Head of Data Science - Product and Operations

We believe in better. And we make it happen.

Better content. Better products. And better careers.

Working at Sky is about building the next and the new. From broadband to broadcast, streaming to mobile, SkyQ to Sky Glass, we never stand still. We optimise and innovate.

We turn big ideas into the products, content and services millions of people love.

And we do it all right here at Sky.

What you'll do

You will lead the Product & Operations Data Science team and be a member of the Data Science & Analytics leadership team. You will work with the Director of Data Science and your peers at Head of level to deliver commercial impact with data, promote data science across the organization and influence stakeholders at MD+ level on leveraging data to meet strategic business objectives.

The Product & Operations Data Science team delivers complex data science products that use our telemetry, product, and customer data to improve our servicing journeys, optimise cost, and provide a delightful customer experience. We deliver industry-leading data science solutions powered by telemetry data to predict Wi-Fi quality, troubleshoot hardware issues, and increase customer satisfaction scores.

In this role you will:

• Partner and influence senior stakeholders in Product, Customer Service Group, Customer Experience, and Technology to inform their priorities, transform ways of working, and shape data science solutions that help meet key business objectives
• Identify, shape and deliver innovative data science products for your stakeholder areas, with agreed business value and commercial benefits
• Act as a thought partner to the business and help transform the way Sky makes decisions by leveraging advanced data science solutions
• Support the Director of Data Science with creating, agreeing and delivering against a unified Data Science strategy for Sky
• Build strong working relationships with other Data Science & Analytics teams across the organization, driving the adoption of shared standards as well as innovative tools
• Lead and mentor a team of c.10-12 at various seniority levels, enabling them to perform at their best and promoting a culture of innovation and experimentation
• Work with the Data Engineering, Architecture, and MLOps teams to help shape the end-to-end data science lifecycle and deliver robust and scalable solutions
• Balance and prioritise business demand vs capacity, and manage your department’s budgets in line with organizational targets
• Keep up to date with innovations in data science, as well as new frameworks, continuously bringing new ideas into your team and organisation

What you'll bring

• Proven experience in building and leading high-performing Data Science teams at a Head of level or equivalent, with extensive people management experience
• Track record of successfully influencing senior and exec stakeholders in order to e
• Experience in creating and delivering against data science strategies, as well as managing team budgets and finances
• Experience building and deploying large-scale data science solutions (preferably within B2C companies) in a cloud environment (we use GCP VertexAI in the team)
• Experience in creating and delivering against data science strategies, as well as managing team budgets and finances
• Familiarity with agile ways of working and experience in managing agile teams
• Solid understanding of the end-to-end data science lifecycle including DataOps, Data Management and MLOps and knowing what it takes to deliver production-grade data science
• Familiarity with Python and previous experience with Machine Learning libraries such as scikit-learn, XGBoost, Keras, Tensorflow etc
• Familiarity with ETL concepts and good working knowledge of SQL (We use GCP BigQuery in the team)
• Bonus points if you have experience delivering data science solutions leveraging LLMs, graph analytics (Neo4j preferred) or telemetry data

The rewards

There's one thing people can't stop talking about when it comes to #LifeAtSky: the perks. Here’s a taster:

• Sky Q, for the TV you love all in one place
• The magic of Sky Glass at an exclusive rate
• A generous pension package
• Private healthcare
• Discounted mobile and broadband
• A wide range of Sky VIP rewards and experiences

Inclusion & how you'll work

We are a Disability Confident Employer, and welcome and encourage applications from all candidates. We will look to ensure a fair and consistent experience for all, and will make reasonable adjustments to support you where appropriate. Please flag any adjustments you need to your recruiter as early as you can.

We’ve embraced hybrid working and split our time between unique office spaces and the convenience of working from home. You’ll find out more about what hybrid working looks like for your role later on in the recruitment process.

Your office space

Our Osterley Campus is a 10-minute walk from Syon Lane train station. Or you can hop on one of our free shuttle buses that run to and from Osterley, Gunnersbury, Ealing Broadway and South Ealing tube stations. There are also plenty of bike shelters and showers.

On campus, you’ll find 13 subsidised restaurants, cafes, and a Waitrose. You can keep in shape at our subsidised gym, catch the latest shows and movies at our cinema, get your car washed, and even get pampered at our beauty salon.

We'd love to hear from you

Inventive, forward-thinking minds come together to work in Sky Data. It’s a place where you can explore what if, how far, and what next.

Just so you know: if your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a criminal record check. And depending on the role you have applied for and the nature of any convictions you may have, we might have to withdraw the offer.