At a Glance
- Tasks: Build data pipelines and generate insights for impactful public sector projects.
- Company: Join a dynamic team at the forefront of data science and AI innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, hybrid working, and ongoing professional support.
- Other info: Great opportunity for growth in a supportive, inclusive environment.
- Why this job: Make a real difference by solving real-world problems with data.
- Qualifications: Experience in Python and data analysis; passion for learning and collaboration.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 40000 £ per year.
We are looking for an early-career Data Scientist to join our team and support the development and delivery of a range of data-driven products used across the public sector.
Salary: £40,000
Location: Full time, hybrid. London Bridge SE1, with a mix of remote and office working
Closing date: 8 July 2026
This is a hands-on, production-focused role where you will contribute to the full lifecycle of data science—from building data pipelines through to generating insights and supporting live systems. You will work alongside experienced data scientists, software engineers, and product managers, with structured support as you build confidence working in production environments.
In your first year, your work will focus on developing and maintaining data pipelines, supporting existing digital products, and contributing to short-term projects to provide data-focussed support to non-technical teams. Over time, you will take increasing ownership of data science development backlogs for established products, while continuing to work as part of a collaborative team to deploy and manage changes safely.
This role is well suited to someone who enjoys solving real-world problems with data, is comfortable working across a range of technical tasks, and is interested in how emerging AI tools can transform the way data science is carried out.
The team you will join is a small, multidisciplinary team working at the intersection of data science, data engineering, and software development. Work is delivered in collaboration with product managers and stakeholders across the public sector, including the NHS, central government, and voluntary sector organisations. The team follows modern software development practices, including version control, code review, and CI/CD pipelines, ensuring that all changes to production systems are robust, tested, and delivered safely.
As an early-career member of the team, you will receive ongoing support and guidance while working on real systems used in operational settings. Given the small size of the team, there is an excellent opportunity for everyone to contribute to approaches and introduce new techniques, more so now than ever with rapid developments in AI.
Key responsibilities:- Build and extend data pipelines using Python, following established templates and patterns
- Contribute to the ingestion, transformation, and validation of data within a shared data platform
- Support the ongoing improvement of pipeline performance, reliability, and scalability
- Contribute to a collaborative development process using GitHub, including code review and version control
- Write clear, maintainable, tested and well-documented Python code suitable for production use
- Support testing and deployment activities within established CI/CD processes
- Support short-term projects with a focus on data by helping non-technical teams put data at the heart of end-to-end solutions
- Clean, analyse, and interpret data to generate insights for stakeholders
- Develop dashboards and visualisations (e.g. Power BI) to communicate findings clearly
- Respond to client user requests, such as queries about data outputs
- Work with stakeholders to understand requirements and improve existing products
- Stay informed about developments in data science and AI, exploring opportunities to improve ways of working
- Experience using Python for data analysis or data processing, including libraries such as pandas or NumPy
- Understanding of data analysis workflows, including data cleaning, transformation, and exploratory analysis
- Motivation to develop skills in working with production data systems and modern development practices
- Ability to communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Experience working with data pipelines or ETL processes
- Familiarity with version control (e.g. Git) and collaborative development workflows
- Exposure to CI/CD processes or deploying code into production environments
- Experience creating data visualisations or dashboards (e.g. Power BI, Tableau)
- Basic understanding of web applications or frameworks (e.g. Django)
- Previous experience (academic, professional, or personal) working on real-world data projects
- Strong problem-solving skills, with attention to detail and a willingness to debug issues
- Comfortable working as part of a team, with a willingness to learn from others and take on feedback
- Interest in emerging AI approaches, such as LLMs or workflow automation
We actively encourage applications from under-represented and minoritised groups, including those with lived experience of the social issues we are working to address. We are an equal opportunities employer.
Data Scientist employer: Social Finance Ltd
At Social Finance, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that champions human-centred design to drive meaningful social change. Our inclusive work culture fosters collaboration and innovation, providing ample opportunities for professional growth and mentorship within a dedicated team of change-makers. Located in the vibrant area of London Bridge, we offer flexible working arrangements and a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, making it an ideal place for passionate individuals to thrive and make a real impact.
