Lead, Data Science

Job Summary

• We seek a senior AI software engineer to architect and develop the technical foundation of our AI Center of Excellence (AI CoE). This role focuses on hands-on engineering of Python-based AI platforms and products, from secure development through model deployment and production operations in a regulated banking environment. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to transform prototypes into compliant, scalable, reliable systems that deliver measurable business value.
  

Key Responsibilities
Key Duties
Leadership & Strategy

• Define the AI engineering vision for the AI CoE; translate business priorities into executable, value-driven delivery plans.
• Help establish standards for AI software engineering excellence: secure SDLC, architecture, technical design, coding conventions, documentation, and inner-source practices.
• Drive a product mindset: clear backlogs, fast iteration cycles, and outcome-based KPIs.
  

Platform & Architecture (Python Full-Stack)

• Design and implement reusable Python modules in the backend
• LLM, RAG/GraphRAG services, agent orchestration, prompt/version management, evaluation frameworks, guardrails, and content moderation
• Data/feature/vector stores; retrieval pipelines; Text-to-SQL and tool-calling services
• Develop API and event-driven architectures (REST/gRPC/FastAPI; Kafka/PubSub), microservices, and front-end integration (React/TypeScript/Next.js)
• Engineer for non-functional excellence: performance optimization, cost efficiency, resiliency, observability, and operability (SLOs, error budgets)
  

E2E Productionization in Banking

• Execute technical implementation from PoC ? MVP ? production, including code development, testing, and deployment automation
• Build robust CI/CD & GitOps pipelines (build/test/scan/sign/release) for Python services, models, and data pipelines across hybrid infrastructure (Kubernetes/OpenShift; on-prem & cloud)
• Implement evaluation frameworks (offline/online A/B tests, drift/guardrail monitors) and model validation systems
• Develop automated testing suites, performance benchmarks, and monitoring solutions
  

Security, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure data privacy, secrets, access control, and lineage; enforce SAST/DAST/SCA, container/image signing, SBOMs, data contracts, and audit trails.
• Align delivery with bank governance (model risk, data privacy, records retention, third-party risk); streamline approvals with evidence-backed automation.
• Champion safe-by-design AI: red-teaming, prompt-injection defenses, eval suites, and incident playbooks.
  

Operations & SRE for AI

• Direct and help stand up AI-SRE practices: golden signals, Open Telemetry instrumentation, autoscaling, canary/blue green deploys, shadow traffic, and rollback strategies.
• Establish runtime cost/latency optimization (token budgets, caching, distillation/quantization, routing).
  

People & Stakeholder Management

• Build and mentor high-performing teams (managers, leads, ICs) across backend, data/ML, and front-end disciplines.
• Partner with COE CPO, Data science team, CDO, AI platform, Security, Cloud, Data Platform, and Business Lines to unblock delivery
  

Strategy

• Deep technical understanding of AI CoE strategy and ability to translate into engineering solutions
  

Business

• Technical comprehension of AI model operations and their business applications within the Group
  

Processes

• Hands-on development and implementation of Machine Learning/GenAI models and supporting infrastructure
  

People & Talent

• Technical mentoring and knowledge sharing with engineering teams
  

Risk Management

• Technical implementation of ML model controls, monitoring systems, and risk mitigation measures
  

Governance

• Engineering of Responsible AI controls and compliance automation for developed models
  

Regulatory & Business Conduct

• Display exemplary conduct and live by the Groups Values and Code of Conduct.
• Take personal responsibility for embedding the highest standards of ethics, including regulatory and business conduct, across Standard Chartered Bank. This includes understanding and ensuring compliance with, in letter and spirit, all applicable laws, regulations, guidelines and the Group Code of Conduct.
• Effectively and collaboratively identify, escalate, mitigate and resolve risk, conduct and compliance matters.
  

Key stakeholders

• CIB AI COE
  

Qualifications
Education

• Bachelors degree (or above) in Computer Science, Computing engineering, Mathematics, or a related field.
  

Languages

• English
  

Skills And Experience

• Python Programming
• ML/DL Frameworks (Scikit-learn, XGBoost, PyTorch, TensorFlow)
• Data Science & Analytics
• Large Data Processing
• Cloud Platforms & Services
• Production Deployment & DevOps
• API Development & Integration
• Software Engineering & Architecture
• AI Model Risk & Validation
• Security & Compliance Engineering
  

About Standard Chartered
Were an international bank, nimble enough to act, big enough for impact. For more than 170 years, weve worked to make a positive difference for our clients, communities, and each other. We question the status quo, love a challenge and enjoy finding new opportunities to grow and do better than before. If youre looking for a career with purpose and you want to work for a bank making a difference, we want to hear from you. You can count on us to celebrate your unique talents and we cant wait to see the talents you can bring us.
Our purpose, to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, together with our brand promise, to be here for good are achieved by how we each live our valued behaviours. When you work with us, youll see how we value difference and advocate inclusion.
Together We

• Do the right thing and are assertive, challenge one another, and live with integrity, while putting the client at the heart of what we do
• Never settle, continuously striving to improve and innovate, keeping things simple and learning from doing well, and not so well
• Are better together, we can be ourselves, be inclusive, see more good in others, and work collectively to build for the long term
  

What We Offer
In line with our Fair Pay Charter, we offer a competitive salary and benefits to support your mental, physical, financial and social wellbeing.

• Core bank funding for retirement savings, medical and life insurance, with flexible and voluntary benefits available in some locations.
• Time-off including annual leave, parental/maternity (20 weeks), sabbatical (12 months maximum) and volunteering leave (3 days), along with minimum global standards for annual and public holiday, which is combined to 30 days minimum.
• Flexible working options based around home and office locations, with flexible working patterns.
• Proactive wellbeing support through Unmind, a market-leading digital wellbeing platform, development courses for resilience and other human skills, global Employee Assistance Programme, sick leave, mental health first-aiders and all sorts of self-help toolkits
• A continuous learning culture to support your growth, with opportunities to reskill and upskill and access to physical, virtual and digital learning.
• Being part of an inclusive and values driven organisation, one that embraces and celebrates our unique diversity, across our teams, business functions and geographies - everyone feels respected and can realise their full potential.