Head of Data Science

Salary: £62,000 - 102,000 per year

Requirements:

• Experience leading or managing a data, analytics or reporting service, including delivery, governance and continuous improvement
• Experience leading a multidisciplinary data team spanning engineering, analysis, reporting and data science
• Proven background as a Data Scientist or in a similar analytical role
• Strong programming skills in Python and/or R, with solid SQL
• Experience with machine learning frameworks such as scikit-learn, TensorFlow or PyTorch
• Strong grounding in statistics, probability and data modelling
• Experience with large datasets and cloud-based platforms
• Familiarity with visualisation tools such as Tableau or Power BI
• Comfortable working in a matrix environment, building relationships and clarifying priorities across teams
• Genuinely motivated by using data for public benefit, not just technical challenge
• Experience with public sector or operational performance datasets would be beneficial

Responsibilities:

• Lead a small multidisciplinary team covering data ingestion, quality, reporting, dashboards, analysis and future data science capability
• Own and manage the data service roadmap, prioritising new data sources and reporting in partnership with internal stakeholders
• Present a consistent, trusted view of performance to support effective challenge, reporting and advocacy on behalf of the people the organisation represents
• Analyse large, complex datasets to identify trends, patterns and opportunities for improvement
• Develop, test and deploy predictive and statistical models as data maturity increases
• Apply machine learning techniques and emerging AI developments to real-world problems
• Collaborate closely with a data engineer to ensure data availability and quality
• Communicate insights and recommendations clearly through visualisations, reports and presentations
• Support experimentation and A/B testing to inform decision-making
• Ensure best practice in data governance, ethics and compliance throughout

Technologies:

• AI
• Cloud
• Support
• Machine Learning
• Matrix
• Power BI
• PyTorch
• Python
• SQL
• Tableau
• TensorFlow

More:

We are a mission-driven organisation that exists to be the voice of the people we serve, with every insight and decision focused on improving real outcomes. We are preparing to take on significant new responsibilities, and data will be central to that mission. We are hiring a Head of Data Science to lead a small multidisciplinary team and shape our data capability from the ground up. This is a hybrid role based in London or Manchester, with a minimum of two days a week in the office. The package includes a base salary of 75,000, plus an allowance of up to 7,000 subject to experience, 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays, access to the Civil Service Pension Scheme including Alpha, and an employee assistance programme. We value diversity and an inclusive culture, and we welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds.

last updated 36 week of 2026