Principal Data Scientist (Fine-tuning & model optimisation)

Principal Data Scientist (Fine-tuning & model optimisation) - AI Models Lead

Hybrid: Remote

Paying up to £150,000 + bens

Permanent

E

xperis are delighted to be partnering with a highly successful and growing software organisation as they invest heavily in building a cutting-edge AI capability at the heart of their product suite.W

e

are supporting them in the search for an AI Models Lead, a key foundational hire who will own the development, fine-tuning, and production delivery of domain-specific AI models within a large-scale programme.Th

i

s is a rare opportunity to join at an early stage and build a fine-tuning capability from first principles, shaping how AI models are developed, evaluated, and deployed in real-world, regulated environments. Looking for someone who has moved beyond prompt engineering and RAG into genuine model adaptation, evaluation, optimisation and fine-tuning.Wha

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You’ll Be DoingDesi

• gning and leading the end-to-end model fine-tuning strategy, such as SFT, LoRA / QLoRA, and optimisation approachesSele
• cting and evaluating base models (e.g. Mistral, Qwen, Phi, Falcon) based on performance, cost, and use caseDefi
• ning evaluation frameworks and standards to ensure models meet production-grade quality and reliabilityBuil
• ding and scaling a suite of fine-tuned models to support multiple product use casesOwni
• ng experiment design and reproducibility, including tracking, benchmarking, and iteration cyclesWork
• ing closely with data, domain and product teams to translate real-world requirements into model behaviourLead
• ing, mentoring, and growing a team of ML Engineers while remaining hands-on technicallyDriv
• ing models through to production environments, ensuring robustness, scalability, and performanceExpe

r

ience RequiredProve

• n experience fine-tuning machine learning / LLM models in production environmentsStron
• g track record of deploying AI models at scale and understanding real-world failure modesHands
• -on experience with Generative AI / LLM architectures and frameworksStron
• g Python engineering capability and familiarity with ML tooling (e.g. HuggingFace, PEFT, TRL, W&B)Exper
• ience working in cloud environments (AWS preferred)Abili
• ty to operate as a player-coach, combining deep technical expertise with leadershipPragm
• atic mindset, comfortable working in ambiguous, evolving environmentsExcel
• lent communication skills, with the ability to engage senior stakeholders and influence directionWhy J

o

inOpport

• unity to build and shape a core AI capability from the ground upWork o
• n real-world AI use cases where accuracy and trust genuinely matterHighly
• visible role with direct exposure to senior leadership and strategic initiativesJoin a
• business making significant long-term investment in AI-driven innovationIf you

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re interested in learning more, please reach out to Jacob Ferdinand at Jacob.Ferdinand@experis.co.uk