You will be working for a client in the aviation industry - their purpose is to connect people, businesses and countries using aviation as a force for good. They believe in the transformative power of flight: enabling personal and professional connections, supporting global trade and fostering the discovery of new places, ideas and experiences. You will develop advanced models and analytics to unlock value from operational data while ensuring solutions can be adapted. This role requires consultancy-level expertise in Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning and a strong ability to translate insights into business impact. These roles are all about Machine Learning Operations and Optimisation. The successful candidates will have significant Operations Research experience and this must be evident on your CV. Operations research is working in an operational environment - things are dynamic and always changing. Work in areas such as logistics / transportation / factory maintenance would be good where you have worked in optimisation. Aviation operational environment would be the pinnacle! We want Data Scientists that have experience building an optimisation model. Are you trying to maximise or minimise cost? What are you trying to do? This is the balance of art and science. You must have the knowledge to look at what algorithm is correct and work out the constraints of the optimisation project. You will design and implement predictive and prescriptive models for Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul AI Solutions. Performing exploratory data analysis and feature engineering. Collaborate with Data Engineers to ensure data readiness for modelling. Communicate findings and recommendations to business stakeholders. Continuously improve models based on feedback and operational performance. Develop models and analytics that can be generalised and adapted for different operating companies without extensive rework. You will have the ability to frame complex problems and deliver actionable solutions. Strong presentation and storytelling skills for executive audiences. Experience in high-impact consulting or transformation projects. Track record of creating high-impact outcomes and driving stakeholder satisfaction from day one. Experience in building reusable AI components and frameworks for enterprise-scale deployments. Your CV must evidence strong proficiency in Python and ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch). You will have strong statistical and analytical skills. You will be experienced in a wide range of Data Science techniques (e.g. ML, Optimisation, Simulation, GenAI, etc.). You will have demonstrated an ability to take models from design through to production deployment, including performance optimisation, monitoring, and integration into business workflows beyond proof-of-concept or prototype stages. You will have significant experience in similar operational research roles, with a proven ability to integrate quickly into new teams and deliver immediate value. Only candidates that meet the above criteria with the right to work in the UK will be considered. Sponsorship is not available. The nature of the work will require initial co-location and close collaboration with teams based in and around the Heathrow area. Candidates must also be prepared to travel internationally during later stages to facilitate group-wide deployment. To be considered for this role, you must live within a commutable distance of the client's site. They have a hybrid working policy and expect all contractors to work on site at least 2 days per week (sometimes more when needed). Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk