Associate Director, Data Science and Machine Learning, Audit and Assurance

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Job description

Connect to your Industry

Our Audit and Assurance practice encompasses skills across regulation and finance with a deep analytics capability. We harness these to provide Assurance to those charged with governance, serving the public interest. Working in Assurance means you will have an opportunity to work alongside leading experts, as we help build and enhance trust between businesses and the public, by responding to emerging issues and protecting the public interest. Providing assurance to help businesses become more resilient, agile and better prepared for the future.

To be resilient, businesses must be ready to respond to current and future challenges and opportunities. They are increasingly being required to be more transparent with their reporting, to drive trust and confidence in the market, and protect the wider public interest.

Assurance builds, maintains and develops confidence. We provide independent assurance by assessing the risks and underlying processes, providing conclusions as to which risks are being managed and mitigated in line with the business' appetite for risk. Deloitte's assurance offerings help those charged with governance to understand their business and build trust amongst key stakeholders and regulators.

Analytics and Data Science

High quality and transparent reporting on data use and compliance of data handling is critical for both regulatory compliance and for rebuilding the trust of the public. Our dedicated Analytics Group specialises in helping clients understand and effectively use their data. As a data science team we work seamlessly with the diverse data and analytics specialist teams to create solutions to internal and client projects in a fast-paced environment.

Connect to your career at Deloitte

Deloitte drives progress. Using our vast range of expertise, we help our clients' become leaders wherever they choose to compete. To do this, we invest in outstanding people. We build teams of future thinkers, with diverse talents and backgrounds, and empower them all to reach for and achieve more.

What brings us all together at Deloitte? It's how we approach the thousands of decisions we make every day. How we behave, our beliefs and our attitudes. In other words: our values. Whatever we do, wherever we are in the world, we lead the way, serve with integrity, take care of each other , foster inclusion, and collaborate for measurable impact. These five shared values lead every decision we make and action we take, guiding us to deliver impact how and where it matters most .

Connect to your opportunity

We are looking for an Associate Director to join our new AI Lab. The core purpose of the AI Lab is to support the safe, trustworthy deployment of AI in the UK as organisations transform and realise benefits from these exciting new technologies. This is through two streams:

Firstly, providing market-leading AI assurance for our clients focused on model risk and data risk ("technical AI assurance"); and Secondly, building and deploying AI products to support the transformation of Deloitte's Audit and Assurance practice.

The role includes:

• Support the building, leading and nurturing a team of 25 AI specialists.
• Building strong relationships and influence with pivotal stakeholders across the UK AI ecosystem; helping steer the development of the approach to AI assurance in the UK.
• Leading market activation for Deloitte's technical AI assurance proposition and development of the team's project pipeline.
• Leading the development of Deloitte's technical AI assurance playbook.
• Collaborating with colleagues to understand business need and then leading the development, deployment and assurance of AI assets to help transform Deloitte's Audit and Assurance practice;
• Collaborating with like-minded Deloitte colleagues across the UK and globally.

The AI Lab is in its early stages and we are looking for an Associate Director with the energy, vision and enthusiasm to develop the AI Lab into a £10m business over the next five years. The Associate Director will be able to contribute to shaping the vision for the role and their team.

Connect to your skills and professional experience

To qualify for this opportunity, you must have the following skills:

Essential

• Experience of developing and executing business strategy.
• Experience of influencing stakeholders at C-suite and non-executive levels.
• Experience of building and leading technical teams.
• Experience of market activation, business development and winning work in the market.
• Experience of developing AI or ML thought leadership.
• A strong network across the UK's AI ecosystem.
• End-to-end experience of leading and managing multiple data science and analytics projects in different industries and with different types of data (text, numerical, categorical).
• A strong technical understanding and experience of AI and ML modelling techniques.
• A strong technical understanding of validating AI, GenAI and ideally Agentic AI.
• An ability to communicate complex concepts in a simple way.
• A strong understanding and experience of cloud-based analytics platforms.
• A strong experience of coaching junior data scientists/analysts.
• A Strong experience in reviewing code and documentation to a high standard.
• A strong experience of exercising software engineering best practices. E.g. test-driven development, smart data structure and algorithm selection.

