Chief Data Scientist

Chief Data Scientist / Lead Data Scientist

x2 days a week in the office (can be based in either Derry or Letterkenny)

About the Role & Company

Join a forward-thinking tech-enabled organisation with deep expertise in solving complex data problems across highly regulated industries. The team is investing heavily in AI and is now seeking a senior technical leader to shape its future. This includes everything from research and development to full-scale deployment and long-term AI strategy.

This is a hands-on leadership position for someone who can connect the dots between advanced technology, product thinking, and commercial value. You will guide a growing team, influence intelligent product design, and help ensure that AI is integrated throughout the organisation.

What You'll Be Doing

• Define the organisation's AI direction and lead high-level machine learning programmes across departments
• Oversee the development, testing, and deployment of production-ready ML models with measurable business value
• Lead and mentor a team of data scientists and engineers, fostering a culture of experimentation, innovation, and high performance
• Collaborate with stakeholders to communicate AI strategy and model outcomes clearly and confidently
• Work with engineering and product teams to identify opportunities for data-driven features and automation
• Stay up to date with the latest advances in AI, including generative models, LLMs, and agent-based systems
• Help maintain strong data governance and ensure all AI initiatives meet relevant compliance and security standards
• Act as an internal and external ambassador for the company's AI capabilities, sharing insight and thought leadership

What They're Looking For

• Circa 10 years' experience in applied data science or AI, including at least a few years in a leadership or strategic delivery role
• Proven track record of building and deploying scalable ML systems
• Strong programming skills in Python and SQL, with hands-on experience in frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or scikit-learn
• Ability to work with large, complex datasets and create structured pipelines for both structured and unstructured data
• Commercial awareness and experience aligning AI initiatives with wider business goals
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, especially when working with non-technical teams
• Familiarity with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP for data science workflows
• A good understanding of responsible AI principles and regulatory considerations in high-compliance sectors
• Desirable: exposure to LLMs, autonomous systems, or next-generation ML tooling

If this role interests you and you would like to find out more (or find out about other roles), please apply here or contact us via niall.wharton@Xcede.com (feel free to include a CV for review).