Senior Data Scientist & SanTalk Product Owner | S4 | Chief Data & AI Office | Milton Keynes

IT STARTS HERE

Santander (www.santander.com) is evolving from a global, high-impact brand into a technology-driven organisation, and our people are at the heart of this journey. Together, we are driving a customer-centric transformation that values bold thinking, innovation, and the courage to challenge what’s possible.

This is more than a strategic shift. It’s a chance for driven professionals to grow, learn, and make a real difference.

Our mission is to contribute to help more people and businesses prosper. We embrace a strong risk culture and all our professionals at all levels are expected to take a proactive and responsible approach toward risk management.

The Chief Data & AI Office (CDAIO) at Santander is responsible for setting the strategic direction for data, analytics, and artificial intelligence across the organisation. It ensures that data is managed as a trusted enterprise asset and that advanced technologies are applied responsibly, securely, and effectively to create value for customers and the business.

THE DIFFERENCE YOU MAKE

The Chief Data & AI Office (CDAIO) is looking for a Senior Data Scientist based out of Milton Keynes.

As a Senior Data Scientist, you will lead the development and delivery of customer-facing AI solutions across contact centres, chat and digitally assisted channels. You will combine technical leadership with a strong understanding of customer journeys, operational performance and value generation.

We are looking for a senior AI and product leader who can own the UK SanTalk proposition, shape its vision and roadmap, influence Group platform development and lead the rollout, operation and continuous improvement of customer-facing solutions. You will guide multidisciplinary teams and work across Santander UK, Santander Group and technology partners in a complex, fast-paced and regulated environment.

We’re shaping the way we work through customer-focused innovation, advanced AI and close collaboration across the Group. To succeed in this role, you will be responsible for:

• Act as the UK Product Owner for SanTalk, setting the product vision, strategy, roadmap and prioritised backlog for customer-facing AI solutions across contact centres, chat and digitally assisted channels, leveraging SanTalk proposition and its underlying technologies, including Sierra and OpenAI.
• Develop a deep understanding of customer journeys and operational needs, translating UK business priorities, user feedback and colleague requirements into prioritised AI use cases, product requirements, acceptance criteria and delivery plans.
• Represent Santander UK in Group product forums, working with Group platform teams and technology partners to influence the SanTalk roadmap, shape feature proposals and drive agreed capabilities through development and implementation.
• Own the end-to-end delivery, UK rollout and ongoing operation of SanTalk solutions, including experimentation, business readiness, testing, deployment, adoption, maintenance and transition into business-as-usual support.
• Provide technical direction to Data Scientists, Engineers, MLOps specialists and Product Owners, ensuring solutions are scalable, reliable, secure, maintainable and production-ready.
• Own the ongoing performance and continuous improvement of deployed solutions, defining customer, model, operational and financial success measures and using production monitoring, experimentation and benefits tracking to optimise outcomes and evidence value.
• Manage delivery priorities, governance, dependencies and risks within a regulated environment, ensuring responsible AI, model governance and applicable risk and control requirements are embedded throughout the product lifecycle.
• Build alignment across senior business, operations, technology, data, risk and control stakeholders in Santander UK and Santander Group, providing clear reporting on progress, outcomes, risks and decisions, and escalating challenges with practical recommendations.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

Our people are our greatest strength. Every individual contributes unique perspectives that make us stronger as a team and as an organisation. We’re enabling teams to go beyond by valuing who they are and empowering what they bring.

