Data
Data Science Recruitment
Specialist data science recruiters working across the US, UK, EU and UAE.
Trusted by tech teams from start-ups to globally recognised brands
“Extremely responsive and professional service. Had a great recruitment experience. Highly recommend Consortia as a talent acquisition partner.”
Pierre C. · AI Program Lead
Overview
A data scientist uses statistics and machine learning to answer questions a business can't settle by looking at a report. What will customers do next? Which price works best? Where is the risk? The job is to build a model that answers the question, test it and help the business use the result.
Consortia recruits data scientists on permanent and contract terms across the UK, Europe, the US and the UAE. That runs from senior data scientists to Heads of Data Science, along with applied and research scientists.
The title has stayed the same while the work has moved. Many data scientist roles now ask for someone who can build a model and also deploy it as a working product, which used to be a separate machine learning engineer job. Others are closer to AI engineering, building on existing AI models. We recruit all three, and help work out which one a brief describes.
How we recruit data scientists
Our first question is what the business actually wants to learn from its data. Then we look at whether the data is ready to work with. If it’s clean and well organised, a data scientist can get started quickly. If it isn’t, the business may need a data engineer first. Consortia can advise on which hire needs to come first and why.
From there, we work out what kind of data scientist the team needs. A generalist can suit a smaller team with varied problems to solve. A specialist may make more sense for work around areas like natural language processing or computer vision. Those people are harder to find. Research scientists are more specialised again, so they suit a smaller number of teams.
We ask candidates what happened to their models after they were built. Were they used? How was the result measured? What didn't work? People whose work reached production can answer in detail. Where the role includes deploying what they build, we look for that experience from the start. We also ask how they use AI tools, since that is now a normal part of the job.
Many senior data scientists are not actively looking for a new role, so if they are a great fit we approach them directly. Consortia is upfront about salary and candidate availability from the start, so the search doesn’t get held up by expectations that don’t match the market.
Permanent Recruitment
Permanent hires for specialist and leadership roles across technology teams.
Contract Recruitment
Day-rate and fixed-term specialists for projects, change programmes and interim cover.
Fractional Data Leadership
Executive Search
Retained search for technology leaders and hard-to-find specialists.
Customer Stories
How we've helped
Salary guide
Data Science salaries
These ranges reflect what employers are advertising right now. Accepted offers can look different. Speak to a consultant about what's actually getting accepted.
- Mid
- £53k-£68k
- Senior
- £60k-£83k
- Lead / Principal
- £82k-£99k
Updated September 2026.Need numbers for a specific city, sector or stack? Request a local guide.
US salaries often run ahead of UK ranges, and vary with region and funding stage. Tell us where you're hiring and we'll share what's being advertised.
European salaries vary widely by country. Tell us where you're hiring and we'll share what's being advertised.
UAE packages are often structured differently, with tax-free salaries and allowances. Tell us what you're hiring for and we'll share what's being advertised.
Related roles
Other roles our Data recruiters fill
Data Engineering
Data engineers across pipelines, platforms and ML infrastructure, permanent and contract.
ExploreMachine Learning Engineers
Machine learning engineers who train, deploy and maintain models in production, permanent and contract.
ExploreMLOps Engineers
MLOps and ML platform engineers who deploy, monitor and maintain models in production, permanent and contract.
Explore
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a data scientist and a research scientist?
A data scientist usually applies statistics and machine learning to business problems, such as forecasting, pricing or customer behaviour. A research scientist works on developing new methods or models, often in AI labs or research-led product teams, and typically has a deeper academic background. Most businesses need data scientists. Research scientists suit work that pushes beyond existing techniques.
Should we hire a generalist data scientist or a specialist?
A generalist suits a business with varied questions and a small team. Specialists in areas such as natural language processing, computer vision or recommendation systems suit products built around that capability. Specialists are scarcer and often more expensive, so it is worth being sure the work needs that depth.
How can we tell whether a data scientist's work made a difference?
Ask what happened to their models after they were built. Were they used, and how did the business measure the result? Strong data scientists can explain what changed, what did not work and how they knew. Candidates whose work never left a notebook often struggle to answer.
Do we still need data scientists now that AI tools are widely available?
In most cases, yes, though the role is changing. AI tools make some tasks faster, and AI fluency is now expected. Designing experiments, choosing the right method, checking results and understanding the business problem still need experienced people. The emphasis has moved towards practical use of models and clean data foundations.
How do I start working with Consortia?
Clients can get in touch to discuss a brief, and candidates are welcome to register their interest. The quickest route is our contact page or a call to +44 203 397 4565, and one of our consultants will pick things up from there.
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