Desirable

• Agentic AI experience.

• A strong experience in validating ML, GenAI and Agentic AI models and continuous monitoring frameworks.

• Experience using Azure Databricks, Azure MLflow, Azure ML services and/or other ML services.

• Experience working in a Dev/MLOps environment.
Experience using Docker and Kubernetes.

Connect to your business - Audit & Assurance

We know it's not just about the numbers. Often, we let the technology take care of those. It's about the creative and collective thinking or our people. That's where the true insight is found. We're redefining the future of audit. Come join us.

Assurance

Businesses need to be resilient and transparent in their reporting to build trust and confidence. Assurance practitioners play a key role in achieving this through independent review and challenge of management's views on a range of regulatory and reporting requirements, whether financial, operational or compliance in nature.

Personal independence

Regulation and controls are standard practice in our industry and Deloitte is no exception. These controls provide important legal protection for both you and the firm. We are subject to several audit regulations, one of which requires that certain colleagues abide by specific personal independence constraints (e.g., in relation to any financial interests and employment relationships). This can mean that you and your "Immediate Family Members" are not permitted to hold certain financial interests (shares, funds, bonds etc.) with audit clients of the firm, and also prohibitions on certain employment relationships (e.g., you are not permitted to hold a secondary employment role with SEC audit clients of the firm whilst being employed by the firm). The recruitment team will provide further detail as you progress through the recruitment process, or you can contact the Independence team upon request.

Connect with your colleagues

"I assumed the culture would be very corporate; however, I have worked with people who have different personalities and approaches to the way they work. We do have a clear brand, but everyone is encouraged to be themselves." - Alice, Audit and Assurance

"The team I support works with one of Deloitte's biggest clients. To be involved with such an influential client so early in my career is really rewarding; I love it." - Owen, Audit and Assurance

The progression at Deloitte is steady and I've always felt in control of my own career path. You can learn something new here every day which I really enjoy. - Ali, Audit and Assurance

Our hybrid working policy

You'll be based in London with hybrid working.

At Deloitte we understand the importance of balancing your career alongside your home life. That's why we'll support you to work flexibly through our hybrid working policy. Depending on the requirements of your role, you'll have the opportunity to work in your local office, virtual collaboration spaces, client sites and remotely. You'll get the chance to meet face to face when needed, while you collaborate and learn from colleagues, share your experiences, and build the relationships that will fuel your career and prioritise your wellbeing. Please check with your recruiter for the specific working requirements that may apply for your role.

Connect to your return to work opportunity

Are you looking to return to the workplace after an extended career break?

For this role we can offer coaching and support designed for returners to refresh your knowledge and skills and help your transition back into the workplace after a career break of two years or more. If this is relevant for you, just let your recruiter know when you make your application.

Our commitment to you

Making an impact is more than just what we do: it's why we're here. So, we work hard to create an environment where you can experience a purpose you believe in, the freedom to be you, and the capacity to go further than ever before.

We want you. The true you. Your own strengths, perspective and personality. So, we're nurturing a culture where everyone belongs, feels supported and heard, and is empowered to make a valuable, personal contribution. You can be sure we'll take your wellbeing seriously, too. Because it's only when you're comfortable and at your best that you can make the kind of impact you, and we, live for.

Your expertise is our capability, so we'll make sure it never stops growing. Whether it's from the complex work you do, or the people you collaborate with, you'll learn every day. Through world-class development, you'll gain invaluable technical and personal skills. Whatever your level, you'll learn how to lead.

Connect to your next step

A career at Deloitte is an opportunity to develop in any direction you choose. Join us and you'll experience a purpose you can believe in and an impact you can see. You'll be free to bring your true self to work every day. And you'll never stop growing, whatever your level.

Discover more reasons to connect with us, our people and purpose-driven culture at deloitte.co.uk/careers

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