PhD Internship - Operational Research

We have a phenomenal opportunity to join our Data Science team on a 12-week paid internship where you will gain hands on experience of what it's like to be a Data Scientist at Tesco! This internship is suitable for PhD students (in their final or penultimate year) or for Postdoctoral Researchers with from an Operational Research background (Metaheuristics, Stochastic Optimisation or Simulation experience). The start date of your internship is flexible but must start between June and August 2025.

During the internship, you’ll work with other Data Scientists, helping us solve an exciting real-life problem. In addition to the technical mentorship and training provided by the team we will also provide you with a personal mentor to help you get the most out of the internship. You will gain hands on technical and stakeholder management experience during the 12 weeks.

Please note: You can choose to based from either our London (Farringdon) office or our Welwyn Garden City campus, depending on which office works best for you. The internship is 5 days working week (Monday - Friday, 36 hour working week), with hybrid and flexible working, 3 days in the office and 2 days working from home.

If that sounds exciting or if you have any questions, then we'd love to hear from you!

About the team:

Our Data Science team focuses on modelling complex business problems and deploying data products at scale; a key part of this is using Operational Research techniques to optimise automated processes and to support decision making. Our work spans across multiple areas including physical stores, online, supply chain, and last mile delivery. This requires our Data Scientists to have an advanced understanding of advanced exact, heuristic, or metaheuristic algorithms and statistics. The team itself is made up of researchers and practitioners with varied backgrounds from both academia and the business world We are committed to personal and career development, providing on-desk training, support, and dedicating 10% of your working week to learning and professional growth. Additionally, our team is given opportunities to attend and speak at external and internal events, encouraging individuals growth as experts in the field. Our team values work-life balance, team days, and cultivates a relaxed yet engaging culture. 

• Work with other Data Scientists, helping us solve an exciting real-life problem.
• You will use an analytical approach to understand sophisticated business problems and prototype solutions.
• Apply, modify, and design algorithms and mathematical models to tackle business problems on top of big data architectures (Hadoop, Spark).
• Validate, document and present the modelling process and performances
• Communicate sophisticated solutions in a clear, understandable way to non-technical team members and stakeholders.

We are looking for ambitious PhD students (in their final or penultimate year) or Postdoctoral Researchers with a strong numerical background and a strong desire to pursue a career in data science.

You will have a scientific mentality with the ability to ask the right questions, as well as answer them. 

Experience in one or more of the following fields would be ideal:

• Mathematical Programming (including Mixed Integer Linear Programming)
• Metaheuristics
• Stochastic Optimisation
• Simulation

Finally, good programming skills are critical (either Python or Java is helpful) and ideally some familiarity with SWE standard processes (such as version control and unit testing).

We’re all about the little helps. That’s why we make sure our Tesco colleague benefits package takes care of you – both in and out of work. Click Here to find out more!

• Annual bonus scheme of up to 10% of base salary
• Holiday starting at 25 days plus a personal day (plus Bank holidays)
• 26 weeks maternity and adoption leave (after 1 years’ service) at full pay, followed by 13 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay or Statutory Adoption Pay, we also offer 6 weeks fully paid paternity leave
• Free 24/7 virtual GP service, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for you and your family, free access to a range of experts to support your mental wellbeing

You might know us as a supermarket, technology company or even for our award-winning mobile network. Truth is, we’re all of those things, and much more. Our colleagues work with one goal in mind, helping to make every day a little better for our customers, colleagues and communities all over the world. No two customers are the same, neither are our colleagues.

At Tesco, we champion a balance that lets you thrive both in and out of work. Spend 60% of your week collaborating with colleagues at our office locations or local sites and the rest remotely. Whether you're just kicking off your career, juggling passions, or navigating big life events, we're here to support you. We always welcome a conversation about flexible working, so talk to us throughout your application about how we can support.

We're proud to be an accredited Disability Confident Leader, where everyone’s welcome. That’s why we commit to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you need support with your application, click here for more information. And if you're interested in joining our team but don't tick every box, don't let that hold you back from applying.