Senior Data Scientist

Location: Leeds

Closing Date: 31/5/2026

Interviews: Interviews will take place in person in Leeds on 16th and 17th June.

Grade: SEO

(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)

Salary:
National - £42,914 to £46,182 (which may include an allowance of up to £9424)

Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Contract Type: Permanent

Number of vacancies: 2

Vacancy number: 17762

*We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your local office. Successful candidates will be based at our Leeds office. Please ensure that this location is within a reasonable commuting distance for you.

The Role

Please note this role requires you to pass Security Check clearance. Please click on the link for details.

We’re recruiting for Senior Data Scientists here at Justice Digital, Data and Science to be part of our warm and collaborative Data Scientist team.

This role aligns against Data Scientist from the Government Digital and Data Framework

These roles sit within Justice Data which exists to ensure that high quality data, and algorithms and tools built on that data, are available, trusted, and effectively used to improve decision making across the justice system. It plays a critical enabling role in delivering the department’s strategic, operational, and transformation priorities by turning complex and fragmented data into meaningful insight and practical tools.

The Data Science community at MoJ has around 80 members of staff providing data science support across a diverse and exciting agenda. We create a culture in which people are empowered by data and information to make better decisions using cutting edge tools and put evidence at the heart of the justice system.

We have a track record of delivering services to front line staff using wide ranging data science techniques, including the award-winning safety diagnostic tool, which helps our staff tackle violence in prisons and the public-facing Criminal justice system (CJS) delivery data dashboard. We also created Splink, used across the public sector, private sector, and academia. We regularly deliver insights that directly influence corporate, operational and policy decisions. Our projects span the data science spectrum including machine learning, natural language processing, large language models, traditional statistics, and operational research techniques.

Roles available:

Senior Data Scientist in Probation Data Science & AI: You will be a member of a multidisciplinary product team - working alongside designers, researchers and developers - to embed data science solutions into the Digital tools used by frontline Probation staff. You will take ideas from concept to live service helping Probation staff save time and improve operational effectiveness. Supported by a Lead Data Scientist you’ll also help grow team capability by developing junior data scientists.

Senior Data Scientist in Risk Assessment Data Science & AI: The main programme of work entails developing, monitoring and supporting the suite of Actuarial Risk Assessment Instruments (ARAIs), which estimate the probability of various types of reoffending. Current ARAI projects range from analysing the prediction of Violence Against Women and Girls to improving the operational understanding of models using new explainability techniques. As a member of the team, you would help streamline the process for creating, updating and deploying these products, work with Digital and other leads to bring in new data sources, address HMPPS requirements such as modelling demand for new offender services and oversee other team projects to improve our understanding of offender risk using predictive modelling.

You’ll receive a range of excellent benefits when you join our department, including:

• A generous employer pension contribution of 28.97% through the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
• 25 days of annual leave, (increasing to 30 days once you have reached 5 years of service), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday.
• Flexible working arrangements including hybrid working, working part time or compressed hours. Designed to support a positive work–life balance.
• Employees are allocated 10% of their working time for personal and professional development.
• A £1k per person learning budget is in place to support all our people, with access to best-in-class conferences and seminars, accreditation with professional bodies, fully funded vocational programmes and e-learning platforms
• Compassionate maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!

You can find more details of the Benefits we offer here. To help picture your life at MoJ Justice Digital, Data and Science please take a look at our blog.

Key Responsibilities:

• Apply appropriate data science tools to build products to robust standards
  
• Future-proof work with documentation, model monitoring, and re-assessment schedules
• Work collaboratively with other data scientists using version control and proportionate dev-ops practices.
• Communicate results and possibilities to a variety of stakeholders.
• Help the team keep up to date with the wider data science landscape and emerging technologies.
• Contribute to the MoJ Data Science Community making it an inclusive and vibrant place to work.
• Contribute to the strategy and direction of technical projects.
• Coach junior data scientists, improving their technical skills and independence.

If this feels like an exciting challenge, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team please read on and apply!

Person Specification

Essential

• Experience of applying data science techniques (e.g. machine learning, language models, and traditional statistical models)
• A foundation in probability and statistics, and an interest in how models work.
• Experience in writing high-quality code in Python (or significant experience with other programming languages and ability to learn Python quickly)
• Data derivation/manipulation in code and/or SQL
• Ability to communicate analytical results convincingly to technical and non-technical audiences
• Able to identify opportunities and applicability of data science and take initiative in project development.

Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for SC clearance

We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring and do not discriminate based on culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor.

Our values are Purpose, Humanity Openness and Together. Find out more here about how we celebrate diversity and an inclusive culture in our workplace.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

Salary Information**

Base salary for this role is from £42,914 to £46,182 (which may include an allowance of up to £9424)

• New entrants to the Civil Service joining the MoJ are expected to start at the minimum of the pay band.
• Existing Civil Servants moving on a level transfer will retain their current base salary or move to the minimum of the pay band for the role, whichever is higher.
• Existing Civil Servants who are promoted will either move to the bottom of the new grade’s pay band or receive a 10% uplift, whichever provides the greater increase.
• Candidates may also be eligible for a non‑pensionable Government Digital & Data Allowance of up to £9424 per year. This is a temporary allowance, reviewed annually and may be retained, amended, or withdrawn.

The final offer will reflect the skills and experience you demonstrate during the assessment process.

How to Apply

In Justice Digital, Data and Science, we recruit using a combination of the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability and Success Profiles Frameworks. We shall assess a combination of your Experience, Technical skills and Behaviours during the assessment process.

Stage 1 - Application and sift:

To apply for this position, you must submit the following as part of your application

• An anonymised CV detailing your career history (including any relevant qualifications). Your CV will be assessed against the essential criteria outlined within the Person Specification of this advert.
• A Personal Statement (no more than 750 words) which should outline your experience and skills, giving clear examples of work undertaken. It should specifically address the criteria listed below, using a separate paragraph for each.

Sift criteria:

• Experience of applying data science techniques (e.g. machine learning, language models, and traditional statistical models)
• A foundation in probability and statistics, and an interest in how models work.
• Experience in writing high-quality code in Python (or significant experience with other programming languages and ability to learn Python quickly)
• Data derivation/manipulation in code and/or SQL

A diverse sift panel will review the information in your CV and Personal Statement to assess the sift criteria specified above. We operate an anonymous shortlisting process. Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement DO NOT include your name or any other identifying details.

Should we receive a high volume of applications, a pre-sift based on the below criteria will be conducted before the sift.

Pre sift criteria:

• Experience of applying data science techniques (e.g. machine learning, language models, and traditional statistical models)
• A foundation in probability and statistics, and an interest in how models work.

Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply - Application Guidance

Stage 2 – Interviews

Candidates who successfully meet the required standard will be invited to attend a technical assessment and panel interview, both of which will take place on the same day at our Leeds office on 16^th & 17^th June.

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements - Experience, Technical and the following Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Appointments are made strictly in merit order. In the event that two or more candidates receive identical interview scores, the experience of applying data science techniques (e.g. machine learning, language models, and traditional statistical models) will be applied as the primary lead criterion to determine the final merit order.

Should you be unsuccessful in the role that you have applied for but demonstrate the capability for a role at a lower level, we reserve the right to discuss this opportunity with you and offer you the position without needing a further application.

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, from which further appointments may be made.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Terms & Conditions

Please review our Terms and Conditions which set out how we recruit and provide further information related to the role and salary arrangements.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact digitalanddatarecruitment@justice.gov.uk