Data Scientist

Overall role and responsibilities

The Data Scientist will lead a strategic R&D project as part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between the University of Leicester and rradar Ltd, a legal risk management firm. The main goal is to design and implement a novel SaaS system using knowledge graph and semantic web technologies to identify and quantify risk scenarios in businesses. This role bridges academic research with real-world commercial impact, driving innovation in insurance, compliance, and risk management sectors.

Day-to-day duties

• Design and implement knowledge graph models.
• Research and develop algorithms for risk identification and assessment.
• Create proof-of-concept prototypes to demonstrate system capabilities.
• Populate and evaluate knowledge graph effectiveness and accuracy.
• Facilitate knowledge exchange between university and company.
• Engage with rradar staff to embed academic knowledge into business practices.
• Present findings at team meetings, conferences, and exhibitions.
• Maintain progress reports and adapt action plans as needed.

Skills and qualifications required

Essential

• PhD in Computer Science, Data Science, Mathematics, Engineering, or similar.
• Programming proficiency in Java or Python.
• Strong understanding of machine learning techniques.
• Knowledge of knowledge representation and graph models.
• Project management experience.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
• Ability to work independently and demonstrate initiative.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Desirable

• Experience in the insurance or risk management industry.
• Understanding of graph transformations and semantic web.
• Familiarity with LLMs and RAG architectures.
• Business acumen and experience working in financial or legal tech environments.
• Customer liaison and training documentation skills.

Working conditions

• Contract: Full-time, fixed term for 24 months.
• Salary: £37,000 to £39,000 per annum + £2,000 annual training allowance.
• Location: Based at rradar Ltd’s Leicester office.
• Environment: Hybrid academic-industrial setting with access to university facilities (labs, libraries, sports, etc.).
• Training: Includes two residential management courses and tailored professional development support.

Reporting and collaboration

Reports To: Company Supervisor (daily supervision) and Academic Supervisor (mentorship).

Collaborates With:

• Rradar engineers and business staff for system integration.
• University of Leicester academic team for research support.
• External stakeholders through conferences and professional events.

Objective

The primary objective of this 24-month Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between the University of Leicester and rradar Ltd is to develop an innovative Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) system that leverages knowledge graphs and semantic web technologies to automatically identify and quantify business risk scenarios. The project will involve the design and implementation of machine learning models and knowledge representation structures to support risk analysis in insurance, compliance, and risk management contexts.

Expected outcomes

• A functional proof-of-concept SaaS prototype for risk identification
• Embedded expertise in semantic modelling and AI at rradar
• Strengthened collaboration between academia and industry
• Transfer of advanced technical knowledge to rradar’s internal team

Background and context

This project emerges from rradar Ltd’s strategic goal to integrate intelligent, preventative legal and risk management tools into their service offerings. rradar is a technology-driven legal services provider working across the UK and aims to harness cutting-edge data science to enhance their business risk services. Supported by the University of Leicester’s School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, the KTP will merge academic research in data science and knowledge representation with real-world applications in legal risk management, creating a high-impact, commercially viable solution.