AMS PSR

On behalf of The Department for Transport, The Maritime Coastguard Agency, we are looking for a Data Scientist, (Inside IR35) for a 6 Month Remote contract with visits to Southampton once per month.

An active SC Clearance is an essential requirement for this role, as a minimum you must be willing & eligible to undergo checks. (Please note, due to the exceptional requirements of this position (short-term nature of this role and speed at which we require a postholder in situ) preference may be given to candidates who meet all of the essential criteria and hold active security clearance.) 

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency are seeking an experienced Data Scientist to develop and apply advanced statistical, mathematical and computational techniques to solve complex operational challenges. You will design and deliver data science solutions that support evidence-based decision-making, applying experimentation, exploratory analysis, feature engineering, statistical modelling and optimisation techniques to identify patterns, generate insights and evaluate potential interventions.

Your key stakeholders will be:

•    Executive team for direction and strategy.

•    Senior leaderships teams across the agency, gaining approval and sign off of new products

•    Head of Data Governance, Head of Data Engineering, Head of Data Science.

•    Subject matter experts on data systems, databases, and operational business logic processes

A significant focus of the role will be the development of Genetic Algorithms and optimisation models to support operational planning. You will translate complex operational requirements into cost and fitness functions, designing optimisation models that balance competing priorities, constraints and trade-offs. Experience of Genetic Algorithms, evolutionary computing frameworks (such as DEAP) and fitness function development is highly desirable.

You must have strong Python programming skills and experience working with large and complex datasets in Databricks using PySpark and Spark SQL. You should demonstrate expertise in applied statistics, hypothesis testing, data quality assessment, data linkage and the development of mathematical, machine learning or decision-support models.

Beyond technical capability, we are seeking someone who can mentor junior colleagues and influence multidisciplinary teams, working collaboratively with data professionals, subject matter experts and senior stakeholders to shape analytical approaches and deliver successful outcomes. The successful candidate will be able to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences, build consensus across diverse groups, and lead data science projects from discovery through to implementation. 

Key Responsibilities

•    Develop and maintain analytical solutions using Python, SQL, and cloud-based data platforms, applying software engineering best practices to create robust, scalable, and reusable code.

•    Analyse, cleanse, transform, and model complex datasets to support operational and strategic decision-making across the Agency.

•    Apply a range of data science, statistical, optimisation, machine learning, and analytical techniques to solve real-world business problems, selecting the most appropriate approaches for each use case.

•    Design, develop, and improve analytical models, algorithms, and decision-support tools that provide actionable insights and support evidence-based planning.

•    Build and maintain data pipelines and analytical workflows within the MCA Data Platform, ensuring data is accessible, reliable, and fit for analytical use.

•    Communicate complex technical findings to both technical and non-technical audiences, presenting insights in a clear, compelling, and actionable manner.

•    Engage with stakeholders across the organisation to understand business challenges, translate requirements into analytical solutions, and promote data-driven decision making.

•    Contribute to continuous improvement of analytical methods, tools, coding standards, and development practices to enhance the quality and efficiency of data science delivery.

•    Work closely with Data Engineering, Data Governance, and Architecture teams to ensure analytical solutions align with organisational standards and best practice.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident 

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, MOJ guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

Armed Forces Covenant

The Ministry of Justice guarantees to interview veterans or spouses / partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates / military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following "this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different".