Senior Data Scientists Ref. 3409
Location: Cheltenham
Closing Date - 23:00 PM on Tuesday 18th of February 2025
Department: Technology, Engineering & Research
£41,935-£49,892 dependent on skills and experience. Opportunity to qualify for specialist skills payment ranging from £4,420-£18,720
Description
Flexible Working: We offer full-time and part-time opportunities with flexible working hours. Remote working may be possible, and there will be opportunities for some home working. It will be structured as 80% office-based and 20% from home, with one day a week dedicated to a combination of learning and working from home.
About Us
GCHQ is an intelligence, cyber and security agency with a mission to keep the UK safe. We use cutting-edge technology, ingenuity and partnerships to identify, analyse and disrupt threats. Working with our intelligence partners MI5 and MI6, we protect the UK from terrorism, cyber-attacks and espionage. At GCHQ you’ll do varied and fascinating work in a supportive and inclusive environment that puts the emphasis on teamwork.
The Role
As a Senior Data Scientist, you’ll leverage data science to advance our mission and inform policy and strategy decisions. While this role is data-centric, collaboration is at its heart.
In this role, you’ll collaborate with data scientists and mission teams to utilise our services for problem-solving and discovering new applications. You’ll work with project teams to research and implement both established and novel models, and adapt AI techniques into our microservice architecture. Supporting our Development Operations (DevOps) team, you’ll explore innovative Machine Learning Operations (ML Ops) tools and learn to host large language models across multiple Graphic Processing Units (GPUs). After a year in this role, you’ll have opportunities to manage data scientists and engineers,
You understand the power of data for a business, and at GCHQ, we know how to use it for good. Every bit of data you work on is mission-critical and not driven by commercial gain, so you can be confident that your work makes a positive impact.
There may be annual opportunities for overseas travel for collaboration, conferences, and training.
About You
A STEM or computer science-related degree, or an equivalent qualification, will be beneficial. If you don’t have a degree but possess relevant experience, please apply, as your experience is as valuable as a professional qualification. Ideally, you’ll have a deep understanding of machine learning, including training deployment, and maintenance. Additionally, you should be proficient in exploratory data analysis, statistical reasoning, and data driven decision-making.
Your experience in data science or software engineering enables you to communicate effectively with experts in both fields. This background has also shaped you into an effective manager, with a history of mentoring and supporting colleagues. Beyond these skills, you’re adept at leading teams and working with internal and external partners, as well as end users. Technically, you’re well-versed in the entire lifecycle of machine learning projects, capable of transforming a prototype capability (such as one in a Jupyter notebook) into a functional system component. Additionally, you’re proficient in a range of technologies, including but not limited to some of Python, Kubernetes, Docker, JavaScript, and Java.
Training and Development
At GCHQ, we’re committed to giving you all the support and guidance you need to build a rewarding career at the heart of national security, and we’ll do this from the very start. From day one, you’ll have a comprehensive introduction to the organisation, plus a buddy on hand to support and mentor you as you get settled in. We understand that everyone learns differently, so we’ll tailor your development to suit your needs – whether that’s through books, studying, courses, or conferences. Additionally, we offer an internal Data Science learning pathway with a significant taught component. Successfully completing this pathway will open up a variety of other learning opportunities, aligned with ambitions, career direction, and our mission requirements. The programme includes modules on exploratory data analysis, and visualisation, mathematics and statistics, machine learning, algorithms and graph theory, and big data technologies.
Rewards and Benefits
You’ll receive a starting salary of £41,935 – £49,892 depending on skills and experience. You might also qualify for a skills payment base on your expertise. Plus, you’ll enjoy other benefits, including:
- 25 days annual leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays
- Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
- Interest-free season ticket loan
- Excellent pension scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Facilities such as a gym, restaurant, and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
- Paid parental and adoption leave
Equal Opportunities
At GCHQ, diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word, those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are underrepresented in our workforce such as women, those from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website.
We’re Disability Confident
GCHQ is proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain, and develop disabled people. Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a fair and proportionate number of person-to-person interviews to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. This is our ‘Offer of Interview’ (OOI). To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential criteria (in order of application process) are:
- A STEM or computer science-related degree, or an equivalent qualification or relevant experience in lieu of a degree – assessed at sift.
- Demonstrate proven management skills including mentoring and supporting colleagues – assessed at application sift.
- Demonstrate an ability to lead teams and collaborate with internal and external partners, as well as end users – assessed at application sift.
- Strong motivation for the role and a genuine interest for working for the organisation – assessed at application sift.
- Demonstrate a deep understanding of machine learning, including training, deployment, and maintenance.
What to Expect
Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:
- CV and application question sift
- A competency based and technical interview – assessing your motivation for the role and your understanding of data science
- If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment
Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 - 9 months to process, including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.
Before You Apply
To work at GCHQ, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. You can read our full eligibility criteria here.
This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here.
Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs, and you’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.
Before you apply, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address for your contact with us to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid having identifying features in your email address, such as your first and/or surname and date of birth. This is good practice and will help you manage your application with us more discreetly.
The role is based in Cheltenham, so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application, as we do not offer relocation costs.
Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.
Right to Withdraw Statement:
Please be aware that, we reserve the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.
