LEAD DATA SCIENCE MANAGER

Location.
Newbury (Hybrid) Salary.
Excellent basic salary plus bonus and Vodafone benefits Working Hours.
Full time 37.
hours per week – Mon to Fri At Vodafone UK we believe that through collaboration and connection we can achieve great things.
Our hybrid working approach allows our people to work both in the office and at home, providing the flexibility and resources you need to succeed in your role.
Our “Office in a Box” home working kit will provide you with everything you need, no matter where you are.
Who We Are   We’re a global technology communications company that empowers people and businesses to stay connected and thrive in a digital world.
With a focus on innovation, sustainability and earning customer loyalty, we leverage cutting-edge technology to offer products and services that enhance communication and improve lives.
At Vodafone UK, diversity isn’t just a buzzword, it is core to who we are as a company.
We’re proud to be certified as a Great Place to Work and are committed to driving inclusion for all; creating a workplace that is fully representative of the communities and customers we serve.
Join us in the Data Strategy Centre of Excellence (CoE) as we lead the design and delivery of the overall UK Data Strategy on behalf of Data and Analytics (D&A) and Vodafone UK - maximising incremental value from data through the design & delivery of ‘Valuable’, ‘Accessible’ &  ‘Trusted’ data.
Now is an exciting time to join the team as we begin our data transformation journey to implement this agreed data strategy working across all of Vodafone UK.
What you’ll do   We're recruiting for a Lead Data Science Manager who will manage and develop the Data Science team.
Collectively they are responsible for maximising value from data through delivering scalable AI/ML that can deliver competitive advantage to D&A and the Finance function.
You will transform and drive AI&ML in Finance owning the overall value proposition and operating model that will support building and maintaining AI/ML use cases for D&A and UK Finance to drive specified business benefits.
You will establish close partnerships with senior stakeholders across Finance, wider Vodafone and in to our Technology functions, understand business outcomes, incept and then deliver data science use cases.
You will establish the vision and roadmap on how AI/ML can help Finance accelerate their business objectives.
Responsibilities will include, but will not be limited to.
• Setting out the Data Science strategy for D&A and UK Finance Leads transformation & literacy for AI&ML in Finance.
• Maximising value from data through delivering, both individually and through a teams, scalable AI/ML that can deliver competitive advantage to D&A and the Finance function.
• Building, maintaining, and continuously improving a menu of data science assets available for the business to use.
• Setting guidance and leadership for technical AI/ML standards within the team and D&A.
• Fostering a culture of innovation for data science including Gen AI, capturing innovative ideas and driving their prioritisation.
Who you are.
•    (Management) Experience of managing teams of onshore and offshore direct reports.
•    (Teamwork) Able to work in teams and lead matrixed teams to deliver business outcomes.
•    (Education) Degree level (Masters, PhD preferred) in quantitative fields such as Maths, Statistics, Economics, Ops Research, Computer Science, Engineering or Artificial Intelligence etc.
•    (Technical) Proficient in Python and in statistical packages and ML/DL libraries/frameworks (e.
.
TensorFlow, PyTorch, Pandas, SciPy, Sklearn etc.) and expert in data manipulation.
use of structured data tools (e.
., SQL), & unstructured data tools and platforms (e.
., Hadoop, Spark, NoSQL).
•    (Technical) Able to implement data transformations and algorithms in common programming languages and possess software development skills e.
.
unit testing, Git, design documentation.
•    (Interpersonal) Possess excellent communication skills both written and verbal, with a clear track record of translating ideas and information to all levels of seniority including executives.
•    (Interpersonal) Build relationships within and across departments with a collaborative and consultative mindset.
Worried that you don’t meet all the desired criteria exactly? At Vodafone we are passionate about Inclusion for All and creating a workplace where everyone can thrive, whatever their personal or professional background.
If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align exactly with every part of the job description, we encourage you to apply as you may be the right candidate for this role or another role, and our recruitment team can help you see how your skills fit in.
What we offer We believe that taking care of our employees is the key to their success.
That is why we offer an excellent remuneration and bonus package with up to 28 days holiday entitlement, in addition to bank holidays and paid leave for charity projects.
We offer an extensive benefits package that can be tailored to suit you and your family, including employee discounts, retail vouchers, pension plan and share schemes.
We take pride in our commitment to supporting you at every stage of your career by providing top of the range learning and development tools and market leading parental leave policies.
Together we can    Vodafone UK are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and all offers of employment for this role are subject to background checks, including criminal (DBS) and financial checks to meet the regulators standards.
If you require any reasonable adjustments or have an accessibility request as part of your recruitment journey, for example, extended time or breaks in between online assessments, a sign language interpreter, or assistive technology, please refer to the Accessibility section of our Careers website (https://careers.
odafone.
om/uk/applying-to-vodafone/) for guidance.
#LI-Hybrid    Vodafone is committed to attracting, developing and retaining the very best people by offering a motivating and inclusive workplace in which talent is truly recognised and rewarded.
We are committed to promoting Inclusion for All with the belief that diversity plays an important role in the success of our business.
We actively encourage everyone to consider becoming a part of our journey.