Lead Data Scientist

Lead Data Scientist at Lloyds Banking Group – Up to £109,060 | Hybrid Working

Looking to take the next step in your data science career? Lloyds Banking Group is hiring a Lead Data Scientist to help transform cybersecurity through artificial intelligence and machine learning. This permanent opportunity offers a competitive salary of up to £109,060, hybrid working, and an excellent benefits package.

Job Summary

• Position: Lead Data Scientist
• Company: Lloyds Banking Group
• Job Type: Permanent
• Working Hours: Full-time (35 hours per week)
• Salary: £92,701 – £109,060 per year
• Location: Manchester, Edinburgh, Leeds or Bristol, UK
• Working Pattern: Hybrid (minimum two office days per week)
• Posting Date: 1 July 2026
• Application Deadline: 31 July 2026

About the Role

As a Lead Data Scientist within the Chief Security Office, you will lead the development of advanced AI and machine learning solutions to detect, prevent, and respond to cyber threats. You’ll work alongside Data Engineers and security experts to build scalable, production-ready analytics solutions in one of the UK’s largest financial institutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of Data Scientists.
• Design and improve AI-powered anomaly detection systems.
• Develop LLM-based security automation using prompt engineering, RAG pipelines, and model fine-tuning.
• Build secure and scalable machine learning pipelines on Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
• Work with cyber security, risk, and compliance teams to ensure ethical and explainable AI.
• Convert complex data insights into practical business intelligence.
• Help shape data science best practices across the organisation.

Essential Requirements

Applicants should have:

• Proven leadership experience in data science projects.
• Strong background in cybersecurity, fraud detection, or behavioural analytics.
• Advanced Python programming skills.
• Experience with TensorFlow, PyTorch, or similar ML frameworks.
• Expertise in anomaly detection, deep learning, and time-series modelling.
• Experience working with Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative AI.
• Knowledge of cloud platforms, preferably Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Passion for ethical AI and innovation.

Desirable Skills

• Knowledge of emerging cybersecurity threats.
• Experience with AI governance and secure machine learning operations.

Employee Benefits

Successful applicants will enjoy:

• Pension contributions of up to 15%.
• Annual performance bonus.
• Free share schemes.
• 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Flexible lifestyle benefits and retail discounts.
• Wellbeing programmes and generous parental leave.
• Inclusive and supportive working environment.

Who Can Apply?

This opportunity is ideal for UK-based applicants who have the right to work in the UK and possess strong experience in data science, machine learning, and cybersecurity.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit their application before 31 July 2026 through the official Work Hub application portal.