Principal Data Scientist – Strategic / Player–Coach role in Financial Crime Compliance

In Danske Bank Lithuania we gathered smart, innovative and open colleagues with can-do mindset, who are reimagining banking services and creating an ingenious product portfolio, and at the same time – ensure smooth daily operations of the entire Danske Bank Group.

Consider us as “the engine of the bank” – while we do not provide banking services to customers in Lithuania, we are the brain and muscle behind many of Danske Bank’s services to our global customers. Our high-quality delivery and can-do approach led us to becoming a strategic site for Danske Bank, an international community of 22,000+ colleagues worldwide.

We are one of the largest employers in Lithuania – more than 4000 colleagues here value our internal culture, care for our employees, global teams’ set-up, interesting work and growth opportunities.

The company is a large Nordic financial institution operating in an international, highly regulated environment. It plays an active role in shaping advanced analytical solutions used to prevent financial crime and ensure regulatory compliance across multiple markets.

With a strong focus on data, technology, and responsible decision-making, the organization offers a collaborative environment where analytics professionals work closely with senior stakeholders and contribute to business-critical initiatives. The company values transparency, ownership, and long-term impact, providing opportunities for experienced specialists to influence strategy and drive meaningful change.

Job description:

Danske Bank is looking for a Principal Data Scientist to join its Financial Crime Compliance (FCC) Analytics team in Vilnius. This is not a classical hands-on Data Scientist role. The position is designed for a senior, strategic analytics professional who can shape analytical direction, influence decisions, and act as a trusted partner to senior stakeholders.

The role sits at the intersection of data, strategy, and business, with a strong focus on communication, ownership, and leadership rather than daily coding. The Principal Data Scientist will act as a player–coach within a highly skilled analytics team, defining what should be built and why, translating complex analytics into business language, and supporting the team’s growth.

This is a senior specialist role without direct people management, but with significant influence across projects, stakeholders, and overall analytical direction.

Key responsibilities

• Define and shape analytical initiatives within Financial Crime Compliance
• Take ownership of selected projects and lead them independently
• Act as a bridge between technical experts and senior, non-technical stakeholders
• Present analytical solutions to senior management and decision-makers
• Translate complex AI / ML concepts into clear business language
• Support and mentor team members through feedback, guidance, and coaching
• Challenge analytical approaches and help improve solution quality
• Maintain strong contextual understanding of Data Science, ML lifecycle, and data realities
• Daily hands-on coding is not the main focus of this role.

Requirements:

Must have

• Strong strategic mindset and ability to define direction
• Excellent communication skills with senior, non-technical stakeholders
• Very good English (spoken and written)
• Leadership maturity and mentoring capability without formal people management
• Solid understanding of Data Science (Python, SQL, ML lifecycle)

Nice to have

• Experience in Financial Crime, AML, Risk, or Compliance
• Background in regulated environments
• Experience working in large, stakeholder-heavy organizations
• Previous mentoring or coaching experience

Company offers:

• Strong professional growth opportunities, including learning programs, certifications, and internal mobility across a large international organization
• Hybrid working model with flexibility
• Modern office environment designed to support focus, collaboration, and well-being
• Comprehensive health insurance and additional well-being initiatives, including mental health support
• Extra paid leave for health, volunteering, studies, and important life events, with additional days based on seniority
• Financial security benefits, including accident and critical illness insurance, travel insurance, and third-pillar pension contributions
• An international, diverse, and inclusive work environment with a strong focus on work–life balance
• Opportunity to work closely with senior stakeholders and influence business-critical decisions
• Yearly bonuses

Monthly Salary:

Salary range: €5,040 – €7,560 gross per month