Senior Data Scientist

Durlston Partners
Bristol
2 days ago
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Senior / Principal Data Scientist

Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE (relocation support provided)

Compensation: £120,000–£300,000 total compensation (fully guaranteed, all-in)


The Role

We are building a centralised data science function that supports quantitative research teams across multiple asset classes.

This is not an asset-class-specific role and not a traditional downstream analytics position. The team focuses on large-scale alternative and unstructured data, working from first principles to define data, modelling, and experimentation standards used across the investment platform.

Much of the work is greenfield. You will operate as a senior individual contributor, with end-to-end ownership of data-driven research systems that directly inform research and decision-making.


What You’ll Do

  • Build and own data-driven models, pipelines, and experimentation frameworks on large, messy datasets
  • Work with alternative and unstructured data (e.g. transactions, text, sensor data, imagery, network data) used in investing
  • Evaluate signal quality, bias, coverage, robustness, and failure modes in data and models
  • Develop forecasting, optimisation, anomaly detection, or risk-aware models for real decision-making
  • Analyse regime shifts, drift, and breakdowns in data and modelling assumptions
  • Translate research into production-grade components, owning them end-to-end (design, implementation, monitoring, iteration)
  • Collaborate closely with quantitative researchers and data engineers to shape how data is sourced, structured, and used across the firm


Who This Is For

This role suits people who are genuinely obsessed with data, enjoy ambiguity, and like investigating problems where structure is not obvious.


You’re likely a strong fit if you:

  • Have strong foundations in statistics, probability, and applied machine learning
  • Are fluent in Python and comfortable writing production-quality, testable code
  • Have personally designed and built systems
  • Enjoy working directly with raw data and questioning assumptions
  • Are creative in how you approach data problems and comfortable re-specialising as new datasets or asset classes emerge
  • Prefer staying hands-on as a senior IC

Experience in the following is a plus:

  • Modern data architectures (e.g. Lakehouse, columnar analytics)
  • High-performance data tools (e.g. Polars, Julia)
  • Strong system-design thinking and data-lifecycle awareness
  • Emerging systems languages (e.g. Rust) for performance-critical data workflows


Relevant Backgrounds (Finance or Non-Finance)

We consider candidates from a wide range of backgrounds, provided their experience maps to the challenges of quantitative data research.


Compensation & Benefits

  • Fully guaranteed, competitive compensation
  • Education allowance for dependent children
  • 30 working days of annual leave
  • Comprehensive healthcare for employee and family
  • Business class relocation flights
  • Joining and departure allowances


The role is on-site in Abu Dhabi. Short-term remote work during the peak summer months is supported, along with generous leave and public holidays. The working model is designed for long-term sustainability and family life.


How to Apply

Send your CV and a brief summary of relevant experience to

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