Principal Data Scientist

The Welsh Government operates name-free recruitment. The recruiting panel will not see personal information such as a candidate's name and address during the sifting process. This policy is in line with our commitment to end bias and promote equality and diversity.

Vacancy title

Principal Data Scientist

Closing date

01/12/2025, 16:00

Advertising basis

Permanent

Actual starting salary

A non-negotiable starting salary of £47,675 will be offered to the successful candidate.

Salary range or pay band

SEO £47,675 to £56,445

Allowances

Yes

Allowance

Other

Allowance

As of 1st April 2025, Welsh Government has introduced a DDaT Allowance for posts categorised as Group 1. This post has been categorised as a Group 1 post and is therefore eligible for the allowance. Upon appointment, the post-holder will be eligible for the 'Developing' proficiency level of Welsh Government's DDaT Allowance which will be £ 3,150 for SEO. Further information will be provided upon appointment

Work pattern

Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)

Group

Corporate Services and Inspectorates

Directorate

Digital, Data and Technology

Branch

Data Science Unit

Location (s)

Pan Wales

Pan Wales' means that the location in which the vacancy can be based is flexible, subject to the needs of the business. A list of the Welsh Government's offices can be found on Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location.

Purpose of post

Welsh Government

The Welsh Government delivers digital services to people and business across Wales. Led by our Chief Digital Officer, the Welsh Government is increasingly delivering more services online and has a vision (outlined in the Digital Strategy for Wales) of improving the lives of everyone through collaboration, innovation and better public services.

To achieve this vision, the Welsh Government needs specialist digital, data and technology skills across all departments in the organisation to improve the services and policies we develop for Welsh citizens.

For more information about the benefits of making a difference with us, please see the Employee Benefits Pack.

Data Science Unit

Welsh Government's Data Science Unit are recruiting for new data scientists to get involved with our ambitious and varied programme of works, centred around using data in novel and creative ways to benefit Welsh Government and the wider public sector in Wales.

We offer a unique opportunity to work across the breadth of Government business areas alongside different teams to understand challenges and deliver solutions. The Data Science Unit are expanding to match the recent surge in interest for Artificial Intelligence and enable us to support Welsh Government and the Welsh public sector in developing and adopting effective, safe and ethical solutions.

Principal Data Scientist (SEO)

This post is mapped to the https://ddat-capability-

A principal data scientist's main duty is to lead a team to deliver project work to make a real difference to our stakeholders. You will lead small multi-disciplinary project teams to meet with stakeholders, understand their challenges and use your knowledge and skills to deliver data science solutions.

As a principal data scientist you will also seek to build data science capability within and outside the organisation. You will seize the opportunity to promote data science and our projects in various engagements as well as offering technical support to other teams within Welsh Government who undertake analytical activities. You will act as a mentor for other members of the team and be pro-active in providing support.

As a principal data scientist you will remain committed to your personal development and the development of the rest of the team, keeping up to date with recent advancements in the wider technical community and identifying opportunities to test and implement algorithms and techniques.

We are looking for people who are:

• Passionate about the application of data science and prioritise delivering work that makes a real impact for customers
• Good collaborators, capable of engaging with project processes and project management to deliver high quality outputs in a timely manner.
• Keen to promote project work and can communicate technical information to a range of different stakeholders, both technical and non-technical
• Supportive to others
• Aware of data privacy/data ethics risks and are confident in working responsibly with data.

Key tasks

At this role level, you will:

• have a broad knowledge of data science techniques, use cases and potential impact, as well as the tools and technologies
• have extensive experience in scoping, designing and delivering data science outputs and products
• work collaboratively with a range of experts in support of organisational objectives
• communicate effectively and challenge delivery plans and priorities
• appreciate and understand data ethics, data preparation and manipulation
• appreciate and understand delivery methods, and how to deliver supported solutions at scale

Your main day to day responsibilities will include:

• Leading project team to deliver data science projects, typically through the use of Python, SQL and Azure cloud technologies using Agile principles.
• Scope and define data science work across the breadth of the discipline, including supervised and unsupervised machine learning, automation, natural language processing, computer vision and artificial intelligence/generative artificial intelligence.
• Ability to review working practices and proactively implement improvements in the way that the team works together and delivers project so ensure success.
• Have a good practical knowledge of Data Privacy and Data Ethics legislation and frameworks to ensure that data science is carried out responsibly within your project work.
• Lead in stakeholder engagement, maintaining good relationships with customers and taking on feedback.
• Identify opportunities to initiate project work that adds value to the organisation.
• Lead on building of data science and AI capability across Welsh Government and the wider public sector in Wales, specifically in the scoping, development and adoption of Artificial Intelligence technologies.

Development opportunities

As a member of the Digital, Data and Technology profession in Welsh Government you will have access to a range of learning and development opportunities.

You will have the opportunity to work on various projects and engage with colleagues at all levels from within the profession and business areas across the organisation.

Welsh Government is supportive of your learning and development and has a range of training and opportunities available including a suite of online training, coaching and mentoring and short-term experience placements which you will be able to take advantage of depending on your learning and development needs and discussions with your line manager.

Other vacancy related information

A reserve list may be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered a reserve status, will remain on the reserve list for 12 months.

In the event of a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted against the lead assessment criterion:

• Experience 1: Data Science, tools and programming – ability to deliver data science work through high quality code and using appropriate tools.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Vetting level

SC - Candidates applying for a role that requires SC clearance must have normally resided in the UK for a minimum of the last 5 years

Number of posts

1

Contact point for further information regarding the post