Senior Data Scientist

About the role

The Senior Data Scientist at Chainalysis Research and Intelligence will own the design and execution of high-impact data science initiatives that directly underpin blockchain analysis capabilities. You will translate ambiguous, real-world investigative questions into rigorous analytical projects that produce actionable intelligence. This role requires deep collaboration with engineers and investigators to ensure that novel methodologies move from exploratory prototypes to robust production systems. You will be responsible for defining the technical scope of your work and driving projects from initial hypothesis through to deployed insights that influence product direction. Much of the work will involve cutting-edge techniques that are often ahead of academic research, directly shaping the data strategies used across the globe. You will own the end-to-end delivery of complex analytical efforts while mentoring others and fostering a culture of rigorous, evidence-based decision-making.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Execute one or more production data science projects end-to-end, transforming broad investigative hypotheses into well-scoped tasks and delivering credible analytical outcomes that meet stakeholder expectations.
• Architect and validate novel behavioral heuristics and algorithms specifically over blockchain data to attribute on-chain activity and reveal hidden investigative insights.
• Employ advanced graph computation, statistical modeling, and machine learning methods on large-scale, noisy on-chain datasets to solve complex analytical problems.
• Diagnose and eliminate inefficiencies in code, methodology, and workflows to ensure solutions integrate seamlessly with existing production data platforms and tooling.
• Translate complex analytical methodologies and results into clear narratives for both technical and non-technical audiences, maintaining alignment through consistent and precise communication.
• Guide the professional growth of junior team members by providing mentorship, conducting technical hiring interviews, and disseminating knowledge across the research chapter.
• Partner closely with peers to shepherd innovations from raw research concepts into reliable, scalable production implementations that withstand real-world investigative demands.
• Independently manage project decomposition and prioritization, proactively seeking clarity from stakeholders to ensure deliverables meet evolving investigative needs.
• Champion data quality and reproducibility by establishing rigorous validation frameworks that withstand scrutiny in high-stakes investigative environments.
• Explore and evaluate emerging data platforms and computational techniques to continuously enhance the scalability and accuracy of blockchain analytics.

Requirements

• Hold a PhD in computer science, machine learning, statistics, physics, mathematics, or a closely related technical discipline, or possess equivalent industry experience working on advanced, data-intensive problems.
• Demonstrate expert-level proficiency in Python and SQL, with a proven ability to write clean, testable, production-quality code that scales.
• Show a strong track record of applying advanced analytical techniques such as graph algorithms, machine learning, and statistical inference to large, messy, and unstructured datasets.
• Have direct experience working with EVM-based blockchain data or a demonstrable ability to rapidly acquire deep expertise in EVM data structures, protocols, and tooling.
• Exhibit ownership-driven behavior by successfully decomposing ambiguous requirements and driving them to completion while proactively seeking clarity from diverse stakeholders.
• Maintain an analytical and open-minded approach to problem-solving, comfortably navigating high ambiguity and readily exploring problems outside your primary domain of expertise.
• Possess strong written and verbal communication skills, including the capacity to explain intricate methodologies and results to diverse audiences with varying technical backgrounds.
• Be prepared to operate in a fast-paced, intelligence-led environment where investigative priorities can shift rapidly and require rapid adaptation.

Nice to have

• Hands-on familiarity with Databricks, DBT, Spark, and PySpark within large-scale data platform architectures.
• Experience contributing to or modifying infrastructure-as-code configurations, for example using Terraform, to support production data pipelines.
• Having mentored junior data scientists or engineers through structured learning or project-based development.
• Demonstrated knowledge of, or genuine passion for, the cryptocurrency and blockchain ecosystem and its evolving regulatory landscape.

Practical notes

This is a full-time position based in our London Office. The role may involve travel between offices as required by project needs and collaboration schedules. Candidates must be eligible to work in the United Kingdom without sponsorship for this role. We do not currently offer visa sponsorship for this position. Applicants are encouraged to apply only if they meet the practical constraints outlined in this description.

AI at Chainalysis

At Chainalysis, AI is not a feature; it is a new way of working that turns instructions into completed work and helps us move faster than the threats we are built to counter. We expect every employee to take ownership of the output they produce and ensure uncompromising quality in their contributions. As the world's most trusted blockchain analytics platform, Chainalysis sits at a rare intersection of proprietary data, regulatory relationships, and crypto expertise, making us uniquely positioned to shape and lead the next era of AI-driven intelligence. AI fluency is tied directly to how we measure performance and how we plan to win, and there is no substitute for your own curiosity.