Lead Data Scientist - NLP

Role Description: In this role you will collaborate with data scientists, ML engineers, and analysts to design and implement solutions that extract insights from unstructured text. Projects may include topic modelling and entity recognition, text generation, ontology creation, and conversational AI. This role demands strong technical expertise in NLP and a passion for innovation and problem-solving.

This is a hybrid role based in our Guildford office, with the expectation to be on-site one day per week.

Pay is based on relevant experience, skills for the role, and location. Salary is only one part of our total reward package.

In this role you will be:

• Implementing enterprise-level ML/GenAI strategies aligned with business objectives.
• Designing and developing NLP solutions using techniques such as text classification, NER, topic modeling, and text generation.
• Collaborating with data engineers and MLOps teams to ensure clean data pipelines and seamless model integration.
• Applying LLMs (e.g., GPT, BERT, LLaMA2) and knowledge graphs to enhance natural language understanding and reasoning.
• Conducting exploratory data analysis and developing robust pre-processing strategies for unstructured text.
• Evaluating NLP models, algorithms, and architectures to recommend optimal solutions.
• Communicating insights through reports, visualizations, and presentations for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Mentoring junior team members and staying current with advances in NLP, LLMs, and GenAI.

• A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
• Proven experience as a Data Scientist with a strong focus on NLP and knowledge graphs.
• Practical experience with graph machine learning techniques such as graph neural networks and graph data science.
• Proficiency in Python and experience with key NLP libraries and frameworks (e.g., NLTK, spaCy, Transformers, Hugging Face, BERT, Langchain).
• Hands-on experience with deep learning frameworks like TensorFlow or PyTorch.
• Strong problem-solving skills, particularly in addressing complex NLP challenges.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams.

• Experience using Azure OpenAI and foundational LLMs for Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), including open-source implementations.
• Experience with LLM architecture (e.g., Transformer, GANs, VAEs), Fine-tuning PEFT/LoRA, Context embedding, Vector database technologies, and Semantic Search techniques & tools.
• Familiarity with Azure cloud platform services and distributed computing frameworks (e.g., SparkNLP) is a plus.
• Knowledge of Agentic workflows and frameworks.
• Experience extracting data from PDFs using Python libraries (e.g., PyPDF, Camelot) and OCR tools like Azure Document Intelligence or AWS Textract.
• Awareness of emerging InsurTech innovations, with the ability to propose creative solutions and adapt open-source models and technologies.

Recognised and rewarded for a job well done, we have a range of flexible benefits for you to choose from- so you can pick a package that's perfect for you. We also offer flexible working options, global career opportunities across the wider Allianz Group, and fantastic career development and training. That's on top of enjoying all the benefits you'd expect from the world's number one insurance brand, including:

• Flexible buy/sell holiday options
• Hybrid working
• Annual performance related bonus
• Contributory pension scheme
• Development days
• A discount up to 50% on a range of insurance products including car, home and pet
• Retail discounts
• Volunteering days

Do you need flexibility with the hours you work? Let us know as part of your application and if it's right for our customers, our business and for you, then we'll do everything we can to make it happen. We believe in supporting hybrid work patterns, which balance the needs of our customers, with your personal circumstances and our business requirements.

At Allianz, we believe in fostering an inclusive workforce and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Our commitment to equal opportunities, gender equity, and balanced gender representation, is demonstrated by our numerous accreditations.

We support candidates with disabilities or long-term health conditions through the Offer an Interview Scheme, for those meeting the essential skills for the role.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all qualified candidates.