Job Title: Lead Data Scientist – Decisioning & AI
Location: Hub based (Leeds, Manchester with European travel)
Reports: Director of Product
Contract: Full-Time
About Cox Automotive Europe
Cox Automotive Europe is leading the digital transformation of the automotive industry,
empowering dealers, OEMs, and buyers with cutting-edge tools that redefine how vehicles
are managed, traded, and optimised. Our pan-European programme includes a
groundbreaking Decision Engine, an AI-driven platform that turns complex data into
actionable insights, enabling smarter decisions across inventory, pricing, and supply chains.
Join us to shape the future of automotive intelligence.
Role Overview
As Lead Data Scientist, you’ll lead the development of machine learning models that power
the Decision Engine, drive strategic AI initiatives, and mentor a team of data scientists
(including a Senior Data Scientist). You’ll bridge complex data (vehicle lifecycle, marketplace
behavior, third-party signals) with business outcomes, ensuring our models deliver
measurable ROI for clients while adhering to ethical AI practices.
Key Responsibilities
1. Technical Leadership
- Architect and deploy scalable ML models (e.g., dynamic pricing, demand forecasting,
desirability scoring) using Python, PyTorch/TensorFlow, and cloud ML tools (AWS
SageMaker, Databricks).
- Define best practices for model governance, monitoring, and retraining in production.
- Lead R&D into emerging techniques (e.g., graph neural networks for inventory routing,
GenAI for buyer personalisation).
2. Team Management & Mentorship
- Manage and mentor a Senior Data Scientist, fostering growth in model optimisation,
MLOps, and stakeholder collaboration.
- Coordinate with Data Engineering to ensure seamless data pipelines for model inputs (e.g.,
real-time inventory feeds, third-party economic data).
3. Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Product Managers to translate business problems into ML solutions (e.g.,
“How can we reduce France’s overstock by 30%?”).
- Work with Service Designers to ensure model outputs align with user workflows (e.g.,
explainable AI dashboards for dealers).
- Advise Legal & Compliance on ethical AI, bias mitigation, and GDPR-compliant data
usage.
4. Automotive-Focused Innovation
- Design models that address industry-specific challenges:
- Residual value prediction with subsidy integration.
- Cross-border supply/demand matching (e.g., relocating EVs from Germany to Norway).
- Auction timing optimisation using historical buyer behaviour.
- Publish white papers or present findings at industry conferences to position Cox as a
thought leader.
Qualifications
- 7+ years in Data Science, with 2+ years leading teams in B2B, automotive, fintech, or
supply chain domains.
- Expertise in production-grade ML (model deployment, A/B testing, MLOps) and tools like
MLflow, Airflow, or Kubeflow.
- Mastery of Python, SQL, and cloud platforms (AWS/Asure/GCP).
- Proven track record solving business problems with ML (e.g., pricing, logistics, churn).
- Strong communication skills: Ability to simplify ML concepts for non-technical
stakeholders.
Desired:
- PhD in Data Science, Computer Science, or related field.
- Experience with time-series forecasting, graph analytics, or GenAI.
- Familiarity with automotive data (e.g., vehicle telematics, auction dynamics).
- Fluency in French would be helpful.
Information Security Statement:
You must ensure that you are aware of, understand, and comply with the Cox Automotive
Information Security Policies and supporting procedures, including the specific section on
your own personal responsibilities. You must ensure that adequate financial and people
resources are available so that you can comply with all aspects of Team Member Training
and Communication, Risk Assessment and Emergency Planning, Security, and for those
locations or departments that are within your line management responsibilities as stated with
Cox Automotive’s Information Security and other related policies. Along with those
responsibilities, you shall ensure that all information handling and computer use activities
performed in your business area are developed and managed in accordance with
Information Security policies and any changes to process are specifically referenced against
policy, business, and Enterprise Technology change management as appropriate.
Furthermore, you must ensure that all your direct reports fulfil their own personal
responsibilities and ensure compliance with all relevant Cox Automotive Information Security
and other related Policies.
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