Principal Data Scientist

Investigo
London
3 months ago
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This range is provided by Investigo. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

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You know that job where you quietly validate models in a dusty corner of the risk department?

Yeah. This isn’t that job.

This is leading a team that challenges the models that decide who gets credit, who’s flagged as fraud, and how millions in provisions are set aside. It’s a job where the wrong call has real consequences - and the right one keeps the business out of the headlines.

You're not here to say yes.

You're here to ask: “Are you sure?”

And sometimes: “What the hell were you thinking?”

What you’ll actually be doing:

  • Leading the Model Risk and Validation function in a fast-paced financial environment.
  • Building frameworks that regulators respect and internal teams can actually follow.
  • Validating complex models - credit risk, fraud, IFRS9 - all the fun stuff.
  • Digging into assumptions, code, data, and logic. No surface-level reviews.
  • Building a team of people who know how to challenge without being obnoxious.
  • Dealing with senior stakeholders who don’t want “it depends” as an answer.
  • Explaining technical complexity to people who stopped caring after the third slide.
  • Staying just ahead of regulatory changes, without making them your entire personality.

What we need from you:

  • You’ve led a team. A real one. Not just an intern and a weekly stand-up.
  • 7+ years deep in model risk, validation, or building the things yourself. Ideally in the Financial Services sector.
  • You can code. Python. SQL. Bonus points if you’ve wrestled with messy production code.
  • You’ve had conversations with regulators that didn’t end in panic or confusion.
  • You can say, “This model’s wrong and here’s why,” without writing a 40-page slide deck.
  • You know when to be technical, when to be strategic, and when to shut up and listen.
  • A proper degree in something terrifying would be great - stats, maths, data science, whatever.

Why this role?

Because it’s rare to find a role where the business wants to be challenged - and will give you the space, the backing, and the budget to do it properly.

No fluff. No layers of red tape. Just a leadership role that actually leads.

If that sounds more interesting than another year spent tweaking someone else’s model, hit apply.

Or don’t. Just don’t complain when someone else does.

Seniority level

  • Seniority levelMid-Senior level

Employment type

  • Employment typeFull-time

Job function

  • Job functionInformation Technology
  • IndustriesComputer and Network Security

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