Lead Data Scientist

JOB TITLE: Lead Data Scientist

LOCATION: Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester & Bristol

HOURS: Full time

WORKING PATTERN: Hybrid, 40% (or two days) in an office site

About this opportunity

At Lloyds Banking Group, we’re moving to the next stages of our digital transformation, and it’s our job within the Chief Security Office (CSO) to ensure that we keep our customers, colleagues and assets safe from threat. The CSO’s Security Data Services lab have an excellent opportunity for an experienced and dynamic Lead Data Scientist to work with our Analytics and Data Management feature teams.

In this role, you’ll be at the forefront of redefining how we detect, mitigate, and prevent cyber threats using sophisticated AI and machine learning. This is a rare opportunity to craft the future of cybersecurity in one of the UK’s most data-rich environments.

What you’ll do

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of behavioural anomaly detection models using unsupervised learning, deep learning (e.g. auto-encoders), and novelty detection techniques.

• Lead a team of Data Scientists

• Drive innovation in LLM-based security automation, including prompt engineering, RAG pipelines, and fine-tuning of models.

• Collaborate with Data Engineers to build scalable, secure, and production-ready ML pipelines on GCP.

• Partner with cyber defence, risk, and compliance teams to ensure models are explainable, ethical, and aligned with regulatory standards (e.g. SOC2, SWIFT, SOX).

• Mentor junior data scientists and contribute to the Data Science Community of Practice, helping shape standard methodologies across the organisation.

• Translate sophisticated data insights into actionable intelligence for collaborators across the Group COO and CSO functions

Why Lloyds Banking Group

We’re on an exciting journey to transform our Group and the way we’re shaping finance for good. We’re focusing on the future, investing in our technologies, workplaces, and colleagues to make our Group a great place for everyone. Including you.

What you’ll need

• Proven experience in leading data science projects in cybersecurity, fraud, or behavioural analytics.

• Data Engineering - Deep expertise in Python, ML frameworks (e.g. TensorFlow, PyTorch), and cloud platforms (preferably GCP).

• Deep Learning Theory & Applications - Strong grasp of anomaly detection, time-series modelling, and deep learning architectures.

• Experience with LLMs and generative AI in production environments is highly desirable.

• Artificial Intelligence Ethics - A passion for ethical AI, model governance, and secure ML operations.

• Excellent communication and customer engagement skills

• Innovators Attitude - An innovator and change agent who keeps up to date with the latest trends and developments in data engineering and cyber security to ensure our strategies remain at the forefront of the industry.

In addition, any experience of these would be useful

• Understanding of the emerging threats within Cyber Security

About working for us

Our ambition is to be the leading UK business for diversity, equity and inclusion supporting our customers, colleagues and communities and we’re committed to creating an environment in which everyone can thrive, learn and develop.

We were one of the first major organisations to set goals on diversity in senior roles, create a menopause health package, and a dedicated Working with Cancer Initiative.

We offer reasonable workplace adjustments for colleagues with disabilities, including flexibility in office attendance, location and working patterns. And, as a Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee interviews for a fair and proportionate number of applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role with a disability, long-term health or neurodivergent condition through the Disability Confident Scheme.

We provide reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to reduce or remove barriers. Just let us know what you need.

We also offer a wide-ranging benefits package, which includes

• A generous pension contribution of up to 15%

• An annual performance-related bonus

• Share schemes including free shares.

• Benefits you can adapt to your lifestyle, such as discounted shopping.

• 30 days’ holiday, with bank holidays on top

• A range of wellbeing initiatives and generous parental leave policies

Want to do amazing work, that’s interesting and makes a difference to millions of people? Join our journey.