A career without limits
As the nation’s flag carrier, we take great pride in connecting Britain with the world and the world with Britain.
It’s something we’ve been doing for over 100 years, ever since we launched the world’s first international scheduled air service between London and Paris.
This originality has been in our blood since day one. It’s the spirit we share with the people that fly with us, our partners, and our colleagues.
So, whether you are a reassuring voice on the end of a phone, a smile at the door, under a wing keeping the turbines spinning or landing us gently in far-flung places, a job at British Airways is yours to make.
We know great things can happen when you’re inspired to think big and bring your ambition to work every day, which is why, at British Airways the sky is never the limit.
The role:
Data Scientist / Senior Data Scientist
Join British Airways as a Data Scientist in our cutting-edge Operations Decision Support (ODS) product team. This full-stack role sits at the heart of our transformation, combining data science, machine learning, and optimisation to build industrialised decision-support software. If you’re passionate about solving real-world problems through intelligent, data-driven solutions and thrive in a collaborative, agile environment—this is your opportunity to make a real impact.
What you’ll do:
Design and implement machine learning and optimisation models that power decision-support tools across British Airways operations.
- Collaborate with software engineering teams, product & change teams to turn their models into industrialized products that are used by the airline every day to make better decisions.
Build robust data pipelines, automate data cleaning, and deliver scalable, production-grade Python code using best practices such as typing, testing, and modular design.
Integrate models into orchestration frameworks (e.g. Dagster) and cloud-based deployment pipelines following CI/CD principles.
Use analysis and visualisation to identify high-value opportunities, measure product adoption, and quantify business impact.
Partner with stakeholders to embed data products into operational workflows, improving efficiency and enabling smarter decisions.
Contribute to feature prioritisation, roadmap development, and team best practices in a highly agile, cross-functional environment.
Communicate technical solutions clearly, framing trade-offs and insights for audiences at all levels.
What you’ll bring to British Airways:
Strong knowledge of machine learning and optimisation techniques—including supervised/unsupervised learning and operations research (e.g. linear, mixed-integer programming, heuristics).
Proficient in Python (required), with experience using libraries such as scikit-learn, pandas, numpy, and Gurobi. Other programming languages are a plus.
Solid experience with SQL, data engineering, and cloud-based tools (AWS preferred), as well as version control (Git), experiment tracking (e.g. MLflow), and containerisation (e.g. Docker).
Familiarity with CI/CD tools (e.g. GitHub Actions), model/data versioning (e.g. DVC), and orchestration frameworks (e.g. Airflow, Dagster).
Skilled in testing (unit, integration, end-to-end), and visualising outcomes with tools like seaborn.
Ability to translate complex business problems into data science solutions and effectively communicate technical concepts to varied audiences.
Comfortable managing delivery timelines, balancing speed with long-term impact.
Your experience:
Master’s degree in Data Science, Machine Learning, Operational Research or a related field, or 2+ years of relevant industry experience (required).
0–2 years working on production ML or optimisation software products at scale (required).
Experience developing industrialised software products or working in relevant industries such as transportation, airlines, or logistics (preferred).
Ready to bring the power of data to life and help shape the future of aviation operations? Apply now and be part of our journey at British Airways.
What we offer:
We believe that all the people who work with us should feel valued for the part they play. It’s one of the reasons our rewards go far beyond a competitive salary.
From the day you join us, you’ll get access to brilliant staff travel benefits including unlimited basic and premium standby tickets on British Airways flights. You’ll also receive up to 30 discounted ‘Hotline’ airfares per year for yourself, friends, and family.
At British Airways you’ll have the chance to take on new challenges and move forward in a way that feels right for you. We encourage all those who work for us to consider opportunities right across our business to help you develop and progress.
We never stand still, and we don’t expect our people to either.
Inclusion & Diversity
At British Airways we all have a part to play in creating an inclusive place to work. Diverse representation among our people is really important to us and we recognise that all our colleagues are uniquely different and bring their own originality, creativity and identity to work.
Inclusion and diversity is a key driver of innovation and we’re committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they can be themselves. We’re looking for people from all backgrounds and cultures to join us and be a part of our journey to become a Better BA as we continue to connect Britain with the world and the world with Britain.
