Senior Data Scientist

Nationwide Building Society has adopted Databricks as the strategic Machine Learning (ML) platform within the business. The role will play a key part in helping us realise its full value across the organisation.

This role will combine technical leadership, enablement and stakeholder engagement to help teams adopt and scale machine learning effectively. The successful candidate will work with technical and non-technical stakeholders, supporting both new and established Machine Learning users to deliver practical, high-quality solutions on Databricks.

We are happy to consider flexible working approaches to help you perform at your best.

This is a 12-month secondment opportunity.

At Nationwide we offer hybrid working wherever possible. More rewarding relationships are supported through our hybrid approach, bringing colleagues together across our UK wide estate, whilst also supporting generous access to home working. We value our time in the office to solve problems, to learn, and to feel connected. 

For this job you'll spend at least two days per week, or if part time you'll spend 40% of your working time, based at either our London or Swindon office. If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works. You can also find out more about our approach to hybrid working here.

Nationwide is committed to the redeployment of our employees impacted by change, as such applications for redeployment candidates will be prioritised in this recruitment process.
 
If you’re a colleague on long-term absence (for example, on parental leave) or a temporary worker, please use your personal email address to submit an application.

What you’ll be doing

You will help shape standards, patterns and frameworks for best practice, while also coaching teams, improving ways of working and ensuring solutions are aligned to business needs. 

This role requires someone who can balance technical rigour with pragmatism and who is equally comfortable building credibility with experienced Machine Learning practitioners as they are guiding colleagues who are starting their journey.

About you

As a minimum requirement, you’ll have:

• Advanced Python expertise, including package development, modular design, dependency management and building reusable libraries or SDKs

• Experience across the machine learning Python ecosystem, including tools such as scikit-learn, pandas, PySpark and MLflow

• Databricks experience, including jobs, workflows, MLflow, Unity Catalog and cluster optimisation

• Machine Learning experience, including model development, evaluation, deployment fundamentals, optimisation and performance improvement

• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement, with the ability to communicate clearly, honestly, and effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences

• A coaching mindset, with a continual focus on understanding stakeholder needs and helping others build confidence and capability

• Ability to balance technical best practice with practical business considerations, recognising that the best theoretical solution may not always be the right one in practice

Our customer first behaviours put customers and members at the heart of how we work together. They are the set of behaviours that every colleague needs to display, in every role:

• Feel what customers feel - We step into our customers’ shoes, using their feedback and insights to empathise with them and to understand their needs, so that every decision we make starts and finishes with our customers in mind

• Say it straight - We are brave in speaking out and saying what we think – we’re honest and direct with good intent, openly sharing diverse perspectives to reach the best conclusions and using language everyone can understand

• Push for better - We don’t settle for mediocrity, we challenge the status quo, taking responsibility for continuous improvement and personal development

• Get it done - We prioritise what will have the greatest impact, we are decisive, and we take accountability for delivering brilliant customer outcomes

You can strengthen your application by showing how our customer first behaviours resonate with you, and where you may have already demonstrated these.

The extras you’ll get

There are all sorts of employee benefits available at Nationwide, including:

• 25 days holiday, pro rata

• Access to private medical insurance

• A highly competitive pension to help you build a strong foundation for retirement

• Access to an annual performance-related bonus

• Training and development to help you progress your career

• A great selection of additional benefits through our salary sacrifice scheme

• Life assurance to provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones in the event of your death

• Wellhub – access to a range of free and paid options for health and wellness

• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year

Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society

We forge our own path at Nationwide.

As a mutual, we’re owned by our members - those customers who bank, save or have a mortgage with us. We challenge the financial sector status quo. We don’t see customers as the engine of our own profit. We share our profits with them and put their needs first. Always there when they need us. Supporting them and their lives.

If you’re inspired by fairer finances, passionate about making a meaningful impact, and truly care about our customers, you’re one of us.

At Nationwide, you are challenged to grow and rewarded for doing so. Valued. Recognised. Inspired to be your best. As a community, we want our working lives to count. As a team, we celebrate what we achieve. As a standard-setter, we work for the good of customers, communities, and broader society.

We are purpose-driven. Uncompromisingly customer. Unstoppably Nationwide.

What to do next

If this role is for you, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button. You’ll need to attach your up-to-date CV and answer a few quick questions for us. 

We respond to everyone, so we will be in contact shortly after the closing date to let you know the outcome of your application.

The hiring manager for this role is Christopher Bonham, and the main recruitment contact is Ashley Dodds.

Please note that should you be successful in securing this role, the job title on our internal systems will be EN03 - Engineer E3.