The following requirements represent the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential for success in this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Professional Experience:

• 6-8 years of experience in data science, applied AI or advanced analytics, including leadership of complex AI solutions from concept to production; experience in customer-facing or conversational AI is strongly preferred (Required)

Education:

• Undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Engineering or a related field, or equivalent work experience supported by professional certification/licences (Required)

Languages:

• English (Required); Spanish or experience working across international teams (Preferred)

Hard Skills:

• Strong knowledge of machine learning, natural language processing, generative AI, experimentation, statistical analysis and model evaluation (Required)
• Experience owning a digital, data or AI product through its full lifecycle, including product strategy, roadmap management, backlog prioritisation, release planning, rollout and live-service optimisation (Required).
• Experience designing and delivering conversational AI or customer-facing AI solutions; direct Sierra experience or experience with a comparable enterprise platform is preferred (Preferred)
• Strong understanding of contact-centre and digitally assisted channel operations, UK regulations (e.g. Consumer Duty), customer journeys, production AI monitoring and value measurement (Preferred)

Soft Skills:

• Provide technical leadership, conducts solution walkthroughs and monitors the quality of development and delivery activities (Required)
• Manage multiple priorities and provides concise management reports covering progress, outcomes, risks, dependencies and required decisions (Required)
• Ability to shape vision and priorities, prepare and challenge business cases, quantify costs and benefits, and track value realisation (Required)
• Strong product and stakeholder leadership, with the ability to balance competing priorities, make evidence-based product decisions, secure alignment across UK, Group and external technology partners, simplify complex technical topics, and present or escalate challenges constructively to senior audiences (Required).

WE VALUE YOUR IMPACT

At Santander, your contribution matters. We recognise the difference you make every day, and we make sure you feel valued, supported and rewarded in return.
Here, recognition goes beyond pay. It’s about the pride you feel in your work, the impact you have on customers and communities, and the opportunities you have to grow and thrive — personally and professionally.

Salary Range:

£76,000.00 - £114,000.00 per annum (depending on experience)

This salary range represents the expected remuneration for the role. Annual salary is based on a standard 35-hour working week. Actual salary offered will depend on skills, experience, qualifications and location.

• 30 days’ holiday plus bank holidays, which increases to 31 days after 5yrs service, with the option to purchase up to 5 contractual days per year
• £6,000 car allowance per year
• Company funded individual private medical insurance
• Protection for you and your family, with company-funded death-in-service benefit and income protection insurance, and the option to take advantage of discounted rates for additional life assurance and critical illness cover.
• Share in Santander’s success by saving or investing in our share plans. ·      
• As a Santander UK employee, you are able to request staff versions of our products like our Edge Current Accounts and Credit Cards with no fees, as well as apply to many other deals and discounts in Santander products and services
• Competitive rewards that reflect the real impact you make and the value you bring.
• Wellbeing that goes beyond work — we work with a range of wellbeing partners across our 4 pillars of wellbeing (physical, mental, social and financial) to give you access to a suite of apps, discounted gym and fitness access, weekly online classes, flexible healthcare and mental health support.
• Support for every life stage — from menopause and pregnancy to parenthood and beyond, with enhanced family leave, childcare options and tailored wellbeing support.
• Time to give back through volunteering opportunities that let you make a difference in the communities we serve.
• Global growth opportunities to shape your career, learn new skills and explore what’s possible across our international network.

Ready to be recognised? It starts with you.

LOCAL COMPLIANCE

This is a fixed Term Contract.

At Santander, we’re proud to be an inclusive organisation that provides equal opportunities for everyone — regardless of age, gender, disability, civil status, race, religion or sexual orientation.

We’re committed to creating a recruitment experience that’s accessible, fair and welcoming for all candidates.

We want our people to thrive — at work and at home — while delivering the best outcomes for our customers and supporting each other to grow.

To make this possible, our roles are site-based with a hybrid working pattern, where colleagues are expected to attend the office at least 12 days per month (pro-rata for part-time roles).

When applying, please consider the travel distance, time and cost to your chosen office location. 

We welcome applications on the understanding that, should you be offered this role, there may be no relocation package available. Santander will pay the employer mandatory government fees that are required to pay in connection with visa sponsorship. You may be liable for your own personal employee immigration and relocation costs.

Right to work in the UK

• All candidates must have the right to work in the UK to commence employment with Santander.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

If this sounds like a role you are interested in, then please apply.

If there’s anything we can do in the recruitment process to help you achieve your best, get in touch. Whether it’s a copy of our application form in another format or additional assistance, we’re available through email. You can contact us at [email protected].

#LI-DNI