Senior Data Scientist - Generative AI

Data Scientist - Generative AI

We are looking for a Data Scientist to join our AI/ML team.

You will be joining our AI and Machine Learning team, continuing Funding Circle's transition from GenAI experimentation to mature, scalable product delivery. You will work in cross-functional squads alongside specialised Software Engineers, AI Platform Engineers and Product Managers to build and deploy GenAI products across all business areas including Underwriting, Sales and Operations.

We’re Funding Circle. We back small businesses to succeed.

At Funding Circle, we believe the world needs small businesses. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to help them get the finance they need to grow.

With more than a decade of expertise under our belt, we’ve built a game‑changer of a platform with cutting‑edge data and technology that’s reshaping the landscape of SME lending. Say goodbye to lengthy applications and hello to lightning‑fast decisions! In just minutes, SMEs across the UK can get a decision, giving them access to competitive funding in a flash.

We know that good business is about good people. So we pride ourselves on providing meaningful, human support as well as fast, hassle free processes to deliver an unbeatable customer experience.

This is a hands‑on applied Data Science role. You will be architecting and building the algorithms behind our products. Your primary focus will be designing Agentic workflows, crafting tool definitions that allow LLMs to interact with our internal systems, and rigorously evaluating performance. While GenAI is the main focus of this role, traditional ML and algorithms will also be needed.

You will bridge the gap between experimental proof of concepts and production reality, establishing the evaluation frameworks and best practices that will eventually enable teams across the entire business to build their own GenAI products.

• GenAI application creation:
  Design and implement the core logic for GenAI agents. Create "tools" that the LLMs use to take action.
• Evaluation and quality:
  Develop systematic evaluation of GenAI systems by building frameworks and methodologies. Create evaluation datasets to measure accuracy, reliability, and tool‑use, ensuring our models meet business standards before deployment.
• Data analysis and Machine Learning:
  Analyse business data, identify opportunities for predictive modelling. Design, implement and test predictive ML algorithms.
• Prototyping:
  Rapidly build functional application prototypes to demonstrate value to stakeholders and validate technical feasibility before full‑scale engineering begins.
• Prompt engineering and logic:
  Optimise system prompts and reasoning chains to build customised GenAI applications.
• Collaboration:
  
  Work closely with engineers and translate prototypes into production services. Write code that is modular and readable so other teams can use and benefit from what you build. Work with non‑technical teams and build technology that solves their problems.
• Responsible AI:
  Implement guardrails and adversarial testing to ensure our AI agents act ethically and securely, adhering to Funding Circle’s Responsible AI framework.
• Mentoring and guidance:
  Support mid‑level team members, use your experience to unlock situations and provide clarity to the rest of the team.

We are looking for a Data Scientist with a strong engineering mindset. This is a Senior role, we are looking for someone with 5+ years experience and demonstrable deep expertise in the areas outlined below. You will be expected to be proficient from day one, but will also be given the opportunity to develop in areas of lower strength.

• Applied GenAI experience:
  Hands‑on experience building applications where LLMs interact with external data or APIs. You understand the nuances of tool use, and agentic concepts such as Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG).
• Strong Python skills:
  You write clean, reusable, and tested Python code. You are comfortable moving out of Jupyter Notebooks and into IDEs, and you can collaborate in a Git‑based workflow.
• Evaluation rigor:
  You have experience or a strong understanding of how to evaluate…