Head of Data Science (Principal Data Scientist)

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity provide technical and strategic leadership for a new enterprise data science function.

The function will own the full health data science lifecycle from problem to solution and is responsible for delivering pilots that aim to produce measurable improvements in clinical and operational KPIs, such as improving patient flow and discharge, and improving quality of care. The role will directly report to senior leadership, focused on supporting the most pressing objectives for the Trust.

The post-holder will build and manage a focused, high-calibre team of data scientists.

Essential Criteria:

  • Higher degree (Masters or PhD) in data-science related field
  • Strong healthcare / clinical domain knowledge
  • Senior data science leadership experience, with a track record of delivery
  • Hands-on expertise in Python, SQL, and modern ML and statistical methods
  • Experience owning the full data science lifecycle
  • Experience building, leading, and developing high-calibre technical teams
  • Excellent communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences, including at senior level

Desirable Criteria:

  • Data science delivery in consultancy or other industry setting
  • Medical degree or other clinical experience
  • Experience building and deploying solutions in cloud data platforms

Main duties of the job

  • Lead the enterprise data science function at GSTT, setting strategy and prioritising problems across clinical and operational pathways where data science can deliver measurable improvement.
  • Own the end-to-end pathway, including discovery, requirements engineering, solutions development, deployment, experimentation, testing, and evaluation.
  • Act as senior hands-on contributor, owning the team’s code and analytical output.
  • Hold the function accountable for outcomes (movement in target KPIs), not intermediate outputs such as dashboards, reports, or deployed models – confirming benefit before scaling, iterating, or stopping.
  • Provide technical expertise in data science and machine learning (statistical and predictive modelling, LLMs, causal inference), ensuring fit-for-purpose solutions where a model is one option among several.
  • Build scalable frameworks for productionising pilots and monitoring the impact and safety of deployed decision-support tools, in partnership with data engineering.
  • Engage a broad range of stakeholders – executive, clinical, and operational leaders, ICBs, patients, and technology partners – to align initiatives with GSTT and wider NHS priorities.
  • Embed fairness into evaluation, reporting on how decision insights affect healthcare inequalities and differential outcomes for marginalised groups.
  • Develop the data science workforce, recruiting expert talent, upskilling existing analysts, and managing team appraisals and career development.

Person Specification

Background

Essential

  • Higher degree (Masters or PhD) in data-science related field
  • Senior data science leadership experience, with a track record of delivering measurable real-world impact
  • Strong healthcare / clinical domain knowledge
  • Experience owning the full data science lifecycle

Desirable

  • Data science delivery background in a consultancy or other industry setting
  • Medical degree or other clinical experience

Technical

Essential

  • Hands-on expertise in Python, SQL, and modern ML and statistical methods, including causal inference techniques and experimental methods (e.g. A/B testing, stepped-wedge designs)
  • Experience building, leading, and developing high-calibre technical teams

Desirable

  • Experience building and deploying solutions in cloud data platforms (E.g. Snowflake, Databricks)

General

Essential

  • Excellent communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences, including at senior level

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Closing Date: 22 July 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.