Data Science Manager (Metaheuristics)

Tesco UK
City of London
19 hours ago
Create job alert

We know life looks a little different for each of us. That's why at Tesco, we always welcome chats about flexible working. Some people are at the start of their careers, some want the freedom to do the things they love. Others are going through life-changing moments like becoming a carer, nearing retirement, adapting to parenthood, or something else. So, talk to us throughout your application about how we can support. Are you an Operational Research specialist with strong Meta-heuristics experience? Then look no further and come and join our team! We'd love to hear from you if you have any questions about the role or our team!


About the Team

Here at Tesco we focus on solving sophisticated business problems and developing data products that can be deployed at scale to our customers and colleagues. Our teams work across multiple areas including Stores, Online, Fulfilment, Marketing Clubcard, and we encourage rotation among our Data Scientists, so they can apply their skills to different business challenges and gain deeper levels of domain expertise. On any day you could be supporting the automation of decision-making across the business; optimising processes for key business objectives; or conducting exploratory analysis for strategic decision-making.


Responsibilities

  • The technical domain and leading technical engagements whilst managing a team of Data Scientists and supporting with the mentoring of others in the team on the best approaches to optimise problems and the development of Meta-heuristics
  • Supporting teams in designing and implementing reusable components for algorithmic development for static and dynamic optimisation problems
  • Defining the strategic direction that the team should take, trading off contradicting priorities.
  • Unblocking day-to-day technical challenges and ensure that the daily work is aligned with the technical vision.
  • You will also communicate sophisticated solutions in a clear, understandable way to non-experts
  • Working on end-to-end developments, contributing to all aspects of the product lifecycle

Qualifications

  • Be an influential Senior Data Scientist or Data Science Manager within Operational Research combined with specialist knowledge of Meta-heuristics.
  • Direct line management experience.
  • You will have a high level of capability in a programming language, preferably Java or other OOP language and have experience of mentoring others whilst partnering with teams in the areas of scheduling, vehicle routing or bin-packing on technical developments.

Our Vision

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.


Inclusive Culture

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 proud to have been accredited Disability Confident Leader and we’re committed to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. For further information on the accessibility support we can offer.


Working Patterns

We’re a big business and we can offer a range of diverse full-time & part-time working patterns across our many business areas, which means that we can find something that works for you. We work in a more blended pattern - combining office and remote working. Our offices will continue to be where we connect, collaborate and innovate. If you are applying internally, please speak to the Hiring Manager about how this can work for you - Everyone is welcome at Tesco.


Beware of Recruitment Fraud

We never ask for money during our hiring process. Any request for payment made in the name of Tesco is not legitimate. Please report suspicious activity to


#J-18808-Ljbffr

Related Jobs

View all jobs

AI & Data Science Manager / Senior Manager

AI & Data Science Manager / Senior Manager

AI & Data Science Manager / Senior Manager

AI & Data Science Manager / Senior Manager

Gen AI & Data Science Manager — Lead AI-Driven Innovation

Applied AI Data Science Manager – Lead & Deliver

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Jobs

How to Write a Data Science Job Ad That Attracts the Right People

Data science plays a critical role in how organisations across the UK make decisions, build products and gain competitive advantage. From forecasting and personalisation to risk modelling and experimentation, data scientists help translate data into insight and action. Yet many employers struggle to attract the right data science candidates. Job adverts often generate high volumes of applications, but few applicants have the mix of analytical skill, business understanding and communication ability the role actually requires. At the same time, experienced data scientists skip over adverts that feel vague, inflated or misaligned with real data science work. In most cases, the issue is not a lack of talent — it is the quality and clarity of the job advert. Data scientists are analytical, sceptical of hype and highly selective. A poorly written job ad signals unclear expectations and immature data practices. A well-written one signals credibility, focus and serious intent. This guide explains how to write a data science job ad that attracts the right people, improves applicant quality and positions your organisation as a strong data employer.

Education Jobs

Maths for Data Science Jobs: The Only Topics You Actually Need (& How to Learn Them)

If you are applying for data science jobs in the UK, the maths can feel like a moving target. Job descriptions say “strong statistical knowledge” or “solid ML fundamentals” but they rarely tell you which topics you will actually use day to day. Here’s the truth: most UK data science roles do not require advanced pure maths. What they do require is confidence with a tight set of practical topics that come up repeatedly in modelling, experimentation, forecasting, evaluation, stakeholder comms & decision-making. This guide focuses on the only maths most data scientists keep using: Statistics for decision making (confidence intervals, hypothesis tests, power, uncertainty) Probability for real-world data (base rates, noise, sampling, Bayesian intuition) Linear algebra essentials (vectors, matrices, projections, PCA intuition) Calculus & gradients (enough to understand optimisation & backprop) Optimisation & model evaluation (loss functions, cross-validation, metrics, thresholds) You’ll also get a 6-week plan, portfolio projects & a resources section you can follow without getting pulled into unnecessary theory.

Jobs

Neurodiversity in Data Science Careers: Turning Different Thinking into a Superpower

Data science is all about turning messy, real-world information into decisions, products & insights. It sits at the crossroads of maths, coding, business & communication – which means it needs people who see patterns, ask unusual questions & challenge assumptions. That makes data science a natural fit for many neurodivergent people, including those with ADHD, autism & dyslexia. If you’re neurodivergent & thinking about a data science career, you might have heard comments like “you’re too distracted for complex analysis”, “too literal for stakeholder work” or “too disorganised for large projects”. In reality, the same traits that can make traditional environments difficult often line up beautifully with data science work. This guide is written for data science job seekers in the UK. We’ll explore: What neurodiversity means in a data science context How ADHD, autism & dyslexia strengths map to common data science roles Practical workplace adjustments you can request under UK law How to talk about your neurodivergence in applications & interviews By the end, you’ll have a clearer sense of where you might thrive in data science – & how to turn “different thinking” into a real career advantage.

🍪 We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience on our website. By continuing to use this site, you consent to the use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy. You can review our Cookie Policy for more information.