The National Situation Centre (SitCen) brings together data, analysis and insight to inform crisis response and preparation alongside the Cabinet Office COBR function. Since its launch, SitCen has transformed how data and analytical insight can provide critical situational awareness during national crisis events.
SitCen is a unique experience for analysts, with the opportunity to work on a range of topic areas such as extreme weather events, human and animal diseases, international conflicts and economic crises; where you often see the impact from your work in a matter of hours. We are recognised by international partners as being one of the world leaders in using data for crisis response
and we are recruiting for a data scientist to help us continue bringing innovative methods and improvements to what we do.
If you are looking for a role where you can make a difference during times of national crisis, and want to have the opportunity to bring your analytical skills, curiosity and innovation to bear, then we’d love to hear from you.
As an experienced data scientist, you will be instrumental in improving how data and analytical insight can provide the right information to senior decision makers during national crisis events.
You will work closely with the technologists and data engineers in SitCen to optimise the use of our cloud data platform; further building automation and assurance procedures into the data journey of ingestion, analysis and dissemination.
You will have a collaborative mindset and be keen to share your knowledge to support the development of data science best practices across the mixed profession analytical team in SitCen and build strong networks across data science and analytical communities in Cabinet Office, Number 10 and wider HMG.
You will be using a range of analytical and visualisation tools to interrogate and draw conclusions from multiple data sources. Innovation is highly valued in the team, and you will be encouraged to develop and create approaches that bring new insight to critical situations facing the UK.
Job description
- Setting the standards on use of data science practices in SitCen. These will include use of Github; ensuring coding best practice – structuring, commenting and documenting code, developing and deploying reusable components, incorporating tests, validation and error handling.
- Developing the use of real-time data sets during crisis responses. This includes open source and commercial structured and unstructured data sets. You will work with data engineers to optimise the data ingestion, processing and storage with cloud-based tools and capability.
- Support the continued transition to fully automated production of our xHMG dashboard, DASH (Data, Analysis & Situational Awareness Hub) with APIs and use of bespoke, assured code for visualisation and trend/anomaly analysis.
- As part of a rota (potentially up to 1/3 of your time), you will lead a team of analysts delivering analytical and data briefing products into COBR. This will include working with policy and operational colleagues to understand the requirement, deciding and directing the analysis and ensuring a high quality output.
Person specification
Essential
- Leadership in developing data science capability within a team. You will have experience of, and keenness for, promoting best practice data science skills such as the use of GitHub; documenting, assuring and validating code repositories and supporting other analysts in this best practice.
- Data science skillset with advanced Python knowledge and experience, to ingest and process data, including building robust reproducible analytical pipelines and working with APIs.
- Highly developed communication skills to translate complex analytical findings into meaningful, easily understood narratives for customers, including through creative visualisations.
- The ability to lead and motivate a team of mixed profession analysts to deliver high quality, assured and insightful analysis that answers customer requirements often to tight deadlines.
- Be a member of, or have the entry requirements to be a member of either the Government Operational Research Service (GORS), Government Statistical Group (GSG): Statistical Data Scientist or the Government Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) profession: Lead Data Scientist.
Desirable
- You will have experience of working with data engineers and other technical experts to build observable and assured automated data pipelines from ingestion through to the final product using cloud based systems and tools (e.g. AWS, Azure, GCP).
- Experience working in crisis response teams and delivering analytical briefing products.
Additional information:
A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Delivering at Pace
- Working Together
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Applied maths, statistics and scientific practices. Level: Expert
- Developing Data Science Capability. Level: Expert
- Data Engineering and Manipulation. Level: Expert
- Programming and build. Level: Expert
Apply before 11:55 pm on Tuesday 7th May 2024
