Lead Data Scientist (Safety)

About the role

As a Lead Data Scientist at Faculty, you will drive the scientific direction and architectural rigour of upstream AI safety and evaluation standards. Partnering directly with Frontier Labs, you will lead the design of novel experiment frameworks, mentor technical teams, and ensure delivery excellence across high-stakes engagements.

Bridging deep scientific research with client strategy, you will champion robust methodologies, guide cross-functional teams, and advance Faculty’s thought leadership in practical AI safety.

What you'll be doing

• Directing project teams to deliver cutting-edge upstream AI safety solutions and evaluation standards to Frontier Labs

• Architecting core scientific experiment designs and robust software infrastructure for high-impact safety engagements

• Guiding and mentoring data scientists, nurturing technical capabilities, and fostering an inclusive, high-performing team culture

• Partnering with commercial leads and executive stakeholders to scope technical work, assess feasibility, and translate complex challenges into rigorous scientific frameworks

• Advancing Faculty’s industry leadership by innovating novel evaluation methodologies, speaking at key forums, or publishing open-source research

• Establishing and upholding scientific methodology, rigour, and engineering best practices across the full project lifecycle

Who we're looking for

• You bring extensive leadership experience in quantitative data science, upstream AI safety research, or academic research with exemplary experiment design methodology.

• You possess advanced Python expertise alongside deep familiarity with scientific stacks (NumPy, Pandas), AI evaluation frameworks (e.g., Inspect AI), and agentic harnesses and sandboxing environments.

• You demonstrate a passion for advancing evaluation standards across complex, specialised domains, including the application of novel research avenues, with exceptional technical rigour.

• You excel at empowering others, sharing technical knowledge, and cultivating a collaborative environment where team members thrive.

• You combine strong commercial acumen with the ability to articulate complex scientific strategies clearly to senior clients and external partners.

• You drive strategic execution, scoping high-impact projects effectively to meet structured timelines without compromising quality.