Data Scientist (Operational Research)

We have an exciting opportunity for a Operational Research Data Scientist to join our established and growing Data Science team. We are looking for ambitious individuals with a mix of mathematical optimisation, programming and statistics skills. This role requires that you have an extensive background in Operational Research.

Our Data Science team focuses on modelling complex business problems and deploying data products at scale. As a Data Scientist at Tesco you’ll flex your skills across all areas of our business. Personalising our customers’ experience across all touchpoints, online and in store to make our supply chain, transport, and delivery operations more efficient. These changes are good for our customers and, with millions of customers across several countries, good for the planet, too. But just because we work on a big scale, doesn’t mean things move slowly; change happens fast here. That means you’ll see the impact you’ve made within weeks.

We are passionate about supporting you in your personal and career development so as well as on desk training and support and knowledge sharing with others, 10% of your working week will be dedicated to learning and personal development. There's also plenty of opportunity to attend and speak at external and internal events. Furthermore, we have a great work-life balance, team days and relaxed but engaging culture.

This role can be based out of either our London (Farringdon) office or Welwyn Garden City office. At Tesco we have hybrid working so you will spend 2 days a week in the office and the rest of the time working from home.

This is a hands-on position where you will need to leverage your analytical mindset to find solutions to complex problems. As either a Data Scientist or Senior Data Scientist, you will need to understand difficult business problems and prototype solutions with minimal support.

Apply, modify and design 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 Data Scientist or Senior Data Scientist, you will be expected to drive innovation and take ownership of aspects of the project development, help the 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. A track record in designing and modifying advanced exact (MILP, constraint programming, shortest path problems, etc), heuristic, or metaheuristic algorithms is essential. You should be enthused to apply these techniques in a commercial or industrial setting, and encourage collaboration and communication between teams. Experience of managing relations with stakeholders on a project is preferred.

An ideal candidate will have a scientific mentality with the ability to ask the right questions, as well as answer them. A doctoral degree 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.

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 a big business with diverse working patterns and many business areas which means that we can find something that works for you. Everyone is welcome at Tesco.

We have recently announced that we are moving to a more blended working week – combining office and remote working. Our offices continue to be where we connect, collaborate and innovate. Talk to us about how this can work for you.

Note: Should you be successful in your application, your employment will be subject to and conditional upon you providing your bank account details on your agreed start date.

We offer excellent benefits that help make Tesco a great place to work! These include but are not limited to:

• Annual bonus scheme
• Holiday starting at 25 days plus a personal day (and bank holidays)
• Great colleague discounts and deals, saving you money on everyday purchases, utility bills for the home and more
• Retirement savings plan – save between 4% and 7.5% and Tesco will match your contribution
• Buy as you earn and Save as you earn share schemes
• Opportunities to get on – take advantage of our ongoing learning opportunities and award-winning training to help you achieve the career you want