Principal Data Scientist

Cardiff, GBR, CF10 1FT
Glasgow, GBR, G511DA
London, GBR, W1A 1AA
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, GBR, NE991RN
Salford, GBR, M50 2QH

JOB BAND: D
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, Full-time
DEPARTMENT: BBC Product Group, Authoring & Curation, Content Creation AI
LOCATION: London / Cardiff / Newcastle / Salford / Glasgow – Hybrid (1-2 days in the office per week)
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £73,000 - £83,000 depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.

We're happy to discuss flexible working. If you'd like to, please indicate your preference in the application – though there's no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

At the BBC, data science is fundamental on our journey towards being a digital‑first platform, creating personalised content and products that bring the right content, to the right people, at the right time.

As a Principal Data Scientist in the Content Creation AI team within Authoring & Curation, you will be working with journalists and editors to improve workflows, enabling them to better produce, describe and curate content that serves the needs of our audience.

By joining the Content Creation AI team you will be joining a growing, cross‑functional team. You’ll work with engineers, user researchers and a product manager to identify and prioritise user needs in authoring and curation workflows, building and testing proof of concepts, and then deploying solutions for integration with user‑facing tools.

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• The role of Principal Data Scientist at the BBC is hands‑on: you’ll use your technical skills to deliver value to internal stakeholders within authoring and curation. We are looking for individuals who have significant breadth and depth of data science expertise.
  
• Principal Data Scientists at the BBC are expected to have impact within their immediate team and across the wider BBC. Working with engineers, user researchers and product, you will be instrumental in the technical decisions required to develop and support AI products at scale.
  
• You will bring significant experience of being an effective contributor in a cross‑functional team and communicating with external stakeholders.
  
• You will collaborate closely with user researchers and product to identify opportunities for where AI can be used, using your extensive knowledge of AI.
  
• You’ll join the wider BBC data science community, with internal and external opportunities to get involved, share your knowledge and shape the ecosystem. On a team level, you will support the development of more junior members of the team.
  

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• A deep understanding of data science and machine learning techniques, including best practices, recent advances and their applications for implementation in a production environment.
  
• Strong working knowledge of data science/engineering best practice, including working with cloud services and strong coding skills, particularly in Python, including knowledge of code management and deployment.
  
• A proven track record of delivering value in production, and technical decision‑making.
  
• The ability to contribute effectively in a cross‑functional team, including the ability to prioritise and work in a structured manner to ensure timely delivery while balancing quality, cost and speed.
  
• The ability to clearly communicate to both technical and non‑technical audiences, both regarding short‑term decisions and longer‑term strategy.
  

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• A strong understanding of Generative AI techniques, notably large language models, including recent advances and their applications for responsible implementation in a production environment.
  
• Experience working with text and/or AV media.
  
• Experience of working in an Agile framework.
  
• Experience of supporting other data scientists with their technical work to deliver value in production.
  

If you can bring some of these skills and experience, along with transferable strengths, we’d love to hear from you and encourage you to apply.

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Contracts of Employment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.

At the BBC you can create and innovate in an inclusive environment while contributing to some of the world’s best loved content, and the BBC’s mission to inform, educate and entertain.

Here you will benefit from:
• Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a flexible 35-hour working week, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pensionscheme and discounted dental, health care and gym.
• Excellent career and professional development.
• Support in your working life, including flexible working which you can discuss with us at any point during the application, selection or offer.
• A values-based organisation where the way we do things is important as what we do.

Benefits may vary if you are joining on an FTC basis or on an orchestra conditions contract.

Learn more about life at the BBC and our values in our candidate pack.

We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief.

Find out more about diversity, inclusion and belonging in our strategy below.

We are a disability confident employer. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via email and we’d be happy to discuss:

BBC Group and Public Services, Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, United Kingdom, W1A 1AA. BBC Studios Distribution Limited, company no: 01420028, registered address: 1 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, United Kingdom W12 7FA.