Senior Data Scientist (Operational Research / Metaheuristics)

We know life looks a little different for each of us. That’s why at Tesco, we always welcome chats about flexible working. Some people are at the start of their careers, some want the freedom to do the things they love. Others are going through life-changing moments like becoming a carer, nearing retirement, adapting to parenthood, or something else. So, talk to us throughout your application about how we can support.

Our Data Scientist team is actively expanding and we are looking Senior Data Scientists to join our Operational Research team. As a Senior Data Scientist you will get to design and modify deep advanced heuristic and metaheuristic algorithms that make a real impact on our business as well as driving innovation and taking ownerships of aspects of project development.

About the Team:

At Tesco, our Data Science team focuses on modelling complex business problems and deploying data products at scale. Our work spans across multiple areas including physical stores, online, supply chain, marketing and Clubcard, where we encourage rotation amongst our Data Scientists so they can gain expertise in different subjects. 

We work on several domains and problem types: online, pricing, security, fulfilment, distribution, property, IoT and computer vision are just some. Our team members spend 10% of their week on learning and personal development. Multiple academic collaborations enrich the team expertise; knowledge-sharing events are regular. Furthermore, we have got a great work-life balance, team days and relaxed but engaging culture.

This is a hands-on position where you will need to leverage your analytical mindset to find solutions to complex problems. As a Senior Data Scientist, you will need to understand difficult business problems and prototype solutions with minimal support. Apply, modify and design metaheuristic algorithms and mathematical models to solve business problems is a core component of the role. Our data scientists will need to be able to validate, document and present the solution approaches and performances, as well as communicate complex solutions in a clear, understandable way to non-experts. Data Scientists are also responsible for promoting data science across Tesco and promote Tesco across the external Data Science community. 

Finally, as a Senior Data Scientist, you will be expected to drive innovation and take ownership of aspects of the project development, help the Principal and Lead Scientists and the Product Managers manage the relationships with the business stakeholders and mentor/supervise junior members of the team and/or interns.

We are looking for ambitious individuals with a mix of mathematical optimisation, programming and statistics skills. The role requires that you have an extensive background in Operational Research and metaheuristics domain. A track record in designing and modifying advanced heuristic and metaheuristic algorithms and applying those to large-scale real-world problems. Project and stakeholder management experience is preferred.

You should be able to demonstrate a deep knowledge of state-of-the-art approaches and algorithms in combinatorial optimisation. You should be enthused to apply these techniques in a commercial or industrial setting, and encourage collaboration and communication between teams. An ideal candidate will have a scientific mentality with the ability to ask the right questions, as well as answer them.

A year or more of post-doctoral research in an area of operational research or similar equivalent industrial experience is preferable, as well as a solid understanding of mathematics and statistical principles. Finally, strong programming skills are essential (Java and Python are preferred) as well as familiarity with software engineering best practices (such as version control, OOP, unit testing, CI/CD) and cloud technologies.

We’re all about the little helps. That’s why we give our wonderful colleagues bags of benefits. Including wellbeing services, an award-winning pension scheme and much, much more, our colleague reward package keeps on giving. And helps make every day a little better for you and your family. These include but are not limited to:

• Annual bonus scheme of up to 20% of base salary
• Holiday starting at 25 days plus a personal day (plus Bank holidays)
• Buy holiday salary sacrifice scheme (for salaried roles)
• Private medical insurance
• Retirement savings plan - save between 4% and 7.5% and Tesco will match your contribution
• Life Assurance - 5 x contractual pay
• 26 weeks maternity and adoption leave (after 1 years’ service) at full pay, followed by 13 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay or Statutory Adoption Pay, we also offer 4 weeks fully paid paternity leave
• The right to request flexible working from your first day with us
• Free 24/7 virtual GP service, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for you and your family, free access to a range of experts to support your mental wellbeing
• A Colleague Clubcard for you & a family member (after 3 months of service), giving you access to lots of discounts in-store & online
• Great colleague deals and discounts, saving you money on everyday purchases, eating out and utility bills for the home
• Access to our colleague networks providing a space for colleagues to come together from a range of backgrounds. For more information about our colleague networks please click here
• Opportunities to get on - take advantage of our ongoing learning opportunities and award-winning training, to help you achieve the job and career you want

Click Here to read more about the full range of benefits we have available for our colleagues

Our vision at Tesco is to become every customer's favourite way to shop, whether they are at home or out on the move. Our core purpose is ‘Serving our customers, communities and planet a little better every day’. Serving means more than a transactional relationship with our customers. It means acting as a responsible and sustainable business for all stakeholders, for the communities we are part of and for the planet.

We are proud to have an inclusive culture at Tesco where everyone truly feels able to be themselves. At Tesco, we not only celebrate diversity, but recognise the value and opportunity it brings. We're committed to creating a workplace where differences are valued, and make sure that all colleagues are given the same opportunities. We’re proud to have been accredited Disability Confident Leader and we’re committed to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. For further information on the accessibility support we can offer, please click here.

We’re a big business and we can offer a range of diverse full-time & part-time working patterns across our many business areas, which means that we can find something that works for you.  We work in a more blended pattern - combining office and remote working.  Our offices will continue to be where we connect, collaborate and innovate.  If you are applying internally, please speak to the Hiring Manager about how this can work for you - Everyone is welcome at Tesco.