Staff Data Scientist

As a Staff Data Scientist at Chainalysis, you'll lead analytical, statistical, and machine-learning work across UTXO and EVM blockchains within the Research and Intelligence organisation in London. You'll own multiple production projects end to end, developing behavioural heuristics, graph algorithms, statistical models, and machine-learning techniques that power some of the most advanced blockchain analysis in the industry. This role is ideal if you thrive on deeply technical, ambiguous problems at the intersection of statistics, machine learning, algorithms, and large-scale on-chain analysis, and want to shape technical direction and deliver company-level impact.

What you'll do

• Own and prioritise multiple concurrent production data-science projects or systems, translating broad problem statements into actionable work, managing evolving requirements, and delivering measurable outcomes.
• Design, develop, and validate novel analytical methods, statistical models, behavioural heuristics, and algorithms across UTXO, EVM, and other blockchain data to attribute on-chain activity and uncover customer-relevant insights.
• Stay current on advances in data science and blockchain analysis; evaluate and pilot techniques such as graph computation, statistical modelling, and machine learning on large-scale on-chain datasets.
• Identify and resolve inefficiencies in code, methodology, and workflows; make architectural decisions; define and track quality metrics; understand upstream and downstream dependencies; and balance long-term system health and technical debt against new delivery.
• Drive cross-functional alignment by clearly articulating and defending methodology and results, challenging assumptions when warranted, and building consensus as requirements evolve.
• Mentor team members across levels within your domain, support onboarding, contribute to technical hiring, and share knowledge through documentation and presentations.
• Collaborate across Research, Global Intelligence, Product, and Engineering to move research from prototype to dependable production systems and create tools or platforms that multiply team output.

What you bring

• Deep expertise in statistics, machine learning, computer science, physics, mathematics, or another quantitative discipline, demonstrated through advanced industry or research work.
• Expert-level proficiency in Python and SQL, with a track record of writing clean, testable, production-quality code.
• Demonstrated experience applying advanced analytical techniques (such as graph algorithms, machine learning, and statistical inference) to large, messy datasets.
• Demonstrated ability to learn unfamiliar technical domains and data models quickly; prior blockchain experience is welcome but not required.
• A demonstrated ability to own and prioritise multiple concurrent projects or systems, make sound architectural and methodological decisions, and drive cross-functional stakeholders toward delivery.
• An analytical, open-minded approach to problem solving, comfortable navigating ambiguity and willing to dive into problems outside your day-to-day scope.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex methodology to diverse audiences, mentor technical practitioners, and share knowledge across a team.

Nice to have

• A PhD or equivalent research training in a quantitative field, and/or familiarity with Databricks, dbt, Spark/PySpark, or similar large-scale data platforms.
• Experience modifying infrastructure-as-code (such as Terraform) or contributing to production data pipelines.
• Experience building shared tools or platforms that multiply team output and onboarding others onto them.
• Experience with UTXO, EVM, or other blockchain data, graph computation, and/or the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

What we offer

• Work with Python, SQL, Databricks, dbt, PySpark/Spark, Terraform, AWS, and Postgres.
• A role where AI fluency is central to how performance is measured and the company plans to win, with tools, workflows, and space to experiment and develop these capabilities.

About Chainalysis

Chainalysis is the blockchain data platform making it easy to connect the movement of digital assets to real-world services. Powered by deep blockchain data and AI, organizations can investigate illicit activity, manage risk exposure, and develop innovative market solutions built on the industry's most trusted blockchain intelligence. The mission is to build trust in blockchains, blending safety and security with a commitment to growth and innovation.