Lead Data Scientist - C1 in Edinburgh

The Data Division, within the Digital Directorate, is the centre of excellence for data. We work towards unlocking the power of data in Scotland for the public good, focusing on security, transparency, inclusion, innovation, and sustainability.

The post will sit within the Technical Data Policy Team who provide advice and support on:

• a vision for public sector data;
• data maturity;
• open data policy and publishing;
• data governance;
• data standards;
• data science and innovation;
• use of AI;
• data skills.

It runs several data skills building programmes and communities of practice open to Scotland’s public sector.

Responsibilities

• Work with colleagues in Data Division and beyond to assess the needs and explore innovative opportunities for using data science and AI to improve existing processes within the Scottish Government and its Agencies and produce a clear set of recommendations for how the Scottish Government can move forward.
• Consider long term infrastructure requirements to support future data science and AI developments within the Scottish Government and its Agencies.
• Identify opportunities to develop statistical insight, reports and models to support organisational objectives, while collaborating across the organisation effectively.
• Critique statistical analyses.
• Use a variety of data analytics techniques (such as data mining and prescriptive and predictive analytics) for complex data analysis through the whole data life cycle.
• Use model outputs to produce evidence and help design services and policies.
• Understand a broad range of statistical tools, particularly those deployed within the organisation, and can use these appropriately and help others to use them.
• Help to identify the data engineering requirements for any data science product, while working with data engineers and data scientists to design and deliver those products into the organisation effectively.
• Understand the need to cleanse and prepare data before including it in data science products and can put reusable processes and checks in place.
• Understand a broad range of architectures, including cloud and on-premise, and data manipulation and transformation tools deployed within the organisation, and can use these tools appropriately and help others use them.
• Oversee compliance with data ethics standards and legislation across the organisation and develop, manage and continuously improve an ethical framework within your area.
• Develop a data ethics culture, influencing others to act on it.
• Ensure data ethics is applied appropriately when formulating, implementing and evaluating organisational policies and programmes.
• Be a leader in the data science space.
• Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of data science tools and techniques, which you can use to solve problems creatively and to create opportunities for your team.
• Act as a coach, inspiring curiosity and creativity in others.
• Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of your chosen profession and keep up to date with changes in the industry.
• Challenge the status quo and always look for ways to improve data science.
• Champion the role of data science within the organisation.
• Understand and champion user research, and can design and manage processes to gather and establish user needs.
• Identify and create opportunities to develop and deliver data science products to support organisational objectives, while collaborating across the organisation to fulfil meaningful goals.
• Take responsibility for delivering scalable data science products into the organisation and establishing maintenance support.
• Act as a leader or technical specialist, providing detailed support and guidance within the organisation and helping colleagues to develop skills.
• Set the direction of CPD (continuous professional development) within your team.
• Keep up to date with new developments in data science and can match those to opportunities in your organisation.
• Talk confidently about the benefits of data science approaches to existing and potential customers.
• Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of a wide range of data science techniques, such as machine learning and natural language processing, and detailed knowledge of at least one specialism.
• Use these techniques to build data science solutions, including reports, models and dashboards.
• Write complex programs and scripts.
• Seek to make code open source where appropriate.
• Supervise junior analysts and set coding standards for your team.
• Understand software architecture and how to write efficient, optimised code.
• Perform user testing on products prior to launch.
• Understand the differences between delivery methods, such as Agile and waterfall, and can set out how your team should use and adapt these methods.
• Lead a team through the different phases of the product delivery life cycle.
• Collaborate with the product manager to influence the direction of work.
• Identify and involve relevant teams to smoothly deliver data science products into the organisation, ensuring these products inform decision making.
• Ensure products are monitored, maintained and continually improved, engaging and working with others where necessary.
• Have oversight of any data science features implemented within products or services.

Qualifications

This role is a temporary position with an expected commitment of 6 months.

How to Apply

Applications for this position will only be accepted from substantive C1 employees. Please submit a statement outlining your suitability for the role, relevant skills and experience, and what you would bring to the team (maximum 500 words).

Selection Process

All candidates will be invited to an informal discussion with the Hiring Manager. Informal discussion dates tbc. Please be advised this is open only to Priority Movers.

Further Information

If you have specific questions about the role, please contact martin.brien@gov.scot. Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.