Lead Data Scientist

Kainos Group plc
Belfast
3 weeks ago
Create job alert

JOBP****ROFILE DESCRIPTION MAIN PURPOSE OF THE ROLE&RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE BUSINESS: As a Lead Data Scientist at Kainos, you will architect, design, and deliver advanced AI solutions leveraging state-of-the-art machine learning, generative and agentic AI technologies. You will drive the adoption of modern AI frameworks, AIOps best practices and scalable cloud-native architectures. Your role will involve hands-on technical leadership, collaborating with customers to translate business challenges into trustworthy AI solutions and ensuring responsible AI practices throughout. As a technical mentor, you will foster a culture of innovation, continuous learning, and engineering excellence.**MINIMUM(ESSENTIAL)**REQUIREMENTS: Experience with the latest AI engineering approaches such as prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and agentic AI.Strong Python skills with a grounding in software engineering best practices (CI/CD, testing, code reviews etc).Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to lead client projects and establish requirements in non-technical language.We are passionate about developing people, you will bring experience in managing, coaching, and developing junior members of a team and wider community.Demonstrable experience with modern deep learning frameworks (e.g. PyTorch, TensorFlow), fine-tuning or distillation of LLMs (e.g., GPT, Llama, Claude, Gemini), machine learning libraries (e.g. scikit-learn, XGBoost).Experience with data storage for AI, vector databases, semantic search, and knowledge graphs.Familiarity with AI security, privacy, and compliance standards e.g. ISO42001.At Kainos we use technology to solve real problems for our customers, overcome big challenges for businesses, and make people’s lives easier. We build strong relationships with our customers and go beyond to change the way they work today and the impact they have tomorrow.Our two specialist practices, Digital Services and Workday, work globally for clients across healthcare, commercial and the public sector to make the world a little bit better, day by day.Our people love the exciting work, the cutting-edge technologies and the benefits we offer. That’s why we’ve been ranked in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies on numerous occasions.For more information, see .
#J-18808-Ljbffr

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Lead Data Scientist

Lead Data Scientist

Lead Data Scientist (Defence) - Onsite UK Clients

Lead Data Scientist (Defence) - Onsite UK Clients

Lead Data Scientist (Healthcare) - Onsite UK Clients

Lead Data Scientist (Healthcare) - Onsite UK Clients

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.