Senior Data Scientist - ONS - G7

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Data Science Campus as a Data Scientist. The Campus is a purpose-built centre of excellence for data science. We are a core part of the UK’s public sector data science landscape and play a leading role in developing the UK’s capability and international reputation in data science.  

Our mission is to work at the frontier of data science for the public good. We use the latest generation of data science tools and technologies to exploit the growing availability of new data sources and we apply innovative methods to the measurement and analysis of the economy, the environment, and society. We create new understanding and improve decision-making.   

Further information on our work can be found here: Data Science Campus

Job description

We deliver a wide range of data science projects within the ONS and across the wider public sector. We apply data science to topics that really matter to the UK, including improvements to measuring economic activity and international trade, evidencing the impact of economic and social policies, and in support of the UK’s international development strategy. We are experts in applying new and emerging data sources to modernise ONS outputs, including financial transactions, population mobility, and earth observation data, and establish the use of new technologies and techniques realised by developments in AI and Large Language Models.  

In the Data Science Campus, you will work in a team of data scientists with colleagues across the public sector to ensure the best techniques and technologies are leveraged to help solve a broad set of problems and analytical challenges, with a passion for describing our approaches and solutions to varying audiences.

You will have a passion for using data science to improve the quality of analysis and drawing conclusions. 

A self-motivated learner, you will have the drive to use the time given to you in this role to constantly improve your data science skills, learning from your colleagues and a range of external sources. 

A team player, you will be comfortable working alongside a range of colleagues from analytical and digital professions, demonstrating mutual respect and appreciate for the skillsets you each bring to bear. 

The main responsibilities of the posts are:  

• Engaging with stakeholders to define impactful data science projects, that address their needs with sustainable solutions. Where appropriate, ensuring that proposed deliverables can practically be embedded in partnering organisations for long term use.
• Ensure that each project’s purpose and impact is clearly articulated, and roles, responsibilities and deliverables are well defined.
• Ensure that projects deliver successful, timely and impactful outcomes.
• Provide Innovative solutions for generating new insights from a range of big, admin and survey data on economic, social, and environmental issues.   
• Provide data science leadership, championing the use of best practice standards and technical methods in the work we deliver alongside experience of leading and motivating a team to deliver business outcomes.
• Contributing towards ensuring that the Data Science Campus is a great place to work through promoting collaboration across campus teams and engaging with corporate responsibilities.
• Encouraging and leading capability building within your team and across ONS.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

Data Science Capability (Practitioner):

• Leading data science capability building across the team and key stakeholder organisations both nationally and internationally.
• Confidently designing learning pathways given stakeholder requirements, leading the team of lecturers, and talking about the benefits of data science approaches to existing and potential customers.
• Demonstrate a good understanding of a range of data science techniques, such as machine learning and natural language processing, and how they can be used to build data science solutions, including reports, models and dashboards.

Applied Maths, Statistics and Scientific Practices (Expert):

• Develop and test data science models and use model outputs to produce evidence and help design services and policies.
• Understand a broad range of statistical tools - specifically in social science such as economics, population, and travel- and can use these appropriately and help others to use them.
• Critique statistical analyses.

Programming and Build (Expert):

• Write complex programs and scripts and set best practice and coding standards for your team.
• Familiarity with cloud-based tools, software architecture and efficient programming

Understand Product Delivery (Practitioner):

• Define the minimum viable product (MVP) and designing scalable and maintainable data science products and leading the project from start to end.
• Support decisions about priorities and work with specialists in multidisciplinary teams to smoothly deliver data science products into the stakeholder organisation.
• Communicate relevant and compelling stories effectively and present the outcomes clearly to get across complex messages.

Further information on these skills can be found at the government Data Scientist Framework. 

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Data Science Innovation- A Technical presentation will be assessed at interview. Further information will be provided should you be invited to interview.
• Delivering Business Impact - A Technical Question will be assessed at interview.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,020, Office for National Statistics contributes £16,228 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

The Office for National Statistics is part of the Civil Service, and as such we share a number of key benefits with other departments, whilst also having our own unique offerings to support our 5400 valued colleagues across the business.

This role is part of the cross-government Government Digital and Data (formerly DDaT) profession framework. As a role within Government Digital and Data (formerly DDaT) at the ONS, we also offer benefits such as:

• Protected Learning Time to spend on your personal development and side-projects.
• A supportive and active Community of Practice which you will be expected to contribute to, helping ensure you and your colleagues get the training, development and opportunities you need to progress your careers.

We are committed to supporting our people’s wellbeing by offering flexible ways of working that support a healthy work life balance. We are happy to explore opportunities with you about working flexibly in line with our hybrid working policies.

Whether you are hearing about us for the first time or already know a bit about our organisation, we hope that the benefits pack attached (bottom of page) will give you a great insight into the benefits and facilities available to our colleagues and our fantastic working culture.

Inclusion & Accessibility

At ONS we are always looking to attract the very best people from the widest possible talent pool, and we are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer. As a member of the Business Disability Forum and a Disability Confident Leader we’re committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process.

As part of our application process, you will be prompted to provide details of any reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process that you need. If you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments before applying, please contact the recruitment team in the first instance.

If you would like an accessible version of any of the attachments or recruitment documents below or linked to in this advert, please contact the recruitment team who will be happy to assist.

ONS are committed to flexible ways of working that support a healthy work-life balance. ONS has already considered how this job could be right sized for applicants working flexibly and we are happy to explore options with you about working part time, in a job share or flexibly, in line with our hybrid working policies.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Security Clearance 

Individuals appointed to the Office for National Statistics or UK Statistics Authority will be subject to National Security Vetting at “SC Cleared” level for this post. To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out applicants will normally need to have lived in the UK for the 3 consecutive years immediately prior to applying.

A lack of UK residency in itself is not always a bar to security clearance.

We may also reach out to you mid-campaign to confirm eligibility for this role.

If you are unsure that you meet the eligibility above, please contact the recruitment email on the advert before applying to discuss.

Applicants may utilise AI resources in their submissions; ensuring all information provided is factually accurate, truthful, and original, avoiding any form of plagiarism to maintain the authenticity and credibility of the application process.

Applicant support

The ONS regularly run webinars and support sessions for candidates.  You can find details on all our upcoming webinars on our Eventbrite page.

Stage 1 – Application & Sift 

Assessment at application stage will be based on your CV, work history, skills, experience and personal statement. Your application should be tailored to demonstrate any skills, knowledge and experience that are relevant to the content of the role.

Your personal statement should be no longer than 1250 words. You should use this space to provide evidence for each essential and technical criteria within the person specification. As the criteria are scored, we would recommend that you give clear examples for each including the impact of your actions and set them out using the STAR acronym (Situation, Task, Action, Result).Success Profiles Behaviour examples are not required at this stage.

In cases where there are a high number of applications the sift pass mark may be adjusted and candidates will be invited to interview in merit order, i.e. those scoring the highest.

Stage 2 – Interview

Should you be invited to interview, you will be assessed using various assessment techniques aligned to the Civil Service Success Profiles framework, where you'll be assessed against all the behaviours and technical skills outlined in this advert. 

A presentation may be required at interview. Further information will be provided to shortlisted candidates prior to interview.

Interviews will be conducted by Video Conference.

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made.

Important Dates:

Sift date from: 20/11/2024

Interview dates from: 03/12/2024

For the full terms and conditions of the post, please see attachment below. 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).