About the job

Job summary

The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is a world leading hydrographic agency that has been helping people safely navigate the oceans for over 200 years. You will be joining the Data Intelligence team as a Senior Data Scientist to answer key business questions to ensure we keep serving our stakeholders and customers into the future. This is an exciting opportunity for collaborative and inquisitive people to have an impact on how we function and gain experience in a thriving field.

As a Senior Data Scientist, you will work hands-on in a technical role on interesting data science problems in the marine domain. You will use cutting edge machine learning techniques and distributed/serverless data pipelines to process a wide variety of data, including bathymetry data, lidar, satellite images, autonomous vessel data and many more. You will lead on projects and regularly meet with stakeholders to refine and prioritise data science problems. Together with Principal Data Scientists, you will contribute to strategic efforts to promote the practise and adoption of data science techniques in the business. You will mentor junior members of the team, helping them to develop the skills to progress.

To find out more about work and the organisation follow these links:

https://medium.com/uk-hydrographic-office

https://twitter.com/UKHO

https://ukhodigital.blog.gov.uk/

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-hydrographic-office/about

 

Hybrid Working:

The team are flexible where they work with some members coming into the office more than others. There are no fixed days in the office, although there will be times when the delivery of specific project requires attendance in the office.

Job description

In this role you will:

• Be working with cutting edge technology on marine geospatial data on a range of impactful projects

• Work collaboratively on problems in a supportive and diverse data science team

• Work alongside our Data Engineering practice to implement industry leading MLOps approaches

• Work across the whole organisation to embed data science at the UKHO

• Have the opportunity to support collaborations and relationships across government, MoD and wider

• Deliver research projects relating directly to the marine geospatial environment.

We will also support your professional development with the opportunity to attend conferences, access to online learning platforms, and run self-directed research projects to develop best practice.

Person specification

As our Senior Data Scientist you will have:

· Strong experience of evaluating and understanding new business challenges, exploring data science techniques to find the best approach, and championing data driven decision making.

· Experience of planning and delivering an end-to-end data science project 

· Ability to work in an agile team, designing solutions to complex big data challenges and applying deep learning techniques

· History of working with internal stakeholders to understand user requirements and present methods, results and uncertainty to end users

· Willing to produce prototypes and work alongside the Data Engineering team to productionise data science solutions.

· Ready to make time to support, mentor and develop junior members of the team and to support learning activities across the organisation

Additional Information: 

Whilst we welcome applications from those seeking part time work, to keep in line with business needs we anticipate the minimum amount of hours needed would be 29.6 hours per week. We would be happy to discus this further with the right candidate.

Benefits

At the UK Hydrographic Office, it's very important to us that our people feel valued.  

We offer a huge range of benefits such as training and development, well-being support, flexible/ homeworking, a fantastic state of the art building, high spec equipment, and so much more.  

See our attached Candidate Information Pack for more details. 

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

How to Apply:  

 When you click "apply now" you will be asked to attach your CV along with 250 words on each of the criteria below. 

Timeline:  

• Advert Closes for applications:  31/01/2024
• Shortlisting: week commencing  05/02/2024
• Interviews: week commencing  12/02/2024

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates. 

Sift/Shortlist Criteria:  

All applications are processed anonymously. You will be short-listed against the following criteria: 

Experience/Technical: 

• Has evidence of practical data science in a working environment, leading complex data science projects (Assessed via CV) - Lead Criteria 
• Experience of leading complex data science projects (Assessed via 250 word statement and CV)
• History of working with stakeholders to understand user requirements and present methods, results and uncertainty to end users. (Assessed via 250 word statement and CV)
• Has demonstrated technical expertise in a range of data science techniques and communicated complex topics to a non-technical audience. (Assessed via 250 word statement and CV) 

If the panel receive a large volume of applications, an initial sift will be completed on the lead criteria. 

Interview Criteria:  

You will be interviewed against the following criteria: 

Civil Service Behaviours: 

• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing (assessed via presentation)

Experience/Technical: 

• Experience of leading complex data science projects including working with stakeholders and other data scientists.
• Demonstrates expertise of a data science technique and effectively communicates the work to a mixed audience (assessed via presentation) 

See here for further information: Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours (publishing.service.gov.uk) 

Process:   

• Single Stage Interview via TEAMS. You will be contacted to book a suitable slot if you are shortlisted (see our Candidate Pack for further information) 
• Interview will be with a panel of no more than 3 people and will last approx. 45 mins 

Onboarding Checks:  

In the event you are offered a role with us, you will be required to go through Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks which will include Employment and Right to Work Checks. You will also need to apply for SC (Security Clearance), but you may be able to start your role before gaining this. Please see our attached Candidate Pack for further details and Terms. 

Please note, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship.

Residency Requirements

SC – non reserved: This is a Ministry of Defence non-reserved post and although open to UK, British Commonwealth and European Economic Area nationals, successful applicants will require a security clearance (SC) and therefore need to have resided in the UK for a minimum of 12 consecutive months within the last 5 years 

Eligibility 

Due to the secure nature of our work, there may be eligibility restrictions if you hold dual nationality or are not a British Citizen. We will consider each application on a case-by-case basis. We will ask you in our application form to confirm your place of birth and details of any dual or previous nationalities. 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.