Data Scientist - Stratford Regional Centre - Westfield Avenue

About the job

Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you're seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it's really like to work at HMRC. With 50 million customers, over 60,000 colleagues, and more than 800 billion collected to fund UK public services, HMRC's data and digital environment is vast, complex, and full of opportunity.

The Data Science team sits within HMRC's Chief Digital & Information Office (CDIO) and delivers innovative analytical and machine learning solutions that address real operational challenges. As part of this team, you will contribute to high-impact work that directly improves HMRC's effectiveness and customer outcomes.

This is an exciting opportunity for a Data Scientist to join the Data Exploitation Team - one of four specialist Data Science teams in HMRC's technology area. The team builds innovative data science solutions that solve real business problems by exploiting HMRC's rich and complex datasets. The vacancy sits within the Business Customer analysis team. Projects span a wide range of areas, including cross-tax data integration, entity and customer linking, development of complexity and segmentation models, and the delivery of analytical tools to support compliance and strategic decision-making.

This role enables HMRC to make better use of compliance and other underutilised data by surfacing relevant data and developing new insights through visualisation, advanced analytical methods, and innovative data extraction approaches. You will work closely with subject matter experts and operational teams, ensuring the right data is made available and understood, to deliver high-quality compliance-related data.

You will also help scope, design, and deliver developments using project-based working techniques, while providing advice on advanced analytical techniques across HMRC and wider government. Success in this role depends as much on judgement, prioritisation, and engagement with operational colleagues as on technical skill.

Person specification

We are looking for an experienced, proactive data scientist with a strong track record of innovation in analytical tools and techniques. You will take responsibility for developing the team's suite of widely used internal applications from a data and technical perspective. You will bring strong technical expertise, practical experience of building and deploying applications that many use to enable insights from information provided.

You will:

• Maintain, develop and deploy R-Shiny applications that assist HMRC in targeting and decision-making (including performance, usability, and longevity considerations).
• Explore innovative use of new technologies within HMRC's cloud-based technology stack to improve delivery of this application and others.
• Challenge others on inappropriate use of various technologies.
• Prepare, link and analyse large datasets using robust coding practices and reproducible workflows, including utilising Git, Denodo, R, Python and SAS Viya.
• Investigate, source and manipulate complex, disparate and sometimes unstructured datasets to provide meaningful insights from HMRC's myriad of data.
• Work extensively with large, complex administrative datasets that were not originally designed for analytical use.
• Collaborate with operational and policy colleagues to understand relevant business needs and ensure developments support operational priorities.
• Provide advice, guidance, and peer support to colleagues on the use of advanced technical techniques.
• Demonstrate intellectual curiosity and a commitment to professional development in broader data science techniques.

This role is well suited to candidates who:

• Have hands-on experience building and maintaining analytical products used by others (e.g. Shiny apps, dashboards, analytical tools).
• Are comfortable working with messy, partially linked administrative data.

Essential Criteria:

To be successful in this role, you must meet the technical requirements for Government Digital and Data (SO Data Scientist) roles and hold qualifications suitable for later badging into either GORS or GSG. You must demonstrate:

• Communicating and influencing (lead criteria). You can communicate in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner - choosing appropriate styles to maximise understanding and impact; encourage the use of different communication methods, including digital resources and highlight the benefits, including ensuring cost effectiveness; ensure communication has a clear purpose and considers people's individual needs; share information as appropriate and check understanding.
• Programming and Build. You can write moderate to complex programs and scripts (particularly relating to R and R-Shiny); show a good understanding of testing methodologies and how to deploy code.
• Data engineering. You can work with data engineers and data scientists to design and provide products for the organisation. For example, how to use tools like Git and Denodo appropriately and assisting others.
• Applied maths, statistics and scientific practices. You can apply designated quantitative techniques such as time series analysis, optimisation and simulation to create and embed appropriate models for analysis and prediction; provide guidance on matching data sources with relevant applied mathematics and statistical techniques to meet analysis goals; apply appropriate statistical techniques to available data to discover new relations and offer insight into research problems, helping to improve organisational processes and support decision making; access and use the statistical tools available within the organisation.
• Understanding product delivery. You can understand the differences between delivery methods, such as Agile and waterfall, and can choose the most appropriate method to deliver each product; define the minimum viable product (MVP) and support decisions about priorities; work with specialists in multidisciplinary teams to smoothly deliver data science products into the organisation.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Communicating and Influencing, Working Together.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of 45,544, HM Revenue and Customs contributes 13,194 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs. We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days. Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues' Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary. Family friendly policies. Personal support. Coaching and development.

To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it's really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Ability and Experience.

How to Apply

After submission of the first stage of your application, you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Numerical Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application. Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 10 June 2026 at 23:55. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

Please ensure you allow sufficient time to complete and submit the final stage of your application after submitting your online test. The deadline for both the test and the application is 10 June 2026 at 23:55.

Please be aware that the Online Tests on this campaign will not be accessible during the hours of Sunday May 31st 2026 -4pm - Midnight UK; and Sunday June 7th 2026 - 4pm - 7pm UK. Please do not attempt to launch the test during those times, as you may experience technical issues and we may not be able to assist you before the closing date and time.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the following: A name-blind CV including your job history. A 1000-word Personal Statement. Your Personal Statement should be used to describe how your skills and experience would be suitable for the advertised role, making reference to the essential criteria and person specification outlined in the advert. Two separate 250-word statements on the Behaviours - Communicating and Influencing (Lead Behaviour), and Working Together.

Eligibility

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. Mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we may not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, or have withdrawn yourself in error and need your application reinstated whilst the campaign is still live, please contact us via email.

Exceptionally, candidates who are not successful at this grade may be considered for appointment to similar roles at a lower grade where the eligibility criteria are met. If this applies, we will contact you directly.

Hybrid working at HMRC

HMRC is an office-based organisation, and colleagues are expected to spend 60% of their working time in the office. Our offices provide opportunity for interaction, collaboration which aids learning and development and a sense of community. Where the role allows it, and where the home environment is suitable, colleagues can work from home for up to 2 days a week, averaged over a calendar month (or a proportionate amount of time for colleagues who work less than full time).

Reasonable Adjustments

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact the UBS Recruitment team as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Technical Support

If you are experiencing problems that cannot be resolved by our 'help' section, then technical support is available. You will receive a reply in 2 working days.

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers:

This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance to the office will be required where there is a business need. Please consider the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the 'location preferences' section that you can travel to.

Terms and Conditions

Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences. Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.