Lead Data Scientist, AnyVan

Operations Research

Salary not provided

SQL

Python

Java

C++

Senior and Expert level

London

3-5 days a week in office (Hammersmith, London )

Delivery, removals and transport marketplace

Be an early applicant

Delivery, removals and transport marketplace

1001+ employees

B2CB2BMarketplaceLogisticsTransportFreightDelivery

Be an early applicant

Salary not provided

SQL

Python

Java

C++

Senior and Expert level

London

3-5 days a week in office (Hammersmith, London )

1001+ employees

B2CB2BMarketplaceLogisticsTransportFreightDelivery

Company mission

To create the world's most efficient logistics technology, to help halve the number of these wasted miles.

Job

Company

Role

Who you are

A masters or PhD in Operations Research, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Machine Learning, Statistics or related algorithmic fields
Proven experience developing optimisation or machine learning solutions in fast-paced logistics marketplaces or top-tier management consulting firms focused on logistics
A commercial mindset – driven by business impact, not perfection. You find simple, scalable solutions that solve 80% of the problem quickly rather than chasing complex, unnecessary models
Passion to drive end-to-end value creation – from shaping the problem to deploying usable solutions and measuring their impact
Ability to work with ambiguity and bring clarity; you’re comfortable creating structure where there is none
Deep understanding of techniques such as mixed-integer programming, heuristics/metaheuristics, approximate algorithms, constraint programming, and machine learning (incl. deep learning) – and you know when not to use them
Hands-on experience in domains such as procurement planning, pricing, revenue management, routing, and forecasting
Strong SQL and programming ability (Python essential; Java/C++ a plus)
Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) – you can explain complex ideas in simple terms, and push back on over-complication when needed
Passion for data science, optimisation, and the logistics marketplace
Working knowledge of agile methodologies and experience working in fast-moving cross-functional teams
A bias to action – you value progress over perfection and can move quickly to deliver value
Based in the UK, happy to commute to our Hammersmith office at least 3 days a week

What the job involves

As part of our Routing and Optimisation team, you’ll play a crucial role in helping us deliver industry-leading products and services to our customers and delivery partners, while also reducing our cost to fulfil and minimising environmental impact
Bring a strong commercial mindset and apply advanced scientific techniques, analytics, and statistics to solve high-impact decision problems
As a seasoned data or decision science practitioner, you’ll design and develop scalable, innovative algorithms and analytical solutions with a clear focus on business value
Collaborate closely with the Head of Routing and Optimisation, as well as engineering and product leaders, to conceptualise and deliver end-to-end solutions using heuristics, machine learning, and optimisation techniques
Work alongside, guide, and mentor both senior and junior data scientists to develop production-ready solutions, contributing hands-on where needed to write and deploy high-quality code
Partner with product and tech stakeholders to bring these solutions to life, ensuring they are scalable, sustainable, and commercially effective
Define key KPIs for each solution and take responsibility for tracking their performance post-launch to ensure they deliver measurable impact
Through your technical leadership and commercial focus, you’ll drive meaningful outcomes while maintaining a bias toward simplicity and speed

Salary benchmarks

Our take

When AnyVan founder Angus discovered that 50% of all vehicles on the road were half empty and had plenty of space to carry other items, he started AnyVan to give drivers the opportunity to use their empty space to make money and offer customers cost effective solutions to move their items and reduce the volume of vans on the road.

AnyVan offers delivery solutions for consumers, businesses and retailers, facilitating both on-demand and advanced bookings. Since launch, AnyVan has focussed predominantly on the consumer market utilising technology to shake up the traditional logistics model.

Driver tracking, two-hour collection & delivery time slots and evolving from reverse auction models to instant pricing has helped growth. As the property market boomed in the previous few years with people wanting to move homes and an increased demand for freight and retailers to deliver for their customers, the company has seen consistent growth.