Lead Data Scientist

Lead Data Scientist
Salary: £50,000 to £55,000 (dependent on experience)
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Location: Poole, Dorset, England
Location Description: Hybrid between home and Poole – with travel to Poole or other RNLI locations as required by the role
Closing Date: 11-01-2026
Reference: 21074
About us
The RNLI provides a 24-hour lifeboat search and rescue service, lifeguards, fundraising, and drowning prevention. Our frontline lifesavers and fundraisers need a dedicated, professional, and talented team behind them, and that is where you come in.
We’re looking for a Lead Data Scientist to join our data and analytics team, who will drive the RNLI’s data science capability to deliver practical, high-impact solutions that improve decision-making and operational efficiency. This role combines strategic vision with practical development and line management, ensuring machine learning and advanced analytics are embedded into the RNLI’s digital transformation.
Your role
Our Lead Data Scientist will set the direction for data science at the RNLI while remaining deeply involved in delivery. This role identifies opportunities for advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI, shapes the roadmap, and ensures solutions are deployed into real-world environments. It requires curiosity, technical depth, and the ability to influence stakeholders while mentoring a high-performing team.
You will work closely with engineering, BI, and product teams, leveraging platforms such as Databricks to build scalable models and pipelines. This role is both visionary and practical: defining standards, leading innovation, and writing production-grade code when needed.
As a Lead Data Scientist, you will be tasked with focusing on the following areas:

• Shape RNLI’s data science capability by identifying opportunities for machine learning and advanced analytics to solve operational and strategic challenges.
  
• Provide technical leadership and set standards for modelling, experimentation, and deployment.
  
• Engage senior stakeholders to align data science initiatives with organisational priorities and demonstrate measurable impact.
  
• Lead and deliver projects that apply ML and AI techniques, from ideation through to production deployment.
  
• Collaborate with Technical Leads to ensure integrated delivery across RNLI’s data platforms.
  
• Influence platform design and configuration, including Databricks and Azure ML, to optimise for data science workloads.
  
• Line manage and mentor the data science team, fostering curiosity, innovation, and continuous improvement.
  
• Define and embed best practices for documentation, version control, and delivery pipelines using RNLI-approved tools.
  
• Stay ahead of emerging trends in ML, AI, and data science, introducing new ideas and methodologies to RNLI.
  About you
  We are looking for someone who thrives in a leadership role, balancing technical depth with strategic influence and enjoys working to lead robust data and analysis to underpin key decisions.
  To be considered as the Lead Data Scientist, you will need:
  
• Proven experience delivering ML solutions into operational environments.
  
• Strong Python programming skills and experience with big data platforms.
  
• Experience leading and mentoring technical teams.
  
• Excellent communication skills for engaging stakeholders at all levels.
  It is also desirable that you have:
  
• Relevant postgraduate or vocational qualifications in data science or the communication of analytics.
  
• Familiarity with RNLI operations.
  
• Experience deploying AI/ML solutions using Databricks and Azure ML.
  So, if you have the relevant qualifications and experience, and are someone who sees the vision of the difference that data science can make and is keen to help make it a reality, then this could be the role for you. Please apply via the button shown.
  Safeguarding
  The RNLI is committed to safeguarding; protecting a person’s health, wellbeing, and human rights, enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment and have a zero-tolerance approach. The suitability of all prospective employees and volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. This will include relevant criminal record checks being carried out, dependent on the eligibility of the role. (England & Wales; DBS check, Scotland; Disclosure Scotland PVG, Northern Ireland; Access NI, Republic of Ireland; Garda Vetting; International, International Child Protection Certificate process).
  Diversity at the RNLI
  Our staff and volunteers have been saving lives at sea without prejudice for 200 years. We respect and value diversity of background, skills and perspectives within our teams, and consider it essential to help us deliver a world-class lifesaving service. We are an inclusive organisation and welcome applications from everyone. In addition to having the skills needed for the role, we also look for applicants who share our commitment to living our RNLI values (trustworthy, courageous, selfless, and dependable), and helping us work towards Our Vision: To save Every One