Senior Data Scientist - Supply Chain Optimization (Contract) at Harnham - Data & Analytics Recruitment, London, £500-£600 per day

Rate: £500-600/day Outside IR35

Duration: Initial 6-Month Contract (Extension Likely)

Location: London (Hybrid)

Office Attendance: 2 days per week in the London office.

We 're supporting a major UK retailer on a large-scale supply chain optimisation programme and are looking for a Senior Data Scientist with a strong background in Operational Research and optimisation.

This is not a Generative AI, NLP, or customer analytics role. Instead, you 'll be working on highly complex optimisation challenges that drive real-world operational decisions across a large supply chain network.

The programme has been running for several years and is viewed as a long-term strategic initiative, with further investment already secured.

You 'll be responsible for designing, developing and enhancing optimisation models that support large-scale supply chain decision-making.

• Architecting and designing optimisation models for complex logistics and supply chain challenges
• Improving and scaling existing optimisation solutions
• Working closely with stakeholders to translate business problems into mathematical models
• Delivering solutions capable of handling billions of potential decision combinations
• Supporting the ongoing development of a critical optimisation platform used across the organisation

We 're particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:

• Strong experience in optimisation, Operational Research, or mathematical modelling
• Experience solving real-world supply chain, logistics, inventory, transportation, or network optimisation problems
• Hands-on experience with optimisation platforms such as AIMMS, AMPL, Gurobi, CPLEX, FICO Xpress, or similar
• Strong Python skills
• Experience working with large-scale optimisation problems where solution quality and performance are critical
• A strong academic background in Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline

Suitable candidates may come from:

• Retail
• Logistics
• Transportation
• Manufacturing
• Supply Chain Technology
• Warehousing & Distribution
• Airline Operations
• E-commerce Fulfilment

A PhD is not essential, but candidates will typically possess strong mathematical and analytical depth. Those with PhD research linked to real-world optimisation problems are highly encouraged to apply.

Beyond technical expertise, the team values individuals who are:

• Naturally curious
• Proactive problem solvers
• Comfortable challenging assumptions
• Strong communicators who ask the right questions
• Passionate about solving complex operational problems

• 1-2 stage interview process
• Quick turnaround on feedback
• Immediate requirement