Data Scientist

Discover yourself in Lewisham where what you do makes a difference to our vibrant and culturally diverse communities!

We have a rich history of welcoming people from all over the world and are proud to be recognised as the UK’s first Borough of Sanctuary, for our work in championing the rights of refugees and migrants.

Looking to be part of an innovative and award winning Data Science and Insight Team?

We are seeking to recruit an outstanding Data Scientist to join our corporate Data Science and Insight Team. The team serves the needs of residents and services providing data science support and analytical intelligence to facilitate evidence-based decisions and enable the best use of resources and high-quality service delivery. We work in a dynamic and fast-paced context and our skills are in high demand across the Council. This role is an excellent opportunity for a collaborative problem solver who wants to make an impact as a Data Scientist in an organisation that serves diverse communities with varied needs. You will have the opportunity to work on a wide range of analytical and strategic projects, with significant organisational and social impact.

What’s the role? 

• To deliver end-to-end data science projects and analysis to support evidence-based decision making, strategy development and service delivery.
• To apply data science techniques to help solve some of the most pressing and complex challenges faced by local/regional government and the wider health and social care ecosystem.
• To apply data science, AI and innovative technologies to solve problems and create products which have an impact on the Council's operations and help drive service improvements and outcomes.
• To apply data science skills to improve the outcomes of Lewisham population, and in particular to use data science to improve the lives of the most disadvantaged in our communities.
• To produce and present analysis and visualisations with complex data in easily understandable ways to different target audiences to support actions and decision making.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Work closely with the business to identify issues and use data science skills to develop solutions that demonstrate improvement in effectiveness, efficiency, and service delivery.
• Scope, design and deliver data science projects and products and provide confident, impartial, evidence-based specialist advice to customers at all seniorities to enable them to make informed decisions.
• Use machine learning tools, statistical and analytical techniques to develop solutions and generate new insight for customers and partners.
• Ensure compliance with ethical standards, including bias mitigation, transparency and fairness in the data and models used.
• Maintain awareness of developments in data science domain to identify opportunities for applying new methodologies and tools into our work.
• Play an active role in building and developing relationships within the organisation and externally to support the team’s objectives, champion data science and the adoption of best practices.

 What’s in it for you?

Excellent training and development opportunities, plus a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday allowance 
• Local Government Pension scheme 
• Flexible working and family friendly policies 
• Season ticket and bicycle loans 
• A range of staff discounts including local subsidised gym memberships 
• Supportive staff networks

What we’re looking for

Expert knowledge and ability to interrogate complex data sets, link and transform data as required for data science projects.
Strong knowledge of data science (e.g. machine learning supervised/unsupervised, natural language processing, spatial modelling…) and proven experience delivering data science projects and products in a real-world setting.
Strong Python and/or R programming skills and extensive experience with different libraries (scikit-learn, XGBoost, Keras, BERT, ggplot, PySAL etc.)
Strong strategic thinking and problem solving skills to support organisational objectives, with ability to identify opportunities for data science and promote adoption and learning of new tools and techniques.
Ability to explain data concepts and practices, and present results concisely (verbally and visually) to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Location

The job is primarily based in Laurence House, Catford, London, SE6 4RU, but we operate a hybrid approach where you will be required to work both in the office and from home on a regular basis.

The recruitment process is anonymous and we don’t accept CV’s.

Applicant handbook - please read the guidance in this handbook when applying. It is essential that you complete the application fully and that your supporting statement covers how you meet each of the person specification criteria listed.

For an informal discussion about this job, please contact Mia Polovina, mia.polovina@lewisham.gov.uk

Please click here to view the Job Description and Person Specification

Salary

£52, 059 - £54, 135 per annum (P05)
N.B: All appointments will be offered at the minimum spinal column point (SCP) for the grade of the role. The only exception to this will be when matching current salary (up to the maximum of the scale), which is subject to evidential proof.

Diversity

Lewisham Council is a Disability Confident employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process. We support the access to work scheme, further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply

The Council has a dedicated employment support service, Lewisham Works, which offers Lewisham residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you want to join Lewisham Works, please email JobsAndSkills@lewisham.gov.uk and an advisor will be in touch with you. 

The Council reserves the right to close adverts early if there is a large response.

Let’s stay connected, follow us on social media:

LinkedIn   Facebook   Twitter   Instagram