At a Glance
- Tasks: Analyse national datasets to uncover inequities in prostate cancer care and outcomes.
- Company: Join the Royal College of Surgeons, a leader in cancer audit and healthcare improvement.
- Benefits: Enjoy 27 days holiday, flexible working, and a strong pension scheme.
- Other info: Remote work available; dynamic team with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in cancer care while developing your data science skills.
- Qualifications: Degree in statistics, data science, or related field; experience with large datasets required.
Salary: £39,984 to £51,872 per annum depending on qualifications and experience
Contract Type: Full‑time, fixed term (21‑month position)
Location: Clinical Effectiveness Unit – National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre (NATCAN), based at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and supported by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). The post is available for remote working at any UK location, to be discussed upon appointment. However, there is an expectation that post holders attend RCS Eng regularly for in‑person meetings.
About the Data Scientist role
This Prostate Cancer UK (PCUK)‑funded post offers a unique opportunity to work at the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre (NATCAN) within the Clinical Effectiveness Unit (CEU) at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSEng) as part of the National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA) team. NATCAN is a national centre of excellence dedicated to strengthening NHS cancer services and reducing variation in care and is the home of all 10 National Cancer Audits in England and Wales. It employs 45 staff across a wide range of backgrounds, including medicine, statistics, epidemiology, data science, quality improvement, and project management.
This post will support a PCUK‑funded partnership with the NPCA to generate new evidence on potential inequities in prostate cancer care and outcomes. It is a key data‑science role within the NPCA team, working closely with senior cancer specialists, clinical fellows, methodologists, data managers, and other multidisciplinary members. The post holder will develop advanced analysis and research skills using large, detailed, linked national datasets.
The results of the work will be disseminated as peer‑reviewed academic papers, conference presentations, audit reports, and online dashboards. Work will also include supporting the development of more efficient data analysis and reporting within the centre, working on the data flow into and within NATCAN, data validation, data‑science processes, automated reporting, and state‑of‑the‑art data visualisation and dashboards.
Responsibilities
- Carry out statistical analyses to explore prostate cancer inequity using national datasets on hospital care and treatment.
- Extract, wrangle, and curate large‑scale linked clinical datasets ready for analysis using SQL or statistical software.
- Develop reusable data pipelines and apply algorithms to derive required variables.
- Produce reports, dashboards, and data visualisations to support local quality improvement.
- Ensure projects comply with information governance policies.
- Communicate findings in seminars, conference presentations, reports, and academic journals.
Qualifications
- Bachelor level or higher degree in medical statistics, data science, epidemiology, operational research or equivalent academic qualification.
- Good understanding of health‑related research methods and study designs.
- Experience undertaking analyses using large, complex datasets in a statistical package.
- Evidence of contributions to written output, preferably peer‑reviewed.
- Experience applying information governance principles to health‑care data.
Benefits
- 27 days paid holiday + bank holidays and up to 4 college closure days.
- Flexible working.
- Enhanced contributory pension scheme & other leave entitlements.
- Variety of learning and development opportunities.
- Wellbeing programme & Employee Assistance Scheme.
Equal Opportunities Employer
The Royal College of Surgeons of England is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We are open to all talent, and we actively ensure that all qualified applicants receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race/ethnicity, nationality, religion, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age and disability.
Prostate Cancer UK/ National Prostate Cancer Audit Data Scientist in London employer: Professor Doctor Obi
Prostate Cancer UK offers an exceptional work environment for the Data Scientist role, situated within the prestigious Royal College of Surgeons of England. With a commitment to employee wellbeing, flexible working arrangements, and a strong focus on professional development, this position not only allows you to contribute to vital cancer research but also supports your personal growth in a collaborative and inclusive culture. The opportunity to engage with leading experts and access a wealth of resources makes this an ideal place for those seeking meaningful and impactful employment.
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