Principal Data Scientist

Principal Data Scientist – Model Risk & Validation

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.