warehouse design
  • Experience with API integration and data ingestion
  • Proven experience in data monetisation with clear examples of financial impact
  • Deep understanding of enrichment and augmentation practices
  • Ability to engage and influence senior client stakeholders with strong commercial acumen
Preferred Experience
  • Experience in loyalty, rewards, martech, or related ecosystems
  • Familiarity with generative AI applications and responsible AI frameworks

Being a people-led business, we hire upon values and believe that our people are what make the beloved TLC culture so unique.

At TLC we aim to create a ‘world within the world’ that is free from prejudice, bias and inequity.

A world where diversity is valued and celebrated, and where we work hard to ensure all our wonderful people are given equal opportunity to succeed.

If you\'re excited by everything we\'ve told you, then it\'s time to apply!


#J-18808-Ljbffr

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Global Head of AI, Data Science & Strategy

Data Science Manager - Advanced Analytics & AI

Data science programme lead, hireful

Data science programme lead

Data science programme lead

Data science programme lead

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

What Hiring Managers Look for First in Machine Learning Job Applications (UK Guide)

Whether you’re applying for machine learning engineer, applied scientist, research scientist, ML Ops or data scientist roles, hiring managers scan applications quickly — often making decisions before they’ve read beyond the top third of your CV. In the competitive UK market, it’s not enough to list skills. You must send clear signals of relevance, delivery, impact, reasoning and readiness for production — and do it within the first few lines of your CV or portfolio. This guide walks you through exactly what hiring managers look for first in machine learning applications, how they evaluate CVs and portfolios, and what you can do to improve your chances of getting shortlisted at every stage — from your CV and LinkedIn profile to your cover letter and project portfolio.

MLOps Jobs in the UK: The Complete Career Guide for Machine Learning Professionals

Machine learning has moved from experimentation to production at scale. As a result, MLOps jobs have become some of the most in-demand and best-paid roles in the UK tech market. For job seekers with experience in machine learning, data science, software engineering or cloud infrastructure, MLOps represents a powerful career pivot or progression. This guide is designed to help you understand what MLOps roles involve, which skills employers are hiring for, how to transition into MLOps, salary expectations in the UK, and how to land your next role using specialist platforms like MachineLearningJobs.co.uk.

The Skills Gap in Machine Learning Jobs: What Universities Aren’t Teaching

Machine learning has moved from academic research into the core of modern business. From recommendation engines and fraud detection to medical imaging, autonomous systems and language models, machine learning now underpins many of the UK’s most critical technologies. Universities have responded quickly. Machine learning modules are now standard in computer science degrees, specialist MSc programmes have proliferated, and online courses promise to fast-track careers in the field. And yet, despite this growth in education, UK employers consistently report the same problem: Many candidates with machine learning qualifications are not job-ready. Roles remain open for months. Interview processes filter out large numbers of applicants. Graduates with strong theoretical knowledge struggle when faced with practical tasks. The issue is not intelligence or effort. It is a persistent skills gap between university-level machine learning education and real-world machine learning jobs. This article explores that gap in depth: what universities teach well, what they routinely miss, why the gap exists, what employers actually want, and how jobseekers can bridge the divide to build successful careers in machine learning.